Shangave Balendran Wins 2026 SKYULTRA World Title

Photo: © Damiano Benedetto / International Skyrunning Federation

The Norwegian led from start to finish on La Gomera, completing the demanding 63-kilometre course more than 35 minutes ahead of the competition.

Norway’s Shangave Balendran delivered a dominant performance at the 2026 Skyrunning World Championships, winning the women’s SKYULTRA title on the island of La Gomera.

Balendran took control from the start and never gave the rest of the field a realistic opportunity to catch her. She completed the 63-kilometre course, featuring 4,100 metres of climbing, in 7:27:16. She was the only woman to finish in under eight hours.

Spain’s Mireia Pons claimed silver in 8:02:51, while American Careth Arnold completed the podium only nine seconds later in 8:03:00.

Balendran’s winning margin was 35 minutes and 35 seconds.

From European champion to world champion

The result confirms Balendran’s rapid rise at the highest level of the sport. She won the SKYULTRA European Championship in 2025 while returning from injury, but arrived in La Gomera with greater confidence in her form.

“I knew I was in good shape, so I decided to just go for it,” she said after the race.

The championship course started before sunrise in Vallehermoso. After an opening loop completed by headlamp, the runners crossed the island’s steep and varied terrain before finishing on the coast in San Sebastián de La Gomera.

For Balendran, who comes from the Lofoten Islands, the combination of technical trails, substantial climbing and increasingly warm conditions presented a very different challenge from her usual training environment. It made the scale of her victory even more impressive.

Minoggio wins third world title

Cristian Minoggio won the men’s race in 6:12:12, adding a third SKYULTRA world title to his victories from 2022 and 2024.

The Italian finished nearly seven minutes ahead of Spain’s Julen Calvo, with Samuel Ponce of Andorra taking bronze.

A major weekend for Norway

Balendran’s title was part of a strong Norwegian showing at the championships. Eva Simonsen added silver in the shorter SKY discipline, finishing only 36 seconds behind Poland’s Patrycja Stanek.

Simonsen’s results across the VERTICAL and SKY races also earned her the women’s Combined world title, giving Norway two gold medals and one silver from the championships.

2026 Skyrunning World Championships

SKYULTRA Results

La Gomera, Spain · 63 km · 4,100 m+

Women

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🇳🇴 Shangave Balendran

NOR · World Champion