Skyrunning is officially back in America, and it’s not easing anyone in gently.
After disappearing from the U.S. calendar in 2019, the Skyrunner USA Series will return in 2026 with a four-race national circuit that stretches across the country, from New York all the way to Alaska. If you like your trail running with less “rolling hills” and more “why are my lungs on fire,” this one’s for you.
Skyrunning, governed by the International Skyrunning Federation, is mountain running at its most dramatic: steep, technical, often above treeline, and sometimes serious enough that races require helmets and fixed ropes or cables to get people through safely.
Yes, it’s that kind of sport.
Four races, four states, zero mercy
The 2026 Skyrunner USA Series will be made up of four races, ranging from 21K to 37K. It’s a smaller lineup than the series’ peak in 2019, when the schedule ballooned to 10 races, but it still packs a punch.
Here’s the full 2026 calendar:
- July 4 – Whiteface SkyRace (New York)
- August 1 – Beast of Big Creek (Washington)
- August 30 – Skeetawk Skyline Scramble (Alaska)
- September 13 – Kismet Cliff Run (New Hampshire)
The distances vary, but the climbing is the real story. The races range from 1,350 meters of vertical gain to a lung-busting 3,500 meters (about 11,500 feet). The Alaska stop, Skeetawk Skyline Scramble, is the monster of the group, covering 37K with that full 3,500 meters of climbing.
If you were looking for an excuse to train hill repeats until you see God, congratulations.
The series is smaller than before, but the stakes are bigger
The original Skyrunner USA Series started as a three-race circuit in 2014 and grew steadily, featuring some major-name mountain events like the Speedgoat 50K, The Rut, and Flagstaff Sky Peaks Mountain Runs. By 2019, it had become a 10-race beast, and then… it vanished.
Now it’s returning in a scaled-down format, but with a clear purpose: connect the U.S. trail scene back into the global skyrunning pipeline.
In 2026, the U.S. series will run alongside 10 other national skyrunner series worldwide, including those in Austria, Portugal, Spain, the U.K., and Ireland.
Merrell is backing the comeback
The return is being driven by Merrell, which announced the launch of the Merrell U.S. Skyrunner National Series as part of an expanded partnership with the Skyrunner World Series.
“Skyrunning represents the pinnacle expression of performance trail running,” said Richard McLeod, Merrell’s Chief Marketing Officer. He said the expanded partnership reflects Merrell’s push to support elite trail running while continuing to develop shoes built for technical mountain terrain.
Merrell will remain the global title sponsor of the Skyrunner World Series, which will include 19 races in 2026 across four continents.
One race does double duty
The Washington race, Beast of Big Creek, will be pulling double duty. It’s part of the U.S. national series, but it will also serve as the only U.S. stop on the Merrell Skyrunner World Series global calendar.
Meanwhile, Whiteface SkyRace in New York will also host a Vertical Kilometer (VK), making it the only U.S. stop on the 2026 VK Open World Cup.
A ticket to the world final is on the line
And for the competitive crowd, the prize is straightforward: the top three men and top three women in the final U.S. standings will qualify for SkyMasters, the championship final of the Skyrunner World Series.
In 2026, SkyMasters will be held at Marató dels Dements in Spain’s Serra d’Espadà mountains.
So yes, the U.S. skyrunning comeback is real. And it comes with an international payoff—assuming you survive the climbs first.
