Merillas and Alonso Win the Merrell Skyrunner World Series Finale and the Overall Titles

The 2026 Skyrunner World Series finale set off from Eslida at 7:30 am on Sunday, November 8, on the Spanish course of the Marató dels Dements. The route covers 42 km with 3,903 m of elevation gain, built around nine major climbs and descents through the Serra d’Espadà natural park. Landmarks along the way included the Alto de la Costera, the Puntal de l’Aljub, the Pico Espadán and the Barranc del Roig. After 18 races spread across the season, this one doubled as the SkyMasters final.

A reworked course after this summer's wildfires

The route was new this year. A fire in July tore through more than 10,000 hectares of the natural park, including the area covered by the first ten kilometers of the usual course, now off limits. The organizers redrew the itinerary from scratch, working with park managers and environmental authorities, while keeping the steep, rocky character that has made the Dements' reputation.

The stakes matched the terrain. As the SkyMasters final, the race awarded double points (200 for the winner) and counted toward the overall standings alongside each athlete's four best results of the season.

Tranchand hurts his back, Merillas pounces

In the men's race, three contenders for the title were separated by just 31 points: overall leader Jose Manuel Quispe of Peru, France's Frédéric Tranchand and Spain's Manuel Merillas, the defending SkyMasters champion. All eyes were on a duel between Merillas and Tranchand, who had split the wins between them over the season.

That showdown ended almost before it began. Frédéric Tranchand hurt his back just before the 10 km mark. From there, Manuel Merillas found himself alone in front, running more against the clock than against his rivals. Tranchand kept pushing through the pain but gradually lost ground and finally finished seventh.

Behind the leader, a group made up of Spaniards Marcos Villamuera and Daniel Izquierdo, Frenchmen Loic Robert and Lucien Mermillon, and American Morgan Elliott fought it out on the technical sections.

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I feel at home on this course. I heard “Manu” all the way round and, whether it's part of the circuit or not, it's one of my favorite races. I went out hard from the start because I knew my rivals weren't going to make it easy for me. I feel a bit sad for Fred. He's one of the strongest runners out there and I would have loved a real duel all the way to the finish line.

Lucien Mermillon turned in the best performance of the chasers. Particularly at ease on the technical descents, he moved into second by kilometer 25 and held it to the finish, behind the untouchable Manuel Merillas. Marcos Villamuera confirmed his status as a rising star of the discipline by finishing third ahead of Loic Robert and Morgan Elliott.

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The 200 points for the win lifted Merillas from third to first in the final overall standings. Quispe's eighth place was enough to keep him five points ahead of Frédéric Tranchand and secure second place in the final series ranking, ahead of the Frenchman.

Alonso untouchable in the women's race

Spain's Sara Alonso led the women's race from start to finish to win in 5:30:38, despite a fall on the first descent. It was Alonso's fifth win on the 2026 circuit, after Acantilados del Norte, Calamorro, Gorbeia Suzien and Sobrescobio. She wraps up a dominant first season on the Skyrunner World Series.

It was incredible to feel the support and the energy of the crowd all along the course. The race was really hard today. I fell once, on the first descent, and bruised my ribs. I don't know if one of them is broken, but the last two hours were terrible. In those moments when I was suffering, I thought about Katie, Ida (*) and this summer's wildfires. I'm grateful to be here today. I thought about the overall standings too, of course, but this race was really tough for me. I'm so happy to have won five races and to be overall champion.

(*) A reference to Katie McCrystal and Ida Robsham, two athletes who died this summer

Behind her, North Macedonia's Elena Karanfiloska and Spaniards Patricia Pineda and Greta Garcia fought a fierce battle for the remaining podium spots.

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Karanfiloska eventually pulled away to take second, crossing the line looking remarkably fresh. Greta Garcia completed the podium, ahead of Frenchwomen Alice Bausseron and Eva Delafosse.

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Final 2026 season standings

To qualify for the SkyMasters final, athletes had to have completed at least four circuit races with a top-20 finish, or have qualified through the National Series, continental championships or world championships. The overall standings shared a total prize pool of €70,000, including €12,000 for each of the two champions.

In the men's category, the fight for the title was one of the tightest in recent years. Merillas beat Tranchand at Acantilados del Norte and Calamorro before the Frenchman got his revenge at Sobrescobio. Quispe came into the Eslida finale leading the overall standings, setting up a three-way finish that Merillas ultimately won with a second straight SkyMasters victory.

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In the women's category, Sara Alonso dominated the season in her first year on the circuit. Also worth noting: young Frenchwoman Eva Delafosse of Team Colibri finished second overall, and fellow Frenchwoman Alice Bausseron of Team New Balance took fifth.

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