Vertical races (KV)

The vertical challenge was born in Italy 🇮🇹. Under the beautiful name of Skyrunning, literally running in the sky 🌄, it was in Cervinia (Aosta Valley) that the first kv took place on August 20, 1994. In 2011, the discipline joined the Skyrunner World Series and then the more specific Vertical Kilometer World Circuit from 2017 to 2020 📚. The races are run over short distances: 1km, 3km, 5km depending on the difficulty level… The discipline is very demanding and will require explosive thighs from you 🔥. Needlessly to say, the vertical km is mainly run in mountains, and sometimes even on ski jump ramps! ⛷ It is also for this visual aspect that the discipline of the vertical kilometer has experienced such international growth 🌎. The brand Red Bull greatly contributed to this with its Red Bull 400 in Courchevel... Know that stair races are also part of it 🎽. In the 2010s, runners challenged each other during "The Tower Run", races that took place in the tallest buildings in France 🇫🇷. Most no longer exist, but you can still climb the tallest tower in France (Eiffel Tower) during the Ecotrail Paris Trail! 🗼 A truly unique race in the world 🌍. The enthusiasm on the other side of the Atlantic for the kv is enormous: take on the prestigious buildings of the States! Warning, such races are not to be taken lightly and require suitable preparation and optimal fitness... Especially to set a record! 🤩

Other reference challenges to look for in the kv, which is mainly run in the summer? In Switzerland 🇨🇭, the Fully Vertical Kilometer is run over 2 kilometers, with passages at 60 degrees! 🌡️ Not 40, not 50 but indeed 60 degrees! Also, mention the Verticale du Grand Serre, the K2 of Villaroger-les-Arcs, the BEI K3 (Italy)... This last race offers its competitors a stunning 3000 meters of positive elevation over less than 10 kilometers of course… We'll let you imagine the slope! 😨 The Challenge Montcalm, the Trail du Cagire, the Chartreuse Trail Festival 🥃 or even the Trail des Passerelles du Monteynard offer, among all their events, vertical kilometers, “kv” for insiders! And there are more and more of them... Runners between heaven and earth... 🙈

Pay the climb! 🍻