Three more medals will be awarded to national teams based on the best results of three men and one woman across all three disciplines.

A total of twenty-seven glittering medals and a €25,000 prize purse await the champions of these prestigious competitions which, for the first time, include the Ultra distance.

More than 30 nations will participate and, unlike the previous Championships,  dominated by Italy, Spain and France, “new” skyrunning nations like Australia and New Zealand, Czech Republic, Japan, Poland, South Africa and USA are raring to show their talent and make their mark in Chamonix.

The “test run” for the new Mont-Blanc 80K course was held in June, together with the KM Vertical and the Mont-Blanc Marathon which were Skyrunner® World Series races.

So, here’s the low down on the three World Championship races:

June 27 – the Mont-Blanc 80KM features a challenging 6,000 metres of vertical climb along ridges, over snow fields and traversing glaciers in a point to point loop.

Records: Francois D’Haene with Michel Lanne, 9h45’57” and Caroline Chaverot, 13h10’05”, 2013.

June 27 – short and steep, the Vertical KM points 1,000 metres skywards. A timed race, it will test your VO2 max to the limit.

Records: Saul Antonio Padua,34’34” and Christel Dewalle in 41’33”, 2013 .

June 29 – The Mont-Blanc Marathon – the 42 km course starts in Chamonix and finishes at 2,016m altitude, gathering 2,511m elevation gain and 1,490m on the downhill, this beautiful trail offers some of the best scenery of the Mont Blanc massif. Records: Kilian Jornet, 3h30’41”, 2013 and Stevie Kremer, 4h03’20”, 2013.

Chamonix, it is fair to say, is probably the most iconic and spectacular sports arena to stage a World Championship.  The expert organisers are the Club des Sport de Chamonix, which manages year-round major international sports events.

Held every four years, the 2014 Skyrunning World Championships will represent the second edition since the inauguration of the ISF in 2008 and the first time with the ultra distance, attracting long distance runners from around the world.

Marino Giacometti, ISF President, commented:  “We’re proud to present the World Championships in Chamonix and, with the support of the Club des Sport, we’re confident the events will be a perfect showcase for skyrunning and draw the best athletes in the world for some intense competition.”

ISF Member countries and countries wishing to participate should submit the Team Entry Form below.

Programme and race details can be found here.

Words ©ISF Images ©iancorless.com