History

Born from a dream like all things destined to become big, the first edition of the Royal Ultra Sky Marathon Gran Paradiso took place on the 22^nd of June, 2008 on a shorter course than the actual one (Distance=46 km – D+=3,575 m) finishing at Pian della Balma at Ceresole Reale. There were 36 athletes at the start line, above all, passionate local runners, followers of the Gran Paradiso, together with a few unknown athletes. It represented such an ambitious challenge that few believed it would become the race the Royal is today: incredulity reigned throughout the tiny group of fans present at the start and finish of the race.

The 2009 edition replicated the previous year’s course. In the following years the course was perfected, to interpret the spirit of the Royal, and to make it more and more spectacular, such as the start at the damn on the Telecio Lake and the finish on the banks of the lake at Ceresole Reale.

In 2010 (3^rd edition) the inclusion of the fifth col, the Colle del Nel (2,551 m) and the course reached a distance of 53.5 km with a vertical climb of 4,000 m.

In 2011 big changes: the race becomes biennial, alternating and twinning with the Kima Trophy and the “Ultra SkyMarathon” combined trophy is introduced; the finish line is conclusively moved to the Ceresole Reale Lake at the Rifugio Massimo Mila (Distance=52 km – D+=4,000 m). The short race, the la Roc Sky Race, is introduced (Distance=31 km – D+=2,000 m).

In 2013 it becomes the Italian Skyrunning Championship – Ultra category of the Italian Skyrunning Federation.

In 2015 it is the Absolute Italian Championship Ultra SkyMararthon of the Italian Skyrunning Federation.

2017 is the ultimate coronation of the dream: the Royal enters the skyrunning “Olympics” becoming a stage of the Skyrunner® World Series (Sky Extreme category) of the International Skyrunning Federation. The tradition of a Royal dedication begins and as such, becomes the “Duke of the Abruzzi” edition in honour of the extraordinary explorer Luigi Amedeo of Savoy Aosta, Duke of the Abruzzi. The course is finalised with the introduction of two new cols, (the Colle del Nivolet and the Colle delle Rocce Bianche) with a distance of 55 km and a vertical climb of 4,141 m.

In 2019 the Royal is again a stage of the Skyrunner® World Series with the La Marmora edition in honour of the great Sabaudi generals of the Resurrection period. The tradition of the “Flag Relay”: the Saturday of the weekend preceding the Royal, a relay of dozens of athletes carry the Royal flag and that of the La Marmora lineage from the generals’ Biella estate to the finish line of the Royal, where a torch is lit, inciting an “Olympic” atmosphere in all the surroundings.

The years of the pandemic did not extinguish the Royal which again is ready to present a great sporting spectacle and the nature of the Gran Paradiso – to the whole world!

Long live the Royal!