Talking about the Aosta Valley, in the heart of the Italian Alps, is talking about pure mountain spirit. It’s about trail running, ultradistance, and top-level skyrunning — all wrapped in music, local food, and the warm hospitality of a valley that lives and breathes outdoor adventure.
The Merrell Skyrunner® World Series 2025 made its first stop in Italy, landing in Châtillon for the iconic Monte Zerbion Skyrace®. A full-on weekend with three race formats spread across Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17. Saturday featured two vertical races: one 9.5 km with +2200 m and another 5.5 km with +850 m. Sunday brought the two Skyraces: 22 km with +/-2200 m and 15 km with +/-1350 m.
With snow still lingering on the upper sections —the Monte Zerbion peaks at 2650 m— runners had to tackle snowy terrain, adding an extra layer of technicality and challenge to an already demanding course
Men’s race: Alpine showdown
The Italians went full gas from the start. Gianluca Ghiano (Team Brooks), Alex Oberbacher (La Sportiva), and Mattia Bertochini (Team New Balance) led the charge and summited Zerbion in that order. Behind them, two chase packs formed: one with Belgian Raoul Raus (New Balance), Frenchman Jules Mongellaz (Team Sida Matrix), and Brit Finlay Grant; and another with veteran Manuel Merillas (New Balance) and Merrell’s Peruvian runner José Manuel Quispe.
The descent proved decisive. Ghiano and Oberbacher held their ground, but Merillas, a downhill master, flew past to claim a well-earned third place. Ghiano took his first win of the season, Oberbacher showed that his performance in Matheysins was no fluke, and Merillas, despite a slow start to the season, is clearly gearing up for the Skymasters at Dements.
Women’s race: clash of titans
Denisa Dragomir (ROM/Merrell Red Bull) did what she does best — attacked from the gun. But Lucille Germain (FRA/NNormal) stayed close, summited Zerbion in the lead, and never looked back. She crossed the finish line five minutes ahead of Denisa, with Fabiola Conti closing strong on the descent to take third, eight minutes back.
Keep an eye on Lucille: two races, two wins. And Denisa, with three second-place finishes, is always in the mix and fighting for the top.
Overall standings
After nine races, the overall leaderboard is still led by Luca del Pero (ITA/Scarpa) and reigning champ Anastasia Rubtsova (RUS). But new names are creeping into the top spots, revealing strategies aimed at arriving at the Marathon of Dements with a real shot at the title.
The Merrell Skyrunner® World Series takes a short break… but all eyes will be on Zegama Aizkorri next weekend. Then, on May 31, the tour heads to Austria, to Maria Alm, for the legendary Hochkönigman Skyrace®. Along with the Gorges du Tarn Skyrace in France, these races will wrap up the European block before the tour heads across the Atlantic for the second half of the season.
