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Clean Sky – Skyrunning Anti-Doping!

By Adventure Endurance Network 30 Απρ 2026

Committed to clean sport, the ISF Anti-doping Guidelines create awareness of the risks and provide information to always “be in the know”. ©Milos Milenkovic!

Anti-doping is a fundamental aspect of sport that every skyrunner should understand. It’s easy to close an eye, but it’s also easy to be found positive, without knowing why.

In skyrunning, the stakes aren’t as high as in some trail running events or other sports, so the motivation would not be just for the financial rewards. Why would a top athlete, who is probably going to win anyway, dope? It’s extremely unlikely but on several occasions it has happened. In skyrunning, to date, these cases have always been linked to the use of therapeutic substances – but without the required exemption.

The International Skyrunning Federation maintains a strong commitment to clean sport. Since its foundation in 2008, the federation has conducted WADA anti-doping controls at championships and selected competitions in association with their Unit Member, UIAA (World Climbing and Mountaineering Federation), a signatory of the World Anti-doping Code.

President of the ISF Medical, Research and Anti-Doping Committee, Nenad Dikic, has overseen testing and educational initiatives over the years. At the 2024 Youth Skyrunning World Championships in Montenegro, he delivered an anti-doping educational panel for young skyrunners, emphasising that: “As an athlete your values and behaviour matter.”

According to Dicik, the core skyrunning values include:

Fun and joy
Fair play and honesty
Character and education
Respect for self, others, rules and laws
Health care
Teamwork
Dedication and commitment
Excellence in performance
Ethics
Courage
Community and solidarity

To reinforce the importance of awareness and responsibility, in 2025 the ISF introduced a compulsory online anti-doping questionnaire for all official team athletes applying for the licence. Incorrect answers? No license.

At the 2024 Skyrunning World Championships in Spain, an athlete was tested positive but was able to demonstrate that the prohibited substance had been taken for therapeutic purposes three months previously. As a result, no sanction was applied.
However, the case highlighted a critical issue – the substance remained in the athlete’s system longer than expected, causing even some medical experts unprepared.

President of the ISF Medical, Research and Anti-Doping Committee, Nenad Dikic, carried out an anti-doping educational panel for young skyrunners. ©ISF

Given the above, it is essential to know exactly what enters the body – including supplements. Whether intentional or not, doping can have serious consequences – health-related, sporting, social, financial and legal. For an athlete, it can mean the end of a career, loss of sponsorship, and lasting reputational damage – both in and out of sport.

Therefore, when taking any medication, it is essential to request a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), supported by appropriate medical documentation, before competing.

It should also be noted that some countries have gone beyond the World Anti-Doping Code, making the use of prohibited substances a criminal offence, including Italy, Austria and France. At the same time, athletes also have many rights. Full information on both responsibilities and rights can be found in the ISF anti-doping guidelines.

The skyrunning season is ready to kick off with the Youth Skyrunning World Championships in Croatia on May 8-10 where anti-doping tests will be carried out. All participating athletes have already successfully completed the anti-doping questionnaire for the license.

Reading through the anti-doping guidelines is a long haul, but better to be informed than testing positive!

ISF Anti-doping guidelines

WADA Prohibited List