Monte Rosa Skymarathon – record numbers all round

The 2025 Monte Rosa SkyMarathon takes to the sky with record numbers – 500 athletes, 30 countries and the new SkySummit ascent race, sharing the 4,554m altitude of Europe’s highest race in Alagna, Piedmont, Italy on June 14-15, 2025.

Back for more are world-class athletes and past winners, including five-time winner, Italian William Boffelli pairing with Roberto Delorenzi from Switzerland, third in 2024. A glaciologist, Boffelli studies glaciers both for his profession and close-up, under-foot, as a top skyrunner.

“I just set the ski mountaineering FKT on Mont Blanc, an undertaking that has given me indescribable emotions and lasting memories. Who knows, maybe together with Roberto Delorenzi we can also set the record on Monte Rosa?  It would be an unforgettable double!”

From Sweden, 2021 winners, twins Lina and Sanna Elkott are ready to take on the Monte Rosa SkyMarathon for another try. “We are pleased to return to Monte Rosa again, but honestly it will be hard to beat our last time that was amazing. This year we haven’t had the same amount of time to prepare and last week had some health problems.

“However, we are positive and very happy to come back to this iconic race that includes so much of what we love with racing. The challenge together with steep climbs both on rock and snow, the altitude and the different weather from the village up to the hut is an incredible to experience. The welcome from the village is something we haven’t seen anywhere else.”

The women’s individual record of 5h34’40” for the ascent and descent of the Monte Rosa SkyMarathon still belongs to local athlete, Gisella Bendotti, set in 1994. Her niece, Betty Bendotti, will participate in the race pairing with her cousin’s wife, Agnese Valz Gen. It’s a family business…

Another historic skyrunner will also be competing here – Oihana Azkorbebeita from the Basque Country, who over the years was in the top ten of many skyrunning races and winner of the Tromso SkyRace® among others. She will be partnering with top Spanish skimo athlete, Laura Sola De Miguel. Over the last few days, she has been acclimatising on Monte Rosa at the Mantova Hut at 3,498m altitude.

“This is the first time we’ve run this race, and honestly, I’ve been wanting to come for years but never had anyone to go with. This year, I finally found the perfect partner, and we’re so happy to be able to participate in such a special race. This whole area is wonderful, and being able to climb Monte Rosa is a real treat. We hope to fully enjoy the entire race and cross the finish line with a huge smile – of course!”

Adding to the historic participants is Italian Ettore Champretavy who won the first race to the summit and back in 1993 in the Fila Skyrunner® Trophy. He closed in 4h59’ 50’’, his time to the summit was approximately 3h25’.
After 32 years, he’s back racing with his son Fabien in the new SkySummit where the best time is 3h06’ (based on the 2023 ascent record of the Monte Rosa SkyMarathon by William Boffelli and Tadei Pivk).

The women’s ascent record is a clean 4h0’0” set in 2018 by American Hillary Gerardi and Briton Holly Page.

Marcela Vasinova, 2019 European VERTICAL champion from Czechia, will compete in the SkySummit, partnering with Italian Katrin Bieler. “I always prefer uphills over downhills but VKs are too fast and short for me, so when I first saw the new SkySummit, I immediately knew that’s the perfect challenge for me,” said Vasinova.

“It has everything I like: long technical climbs combined with high altitude mountaineering in a very beautiful area. Can’t wait!”

More top SkySummit competitors include Italian Marcello Ugazio, winner of the 2023 AMA VK2 and 2022 World Championships silver medallist. He will be stretching the distance and the vertical in this new uphill-only race – 17.5 km with 3,500m climb.

Sunday, June 15 will host the other two vertical races: the AMA VK2, 9 km and 2,086m vertical climb, and the Monte Rosa Vertical, 5.32 km long with 1,150m vertical climb. The AMA VK2 shares part of the course of the two main races to an altitude of 3,260m.

Frenchman Louis Dumas, 2024 VK OPEN champion, will be toeing the line at the AMA VK2. “I’m really looking forward to discovering this course, which combines everything I love: climbing, endurance, and technicality. For me, it’s a discovery of this valley and above all, one of the original skyrunning races… The altitude could also play a decisive role, and I’m curious to see how my body will respond to this kind of effort. I hope the weather and my form will be on form and that the AMA VK2 will be a great experience that will make me want to come back to try the other formats!”

Othe top names competing include: Victoria Kreuzer and Martin Anthamatten from Switzerland, and Italians Corinna Ghirardi (2023 winner) and Peter Bettoli.

After last year’s extreme conditions, the forecast is excellent. Race course director and mountain guide, Nicola Degasperis, commented, “The conditions are looking good for the weekend. After the recent snow fall, the crevasses are safe, and the avalanches have fallen. Warm sunny weather is expected in the mornings with some rain in the afternoons.”

Looking forward to welcoming new and past participants to the 2025 events is race organiser Manuel Gambarini with his team, AMA ASD, the Mountain Guides, Rescue Service and the many volunteers who make this unique race possible, with thanks to sponsors and institutional partners.

Access for the public to the course up to 3,275m altitude s available on race days with the Monterosa 2000 cable car. See here for schedules and prices.

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Counting the days to the weekend’s events, athletes, organisers, partners, spectators and fans – Monte Rosa is waiting for you.