Skyline Scotland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Skyline Scotland |
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Salomon Ben Nevis Ultra logo
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| Date | September |
| Location |  Kinlochleven |
| Event type | Ultra SkyMarathon SkyMarathon SkyRace Vertical Kilometer |
| Distance | 65 km / 4,300 m 52 km / 4,750 m 29 km / 2,500 m 5 km / 1,000 m |
| Established | 2015 |
| Official site | Skyline Scotland |
Skyline Scotland is an exciting event where people race in the Scottish mountains! It happens every year over a few days in a place called Kinlochleven, near Lochaber. The main races are the Mamores VK, the Ring of Steall Skyrace, the Ben Nevis Ultra, and the Glen Coe Skyline.
The first race, the Glen Coe Skyline, started in 2015. Then, the Mamores VK and Ring of Steall races were added in 2016. The Ben Nevis Ultra joined in 2017. A company called Salomon helps sponsor these races. In 2019, some shorter trail races were added too, like the Grey Mare's Trail Race (5 km), the Loch Eilde Mór Trail Race (10 km), and the Three Mealls Trail Race (18 km).
These races are super challenging! The paths go through some of the toughest mountain areas. The Glen Coe Skyline, for example, has parts where runners need to use their hands to climb, which is called scrambling. Because it's so tough, it was chosen as the final race in the Skyrunner World Series Extreme in 2016.
In 2017, it was announced that Skyline Scotland would host the 2018 Skyrunning World Championships. This meant the Mamores VK, Ben Nevis Ultra, and Ring of Steall races were part of the championships. Even though the Glen Coe Skyline wasn't a championship race, it was still part of the 2018 Skyrunner World Series. Since 2018, the Ring of Steall race has also been part of the Golden Trail World Series.
Contents
Mamores VK: The Uphill Challenge
The Mamores VK is a special kind of race called a vertical kilometre. In this race, runners go straight up a mountain! They climb about 1,000 meters (which is like climbing 1,000 tall buildings stacked on top of each other) over a distance of about 5 kilometers. The race starts near sea level in Kinlochleven and finishes at the very top of a mountain called Na Gruagaichean.
Who Won the Mamores VK?
In the very first VK race in 2016, runners started one by one. Alexis Sévennec from France won, finishing in 42 minutes and 17 seconds. Stian Angermund-Vik from Norway was just a little bit slower. The first woman to finish was Georgia Tindley from Great Britain, with a time of 54 minutes and 34 seconds.
In 2017, Stian Angermund-Vik did even better, winning the race in 42 minutes and 4 seconds. Laura Orgué was the fastest woman, finishing in 52 minutes and 22 seconds.
The weather was cold and wet for the 2018 race. But that didn't stop Rémi Bonnet from setting a new record! He finished in an amazing 39 minutes and 23 seconds. Laura Orgué also set a new women's record, finishing in 51 minutes and 35 seconds.
In 2019, the weather was warm and sunny. The winners were new to this type of race! Zak Hanna was the first man to finish in 44 minutes and 43 seconds. Victoria Wilkinson won the women's race in 52 minutes and 49 seconds.
Mamores VK Winners by Year
| Year | Men's winner | Women's winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 |  Alexis Sévennec |
 Georgia Tindley |
| 2017 |  Stian Angermund-Vik |
 Laura Orgué |
| 2018 |  Rémi Bonnet |
Laura Orgué |
| 2019 |  Zak Hanna |
Victoria Wilkinson |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2021 | Alastair Thomas |
Rachel Smith |
Ben Nevis Ultra: A Long Mountain Journey
The Ben Nevis Ultra is a very long race, different from the regular Ben Nevis Race. In 2017, this ultra-marathon started near Loch Ness. Runners went through valleys and over the top of Ben Nevis, the UK's highest mountain! The race ended in Kinlochleven. It was about 120 kilometers long and involved climbing about 4,000 meters. Donald Campbell won the men's race, and Mira Rai won the women's race.
In 2018, the race was planned to be 52 kilometers long. But because of bad weather, a shorter route was used instead. This route was 47 kilometers long. Jonathan Albon and Ragna Debats won their races by a lot.
The weather was good in 2019, so runners could use the full 52-kilometer course. This route included crossing the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête to Ben Nevis. Murray Strain was the first man to finish. Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn won the women's race and even came in third place overall!
