Ultra Trail Cordillera Blanca—the 14th race of the circuit—held in Peru, the first half of the 2025 Merrell Skyrunner® World Series comes to a close. The American races are now complete, and the competition returns to Europe and Asia, heading toward the grand finale at the Skymasters in Eslida and Aín on November 8.

Huaraz, in the Áncash region, at the heart of Peru’s Cordillera Blanca in the Andes, hosted another breathtaking high-altitude event. Beyond the technical terrain, athletes faced extreme weather conditions and raced at elevations exceeding 4,000 meters above sea level.

One Event, Four Distances:

• KV 5,5 km +1000 m
• 12 km +629 m
• Ultra Sky Race 47,5 km +2250 m
• Skyrace: 23 km +1450 m

The official circuit race, Cordillera Blanca Skyrace®, featured a 23 km course with 1,450 meters of vertical gain, an average altitude above 3,000 meters, and peaks reaching 4,510 m. Despite the moderate distance, the difficulty was extreme—pure skyrunning.

Men’s race

A dominant performance by José Manuel Quispe (PER – Merrell CIVA), who set a fast pace from the start, followed closely by Jorge Luis Castro (PER – Perú Trail Lab) and, at a short distance, Alain Santamaría (ESP – Open Team). The downhill section clarified the standings, with José Manuel pulling away and crossing the finish line solo, claiming his third consecutive victory in Huaraz. Jorge Luis followed five minutes later, and Alain, despite altitude-related issues, secured a commendable third place. Rounding out the top 5 were Abraham Hernández (MEX – Hoka) and Tavo Buitrago (COL – Merrell).

Woman’s Race

Just as José Manuel dominated the men’s race, his compatriot Deysi Castro (Perú Trail Lab) led the women’s race from start to finish.

Early on, the chasing group included Diana Espinoza (PER – Legion Runners), Yesica Granados (PER), Paola Morales (COL – Track & Mountain), Naiara Irigoyen (ESP – Open Team), Ana María Pineda (COL – Merrell), and Leida Díaz (PER – Hoka). The descent proved decisive, with Deysi extending her lead and finishing 10 minutes ahead of Naiara, who climbed positions on the downhill. Diana Espinoza completed the podium two minutes behind Naiara. The top 5 was rounded out by Yesica Granados and Rosalía Zegarra, both from Peru.

We already knew José Manuel’s quality from 2024, and racing at home gave him an edge in terrain knowledge and altitude adaptation. But Deysi, in her first-ever mountain race, delivered an outstanding performance against experienced runners like Naiara, Paola, and Rosalía—an incredible achievement.

Each race continues to surprise, proving that talent is everywhere. Every athlete uses their strengths and strategy to reach the Skymasters with the highest possible score and fight for the MSWS title at the Marató dels Dements.

José Manuel now leads the overall standings with 380 points from 5 races and still has room to improve his score. Alain and Naiara have also benefited from the Andean races, positioning themselves among the front-runners as the second half of the season begins. Remember: although only 4 races are required to qualify, the 5 best results are counted.

Qualified for the Skymasters after the latest results:

• Naiara Irigoyen
• Paola Morales
• Marcela Vasinova

U23 – Andrés Olivero

Top young athletes at the Cordillera Blanca Skyrace:

1. Wallace Huamani (PER)
2. Fernando Huamani (PER)
3. Benjamin Townsend (USA) / Dilton Guevara (PER)

1. Rachel Hebaus 3:05 (USA)
2. Karina Andersen 3:18 (USA)
3. Rio Townsend 3:42 (USA)

Amb els últims resultats, asseguren la classificació per a la Skymasters:

• Naiara Irigoyen
• Paola Morales
• Marcela Vasinova

Cursa puntuable també per al Trofeu Andrés Olivero U23.
Classificació dels i les joves a la Cordillera Blanca Skyrace:

1. Wallace Huamani (PER)
2. Fernando Huamani (PER)
3. Benjamin Townsend (USA) / Dilton Guevara (PER)

Femení U23:

1. Rachel Hebaus 3:05 (USA)
2. Karina Andersen 3:18 (USA)
3. Rio Townsend 3:42 (USA)

Back to Europe: Tatra Skymarathon, Poland

In two weeks, the second half of the circuit begins, with most races taking place in Europe and two in Asia.

The Tatra Skymarathon, in Zakopane, southern Poland—the country’s winter capital—at the foot of the Tatra Mountains (the highest range in the Carpathians), will bring together a strong field of athletes, making the race one to watch.En poc meś de dos setmanes comença la segona part del circuit, amb el gruix de les curses europees i dues a Àsia.

Amb els últims resultats, asseguren la classificació per a la Skymasters:

• Naiara Irigoyen
• Paola Morales
• Marcela Vasinova

Cursa puntuable també per al Trofeu Andrés Olivero U23.
Classificació dels i les joves a la Cordillera Blanca Skyrace:

1. Wallace Huamani (PER)
2. Fernando Huamani (PER)
3. Benjamin Townsend (USA) / Dilton Guevara (PER)

Femení U23:

1. Rachel Hebaus 3:05 (USA)
2. Karina Andersen 3:18 (USA)
3. Rio Townsend 3:42 (USA)

Back to Europe: Tatra Skymarathon, Poland

In two weeks, the second half of the circuit begins, with most races taking place in Europe and two in Asia.

The Tatra Skymarathon, in Zakopane, southern Poland—the country’s winter capital—at the foot of the Tatra Mountains (the highest range in the Carpathians), will bring together a strong field of athletes, making the race one to watch.

As of today, and with the start list expected to grow, confirmed names include: Luca Del Pero, Manuel Merillas, Damien Humbert, Ivan Calvó, Martin Nilsson, Marc Bernardes Ollé, Fabian Marcel, Denisa Dragomir, Cèlia Balcells, Simone Brick, Júlia Garriga, and Aina Cusí.

We can’t wait for July 26!