The second day of the 2026 world skyrunning championships on the island of La Gomera, in the Canary Islands, saw the Italian Cristian Minoggio and the Norwegian Shangave Balendran secure gold in the SKYULTRA. The race features 63 kilometres and 4,100 m of positive elevation gain, with 87 athletes starting.
In the men’s race, Cristian Minoggio, already the SKYULTRA champion in 2022 and 2024, takes control of an edition contested on a new course specially designed for the event. He crosses the finish line in 6 h 12’ 12”, and opens up almost seven minutes on second place, the Spaniard Julen Calvo, who led for much of the race.
In the women’s race, Shangave Balendran delivers a standout win by applying the same strategy as when she won the European SKYULTRA title in 2025. Leading from the start, she completes the course in 7 h 27’ 16”, and remains the only competitor to finish under eight hours, which earns her the world champion title.
The race gets under way in the small town of Vallehermoso in the north of the island, with a start time at 5 a.m. before dawn. The athletes use headlamps for a first 20 km lap around the town, then head south-east over variable terrain until they reach the finish in San Sebastiàn de la Gomera, on the coast.
