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Meet Johanna Åström, the Record-Breaking, Down-to-Earth Skyrunner

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The Swedish runner was just 24 years old when she set a new course record on the most technical skyrace in the Migu Run World Series.

Johanna Åström had only been skyrunning a month when she pulled down the win on one of the trickiest courses on the circuit.

It wasn’t a fluke. By her 25th birthday, Åström had won the Matterhorn Ultraks Extreme Skyrace, Norwegian Vertical Running Championships, and ranked fourth overall in the World Skyrunning Series.

And yet, it isn’t competition that drives Åström up the mountainside. In her words, “it’s a feeling of tranquility and security.”

This brief but stunning portrait of the young runner is the first in Arc’teryx’s new “Up Close” video series. Take a look.

Runtime: 4 minutes

Watch: The Evolution of Skyrunning

'Run free to the top of a mountain.' We love that introductory quote to this video, and for trail runners, it gets better from there. Read more…

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