Denisa
Dragomir
Romania
·
Mountain Running
Date of birth | 22 August 1992 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Câmpulung Muscel, Romania |
Age | 34 |
Nationality | Romania |
Career start | 2010 |
Discipline | Mountainrunning |
Denisa Dragomir is an accomplished mountain runner from Berevoiești in Romania. She developed her passion for running at the age of 11 in school competitions because she wanted to prove to her cousin, who was part of the school's running team, that she could be just as good – and since then, her drive to succeed has continued unabated.
After winning medals as a junior at 1,500m, 2,000m and 3,000m hurdles, in 2010, at the age of 18 Denisa participated and won her first mountaineering race that brought her qualification to the junior edition of the European Championships of Mountain Running in Sapareva Banya, Bulgaria, where she finished in first place. In 2011, she won the same event, this time in Uludağ, Turkey.
Fast forward to 2015 and Denisa had graduated to senior level, impressing regularly in events across northern Italy, where she represented a mountain running club.
Making her mark in skyrunning
After conquering huge long-distance mountain running events all over Italy – including the Giir di Mont in 2015, the Sky Marathon in 2016 and 2017’s World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships – Denisa decided to take on a new challenge in the Skyrunner series.
Just one year later Denisa finished in third place at the Polish Skyrunner event, and a year after that, in 2019, she secured a gold medal after finishing in first place at the European Skyrunning Championships, in Piedmont, Italy.
Denisa also reached what's arguably the pinnacle of her sport in 2019, with victory at one of mountain running's toughest and newest events – the inaugural SkyMasters event, in Limone, Italy.
Becoming a world champion
In 2021, Denisa returned to the Skyrunner World Series in impressive form, winning the Livigno SkyMarathon by more than 19 minutes before adding another victory at the Comapedrosa SkyRace in Andorra.
Her career reached another high in 2022 when she represented Romania at the Skyrunning World Championships in Italy's Ossola Valley. Competing in the SKY discipline, she conquered the technical 31km La Veia SkyRace – which featured 2,600m of climbing – to take the world title in 3h 29m 51s.
Continuing to push the limits
In recent years, Denisa has continued to compete at the highest level, combining international races with events closer to home in Romania. In 2026, she added another very unique challenge to her long list of mountain exploits, taking on the 519 steps up to Toaca Peak. With some sections reaching a brutal 66 percent gradient, she completed the 140m course and its 95m of ascent in just 3m 18s.
Denisa Dragomir powers up the steps to Toaca Peak
© Attila Szabo/Red Bull Content Pool
Taking a break with a view
© Attila Szabo/Red Bull Content Pool
On top of the world – Dragomir is a Skyrunning World Champion
© Attila Szabo/Red Bull Content Pool
Flying the flag for Romania
© Wayne Reiche/Red Bull Content Pool