Vertical Kilometer

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Athletics
Vertical kilometer
Christel Dewalle at the 2019 Fully Vertical Kilometer
World records
MenSwitzerland Rémi Bonnet 27:21 (2025)
WomenFrance Axelle Gachet Mollaret 32:52 (2025)
The 2017 Fully Vertical Kilometer

In skyrunning, a vertical kilometer is an uphill mountain running race with an elevation gain of 1,000 metres. The Vertical Kilometer World Circuit also defines it as covering less than 5 km.[1] Trekking poles, which are allowed as optional accessories, are often used in vertical kilometer races.

Related events include the Double Vertical Kilometer and Triple Vertical Kilometer.

Records

The official vertical km record belongs to Rémi Bonnet, who in 2025 won the Kilomètre vertical de Fully with a time of 27:21.[2]

The previous world record was 28:53, set by Philip Götsch in 2017 in Fully.[3]

The women record belongs to Axelle Mollaret, who in 2025 won the Kilomètre vertical de Fully with a time of 32:52.[2]

The previous women's world record was 33:00, set in September 2025 at Nantau-Montriond, France by French runner Axelle Mollaret[4].

Races

The Vertical Kilometer World Circuit is an annual international circuit. It was started in 2017 as a spin-off of Skyrunner World Series.[5] The circuit consists of 17 races that are held annually from May to October.[6][7][8]

The Kilomètre vertical de Fully (Fully Vertical Kilometer) is one of the best-known vertical kilometer competitions.

Other popular races are the KV Lagunc[9] in Chiavenna and the MelaVertical[10] in Villa di Tirano (SO), Italy.

See also

References

  1. "Vertical Kilometer World Circuit launches". Vertical Kilometer World Circuit. 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  2. "Results - Kilomètre Vertical de Fully - MSO". www.mso.swiss. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  3. VKWCADMIN (2017-10-21). "VK world record smashed at Fully Finals". Vertical Kilometer World Circuit. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  4. "la-haut-savoyarde-axelle-gachet-mollaret-pulverise-le-record-du-monde-du-kilometre-vertical-a-nantaux-montriond". ledauphine.com (in French). 2025-09-14. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  5. "VERTICAL KILOMETER WORLD CIRCUIT LAUNCHES". vkworldcircuit.com. 16 January 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  6. "VERTICAL KILOMETER WORLD CIRCUIT 2017 - Presentato il primo circuito internazionale dedicato ai verticalisti". sportdimontagna.com. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  7. "2017 RANKING – MEN". vkworldcircuit.com. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  8. "2017 RANKING – WOMEN". vkworldcircuit.com. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  9. "KV Lagunc – Val Bregaglia Trail" (in Italian). Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  10. "Melavertical". Melavertical (in Italian). Retrieved 2026-06-16.