One of the competitors in the 2023 event. Christian Alonso

Video highlights of the gruelling Calamorro Skyrace which attracted athletes of 25 nationalities to the Costa del Sol

The 27.5km race in Benalmádena was the first of the 2023 Skyrunner World Series and was won by Antonio Martínez (Spain) and Iris Pessey (France)

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Benalmádena

Tuesday, 2 May 2023, 13:14 | Updated 17:21h.

Monte Calamorro in Benalmádena played host this weekend to the first event of the Skyrunner World Series 2023.

Spain's Antonio Martínez (Scarpa) and France's Iris Pessey (Scott Running) were proclaimed winners of the so-called Calamorro Skyrace in a tough race of 27.5km and an overall altitude gain of 2,270 metres.

They did so in the men's and women's categories with times of 2:39:01 and 3:21:17, respectively, on Saturday.

The unusually high temperatures for this time of the year made the race particularly difficult, but that didn't stop Martínez breaking the race record, which was held by Miguel Heras (2:39:07).

After an energetic start, the runners, of 25 different nationalities, quickly headed for their first climb, that of Mount Calamorro. To reach its summit at 731 metres, the competitors had to climb a large technical ridge 400 metres in length, where the use of their hands was essential for climbing.

The men's race was exciting and hard-fought, with the order of the top 10 changing many times. In the women's category, Iris Pessey came out very determined and knew the win was hers: "I still can't believe it!", she said.

"I've been chasing this for five years and now I've got it!"

A total of 7,600 euros in prize money was divided up between the top ten finishers in each category.

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