There’s trail running, and then there’s mountain “skyrunning,” as it’s called.
The major difference, explained Carbondale runner and member of the U.S. Skyrunning Team Joseph DeMoor, is a greater emphasis on vertical gain and navigating courses that reach well above treeline.
“Skyrunning has its roots in Europe, and that’s still the heart of the sport,” he said. “It is trail running, but with a bigger emphasis on vertical, mountaineering skills, technical terrain, scrambling across scree fields … things like that.”
DeMoor is set to join 11 other runners from across the United States, including several who call Colorado home at least part time, at the 2024 Skyrunning World Championships, Sept. 6 to 8, at the Desafío Urbión in the heart of the Sistema Central Mountains outside of Soria, Spain.
DeMoor was the lone U.S. representative at the biennial world championship event in 2022, held in northern Italy. He’s the captain of this year’s team.
“I’m excited to be going back with a full team,” he said. “We have a variety of people who’ve been on various other teams and who have experience in the different disciplines.”
Runners will compete in either the Vertical, a 1,050-meter (3,445 foot) climb over 4.8 kilometers (just shy of 3 miles); the Sky Ultra, which covers 43.5 miles (70K) and features 14,272 feet (4,350 meters) of vertical gain; or DeMoor’s event, a classic 23-mile (37K) Sky race featuring 8,333 feet (2,540 meters) of vertical gain.
DeMoor was a gold medalist at the 2022 World Championships, alongside women’s Sky champion Maude Mathys from Switzerland.
“After 2022, I knew that in order to get a team together for 2024 that I would need to take on more of a recruiting role,” he said. “Unlike what a lot of countries do, which is to have qualifying races, we based our selections on an application process and race results.”
Most of the mountain trail races in the U.S. take place at ski areas and barely top out at treeline. Staging events above treeline, which often involves protected wilderness areas, takes extra permitting and is less common, DeMoor explained.
Treeline in western Europe is also much lower in elevation than in the Rocky Mountains. For instance, in the Alps of Switzerland, France, Austria and northern Italy, the mountain peaks are around the same elevation as Colorado’s mountain valleys. Spain’s Sistema Mountains top out at about 8,500 feet — roughly the same as upper Snowmass Village.
Ryan Kerrigan is the executive director for U.S. Skyrunning and is currently living in Italy where he has been leading youth camps to help develop young skyrunners.
“Skyrunning is that sweet spot between trail running and mountaineering,” Kerrigan said. “Most events include some elements of alpinism, such as scrambling, via ferrata, ropes, ladders, scree, snow … If you’re not using your hands at some point, it’s not skyrunning.”
Due to permitting and insurance requirements, it’s harder to put together races, let alone a whole series in the U.S. with the appropriate technicality and vertical gain to earn the title of “skyrunning,” he said.
Having a full squad at the World Championships can help to build that culture back home, he added.
“With each passing championship I feel more encouraged with the level U.S. skyrunners are climbing to, but the whole world seems to improve as well,” Kerrigan said. “It’s encouraging not only to see the growing strength of the sport within countries that have traditionally taken part, such as Italy and Spain, but also many new countries building organizations to grow the sport in their own countries and share those athletes on the world stage.”
He said DeMoor is the ideal runner to help champion the sport.
“Through the organization process, Joseph has shown enthusiasm, doggedness and inclusiveness,” he said. “He’s not only a great athlete but a great person and spokesman for the sport.”
The other U.S. Skyrunning team members are: Ultra — Mercedes Siegle-Gaither of Westfield, Wisconsin, Dan Button of Boise, Idaho, Jeffrey Stern of Mill Valley, California, Travis Lavin of Centralia, Illinois, and two Colorado runners, Erin Thorn of Thornton and Marisa Watson of Salida; Sky and Vertical — joining DeMoor are Michelle Merlis of Monterey, Massachusetts and Laurel Moyer of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, Morgan Elliott of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, Joshua Taylor of Wasilla, Alaska, and Stephen Kerr of Sutton, Massachusetts.
The team is also raising funds to help support their participation in the World Championships, for things like team kits, accommodations, race fees and team meals. They’ve set up a Givebutter page (www.givebutter.com/skyrunning2024) with a goal to raise $15,000.
To learn more about skyrunning, visit www.skyrunning.com/about-skyrunning
