It’s incredible to think that sky running has been around for so long. Founded by the Italian mountaineer Marino Giacometti, ‘who, with a handful of fellow climbers, pioneered records and races on Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa in the Italian Alps in the early ‘90’s,‘ skyrunning has developed into something so much bigger – one that is governed but the International Skyrunning Federation.
skyrunning | |ˈskʌɪrʌnɪŋ|
noun [mass noun]
The discipline of mountain running up to or exceeding 2,000m where the incline exceeds 30% and the climbing difficulty does not exceed II° grade.
I wish I’d discovered sky running earlier in my running career. Having only just completed my first sky run in May 2015 (Transvulcania), my eyes were opened to this incredible sport, one that the likes of Kilian Jornet and Emilie Forsberg dominate. It was on the island of La Palma that I first met ISF President, Marino and his lovely wife, Lauri van Houten. They are the godparents of the sport. Indeed, one could almost say it is what defines them.
This fabulous film, produced by talented duo, Greg Fell and Dean Leslie of The African Attachment, could almost be seen to be a tribute to Marino and Lauri’s work – one spanning two decades.
