Lluís Puigvert, a Salomon athlete, was crowned this Friday as the world champion of the Vertical Kilometer within the 2026 Skyrunning World Championship, which runs from September 18 to 20 in La Gomera. Puigvert prevailed in one of the most demanding events on the global program with a time of 36:37, completing the 4.9-kilometer course and its 950 meters of positive elevation. The race took competitors from 300 meters above sea level up to 1,279 meters, on a route marked by the intensity and physical demands typical of this discipline.
With this victory, the Salomon athlete ascends to the top of the podium and dons the world gold medal in a historic edition of the Skyrunning World Championship, which lands for the first time on the Canary Islands. Completing the podium were the Spaniard José Antonio Bellido and the Italian Luca del Pero, who earned bronze.
“I still can’t believe it, it’s a dream come true,” explained the Salomon athlete after adding: “I knew I was in very good shape, that I had trained very well over the summer and that I could go out. From the start I felt I had strong legs, my body was responding well, and I positioned myself with the lead group, progressively gaining positions and, about a kilometer and a half from the finish, when the final wall began, I moved into the lead. And although Luca passed me for a moment, I was able to push again in the end. I suffered a lot at the top, but it was worth it, and I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. I am very happy and excited about this medal.”
The ninth edition of the World Skyrunning Championship brings together in La Gomera 270 runners from 38 countries across the five continents. For the first time, the event has reached full capacity, with around 1,500 participants if including also the popular races held in parallel: Marathon Sky, Short Sky and Starter Sky.
Throughout the championship, a total of 27 medals are at stake.