Ben Nevis Ultra Winners
Sky Ultra of Skyrunner World Series
| Year | Men's winner | Women's winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Donald Campbell |
 Mira Rai |
| 2018 | Jonathan Albon |
 Ragna Debats |
| 2019 | Murrary Strain |
Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2021 | Alan Hilley |
 Anwen Darlington |
| 2022 | Jack Oates |
Lynne Allen |
Ring of Steall Skyrace: A Ridge Adventure
The Ring of Steall Skyrace follows a famous walking path in the Mamores mountains. The race starts and finishes in Kinlochleven. Runners pass by cool places like Sgùrr a' Mhàim, Steall Waterfall, and other mountain peaks. The race is about 29 kilometers long and involves climbing about 2,500 meters. Much of the path is very rough and rocky.
In 2016, a landslide happened near the course. This meant a small part of the race had to be changed.
Who Won the Ring of Steall Skyrace?
The top runners from the Mamores VK race often do well in the Ring of Steall too. In 2016, Stian Angermund-Vik won the Skyrace in 3 hours, 25 minutes, and 28 seconds. Georgia Tindley was the first woman to finish, in 4 hours, 39 minutes, and 20 seconds.
Stian Angermund-Vik won again in 2017. Laura Orgué won the women's race, followed closely by Sheila Avilés.
In 2018, new course records were set for both men and women! Kilian Jornet won the men's race in 3 hours, 4 minutes, and 34 seconds. Tove Alexandersson led most of the women's race and won in 3 hours, 46 minutes, and 28 seconds.
Nadir Maguet took first place in 2019, finishing in 3 hours, 14 minutes, and 47 seconds. In the women's race, Judith Wyder set an amazing new record, finishing in 3 hours, 36 minutes, and 46 seconds. This was almost ten minutes faster than the old record!
Ring of Steall Skyrace Winners
Sky Classic of Skyrunner World Series
| Year | Men's winner | Women's winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Stian Angermund-Vik |
Georgia Tindley |
| 2017 | Stian Angermund-Vik |
Laura Orgué |
| 2018 | Kilian Jornet Burgada |
 Tove Alexandersson |
| 2019 |  Nadir Maguet |
Judith Wyder |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2021 | Sebastian Batchelor |
Eleanor Davis |
| 2022 | Alan Cherry |
Naomi Lang |
Glen Coe Skyline: The Ultimate Challenge
The Glen Coe Skyline race is known for being incredibly tough. The route includes climbing the technical Curved Ridge on Buachaille Etive Mòr. Then, runners head west over Stob Coire Sgreamhach and visit another peak. After that, they drop down to a valley near Loch Achtriochtan. The biggest challenge is climbing steeply up to the Aonach Eagach, a very rocky ridge that runners cross from west to east. Finally, the route joins the West Highland Way to the finish line.
In 2015, the race started and finished at Glencoe Mountain Resort. But from 2016 onwards, the start and finish moved to Kinlochleven. The race is about 55 kilometers long and involves climbing about 4,750 meters.
Who Won the Glen Coe Skyline?
The 2015 race was won by Joe Symonds. The first woman, Emelie Forsberg, finished second overall!
In 2016, four runners were leading for most of the race: Tom Owens, Jonathan Albon, Marc Lauenstein, and Finlay Wild. Jonathan Albon pulled ahead on the climb to the Aonach Eagach and won the race in 6 hours, 33 minutes, and 52 seconds. Jasmin Paris won the women's race.
The 2017 race was won by Kilian Jornet, who set a new course record of 6 hours, 25 minutes, and 39 seconds. Emelie Forsberg was the first woman to finish.
In 2018, the weather was windy and wet. So, a shorter "bad weather" course was used. This course was 32 kilometers long. Kilian Jornet won the men's race again, after winning the Ring of Steall race the day before! There was a very close finish in the women's race, with Hillary Gerardi winning by just seven seconds over Jasmin Paris.
The 2019 men's race was also very close, with Erik Johannes Husom winning. Georgia Tindley was a clear winner in the women's race.
Glen Coe Skyline Winners
Sky Ultra of Skyrunner World Series Sky Extreme of Skyrunner World Series
| Year | Men's winner | Women's winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Joe Symonds |
Emelie Forsberg |
| 2016 | Jonathan Albon |
Jasmin Paris |
| 2017 | Kilian Jornet Burgada |
Emelie Forsberg |
| 2018 | Kilian Jornet Burgada |
 Hillary Gerardi |
| 2019 | Erik Johannes Husom |
Georgia Tindley |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2021 | Andrew Fallas |
Georgia Tindley |
| 2022 | Andrew Lamont |
Noëmi Löw |
