The Monte Rosa SkyMarathon, Europe’s highest race and birthplace of skyrunning, will introduce yet another revival – the new Monte Rosa SkyRace. The events will take place in Alagna Valsesia, Piedmont, Italy on June 13, 2026.
The two existing races to the summit require athletes to race in pairs for safety. After many requests to run individually, this new addition will finally allow solo athletes to take on the extreme challenge of 5,000m total vertical climb over just 25 kilometres – on their own. The ascent and descent to the Gnifetti Hut at 3,647m delivers pure skyrunning across scree, snowfields and a steep couloir with stretches of 50% incline.
The Monte Rosa SkyRace is the modern reincarnation of the last race held on the mountain exactly 30 years ago. The 1996 the competition was a shortened version of the SkyMarathon, where athletes were halted at the Gnifetti Hut and redirected to the valley due to severe weather conditions.
In 2018 the Monte Rosa events were relaunched with a new formula requiring athletes to race in pairs, roped together for safety on the glacier. This formula also applies to the uphill-only version, the Monte Rosa SkySummit, introduced last year.
The new Monte Rosa SkyRace will complete an all-round focus on altitude with all races above 3,000m, including the AMA VK2, which tops out at 3,260m. As a result, the Monte Rosa Vertical – which reaches only 2,300m – will be discontinued.
Entries for the Monte Rosa SkyRace, SkyMarathon and SkySummit open on December 3 – exclusively for athletes who have already participated in past editions. New runners who want to take on the challenge of any of the four races, will be able to enter from January 9, 2026.
New participants in the SkyMarathon and SkySummit must pre-register by submitting their mountaineering and running curriculum for assessment before entry is granted. For the other races (Monte Rosa SkyRace and AMA VK2), no CV is necessary.
Check out details of the new Monte Rosa SkyRace here together with full race information, programme, the new section on results and records are available now on the new website.
Monte Rosa – always sky-high!
Race website
Race entry
ISF Course Certified – all the races are listed. (The SkyRace is still under analysis)
ISF Ranking – all athletes are included
