Since 2019, the circuit had not returned to North American mountains since the iconic The Rut in Montana, and as it was time to come back, Beast of Big Creek the 12th stage of the 2026 Merrell Skyrunner® World Series
Located in Washington State, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, at the heart of Olympic National Park, with the town of Hoodsport as the closest population centre, and surrounded by the lush forests that define the area, Big Creek Campground became the epicentre of both the race and the global skyrunning community.
Making its debut in the 2026 World Series calendar, the North American event featured a Classic Sky race: up&down route to the iconic Mount Ellinor. Across its 23 km and +/-1,600 m of elevation gain, runners tackled one of the steepest and most renowned routes in the region, climbing through dense forests before reaching exposed technical terrain with breathtaking gradients that turned the ascent into a brutal challenge and the descent into a fearless test of skill, all accompanied by stunning views of Lake Cushman and Puget Sound. A truly Skyrace-style course, with runnable forest sections at the beginning and end, a single climb and a single descent on the same trail, allowing athletes to cross paths throughout the race and adding an extra competitive dimension.
Probably the most international edition in the race’s history, Beast of Big Creek also hosted the U23 category and carried red-race status (1.5x points).
The North American squad, led by Morgan Elliott (Merrell) and Carmen Graves (Adidas Terrex), approached the race eager to take on the international field, with José Manuel Quispe (PER/Merrell) standing out as the curent overall leader.
With a genuine North American atmosphere, from the athlete presentation and the lakeside forest campground setting to the traditional Jäger shot at the summit of Mount Ellinor and the vibrant pre- and post-race activities, the event extended throughout the weekend with two races:
- Skyrace, 23 km +/-1,600 m, Saturday
- Forest Loop, 10 km, +/-365 m, Sunday
It is worth noting that the 2025 edition had to be cancelled due to weather conditions. This year, however, conditions turned out to be far better than initially forecast and, although fog and wind appeared on the upper sections of the course, the race started on schedule at 7:00 a.m.
Men’s race
As expected, Morgan Elliott was racing on home soil and immediately took control of the race. At the first checkpoint he already held the lead ahead of José Manuel Quispe (PER/Merrell Civa), Daniel Antoniolli (ITA/Scarpa), Jackson Cole (NZL/La Sportiva) and Cole Campbell (USA/Adidas Terrex).
On the long climb to Mount Ellinor, although José Manuel managed to reduce the gap, Morgan reached the summit first, politely declining the traditional Jäger shot. Knowing Quispe’s descending skills, the battle was far from over.
Morgan never eased off, neither on the technical downhill nor through the fast forest sections, eventually defeating the Peruvian star by around four minutes. Daniel Antoniolli and Jackson Cole secured third and fourth place respectively, in a very close battle, with little more than three minutes separating second from fourth.
Beñat Albisu (ESP) gained several positions on the descent to round out the men’s top five and claim the U23 Trofeo Esteban Olivero victory.
Women’s race
In the women’s race, the North American athletes were unable to match Britain’s Eve Pannone (Brooks), who bounced back after two modest performances at Acantilados del Norte and Gorges du Tarn to take the win and secure 150 points, making a significant jump in the overall standings ahead of the Dements final in November.
Just as Morgan dominated the men’s race from start to finish, Eve controlled the women’s race from the opening metres to the finish line, never giving her rivals a chance.
On the climb, Carmen Pelar Graves (USA/Merrell), Natalie Beadle (GBR/Arc’Teryx), Claudia Corral (ESP/Scarpa) and Kalie McCrystal (CAN) occupied the leading chasing positions behind the British runner.
Eve Pannone reached the summit first, followed by Kalie in second, Claudia in third and Natalie in fourth.
The descent provided plenty of action and position changes. At the finish, only Eve maintained her placing, while Natalie Beadle moved into second place, finishing around two minutes behind the winner. Claudia Corral secured third, Carmen Graves fourth and Kalie McCrystal fifth.
U23 Esteban Olivero Trophy
As has become increasingly common, youth is proving no barrier to competing at the highest level. Not only were the victories of Beñat Albisu (ESP), fifth overall, and Abbey Stone (USA/The Trail Team), ninth overall, remarkable, but so too were their overall finishing positions.
Overall
There were few significant changes in the overall standings. José Manuel Quispe remains the leader with an outstanding 482 points, while Morgan Elliott strengthened his hold on second place with 426 points.
In the women’s standings, Kalie McCrystal improved her position by reaching 301 points and securing qualification for the final, while Eve Pannone moved significantly up the rankings, bringing her total to 240 points following today’s victory.
It is important to remember that the standings of already qualified athletes are still relative, as they depend on participation in the remaining six races and on whether results can still be improved. Before the Skymasters, there are two possible scoring combinations:
- 2 red races + 2 white races
- 1 red race + 3 white races
After 12 races, Skymasters 2026 qualifyers:
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Next Stop, Double Weekend Showdown: Matterhorn Ultraks Extreme & Trofeo Kima
The circuit enters its final third, with five races remaining in Europe and one in Malaysia, meaning there are very few opportunities left for athletes aiming to qualify for the final and challenge for the overall standings.
One weekend, two legendary races: Matterhorn Ultraks Extreme in Switzerland on 21 August, and Trofeo Kima in Italy on 22 August.
Little introduction is needed for these two iconic events: the most famous descent in skyrunning and the race that every skyrunner dreams of running.
Both are white races, awarding 100 points to the men’s and women’s winners, and featuring only the senior category.
Attention will now turn to the start lists and the choices made by the top contenders as they work to secure their place in the final and improve their overall ranking.
@trofeokima
Totes dues curses blanques, 100 punts per al guanyador i la guanyadora, i sols categoria absoluta.
Caldrà esperar els llistats de favorits i favorites i veure la tria de cursa que fan per anar assegurant ja la presència en la final i el posicionament a la classificació.
