Skyrunner National Series returns to the U.S. for 2026

"The original version of the Skyrunner USA Series featured many well-known races, including the Speedgoat 50k, The Rut, and Flagstaff Skyrace, now called the Flagstaff Sky Peaks Mountain Runs. Starting with a three-race series in 2014, the original Skyrunner USA Series grew steadily until it disappeared at its peak after 2019. Does the return of the series indicate an increased interest in the sport once again?"

"Additionally, the Beast of Big Creek is part of the Skyrunner World Series, and the Whiteface SkyRace event, which was part of the original U.S. series between 2015 and 2019, will also host a vertical kilometer (VK) as part of the Skyrunner VK Open World Cup. The U.S. races range from 21k to 37k, with the Alaska event having 3,500 meters (11,500 feet) of climbing."

The Skyrunner USA Series returns in 2026 after a seven-year hiatus with a four-race national circuit stretching from Alaska to New York. The 2026 series is the first U.S. national skyrunning series since 2019 and will run alongside ten other national series worldwide. Skyraces feature steep, technical terrain, often above the treeline, and in some sections require helmets, fixed ropes, or cables for safe navigation. The 2026 U.S. lineup includes Whiteface SkyRace (NY, July 4), Beast of Big Creek (WA, Aug 1), Skeetawk Skyline Scramble (AK, Aug 30), and Kismet Cliff Run (NH, Sept 13). Beast of Big Creek is part of the Skyrunner World Series, Whiteface will host a VK event in the Skyrunner VK Open World Cup, U.S. races range from 21k to 37k, and the Alaska race includes roughly 3,500 meters (11,500 feet) of climbing.

Read at iRunFar