One Of The Toughest Adventure Races in the World? Returns In 2017

Press Release / 02.06.2016

­Red Bull X-Alps is back! Applications to compete in the 2017 edition of the race across the Alps are open from July 01 to August 31, 2016.

Red Bull X-Alps 2017 will be the eighth edition of the epic paratrekking race and starts on July 02. Athletes must journey non-stop for more than 1,000km across the Alps by foot or paraglider via set turnpoints. This demands a high level of endurance because when the weather isn’t friendly for flying, athletes must keep trekking until the clouds clear and they can take off again. It’s not uncommon for athletes to hike up to 100km in a day. From the start gun to the finish, it’s also a race where anything can happen. In the 2015 edition, fans watched in amazement as rookie athlete Sebastian Huber and race legend Paul Guschlbauer tried to chase down reigning champion Christian Maurer. They ultimately came second and third to Maurer, but the millions of fans watching Live Tracking were on the edge of their seats for days. “The level is extremely high and is getting higher in each edition of the race,” says race director Christoph Weber. “In this race if you make a little mistake the other athletes will quickly leave you behind. Anything can happen!”

Applications will be open from July 01 to August 31, 2016

Being selected to compete in the world’s toughest and most prestigious adventure race is an achievement in itself. The race committee selects only the best athletes from around the world, based on solid mountaineering and trekking experience, endurance fitness, mental strength and flying ability. Only the most skilled and adventure-tested athletes will be considered. In the race’s first editions, only one or two athletes had what it takes to make it from Salzburg to the finish line in Monaco. Ever since, the level of competition has intensified and in the last race two-thirds of the athletes made the goal. Red Bull X-Alps 2017 is going to get even hotter!

“This race is the true definition of adventure.” - Gavin McClurg, Red Bull X-Alps 2015 finisher

Do you have what it takes to rapidly traverse the Alps? Can you fly with the best between 4,000m peaks and hike for days on end? If the answer is yes, Red Bull X-Alps is the ultimate adventure to test your abilities. Applications will be open from July 01 to August 31, 2016. “This is a race that attracts some of the world’s best adventurers and pilots,” says race mastermind Hannes Arch. “It demands more than flying ability and endurance power – the ability to strategize and to make difficult decisions under pressure, while exhausted and completely at the limit is the key to being successful; but also to manage the risk of this extreme sport.”

The race rules will also be updated for 2017. Among the changes, and in order to make the race as safe as possible, the committee has restricted the gliders permitted to only those that are EN certified and only harnesses with certified protectors. The details of the race route will be revealed in spring 2017.

Applications can be made via the official website, www.redbullxalps.com, from July 01 to August 31, 2016. The race committee looks forward to receiving your entry.
 
About Red Bull X-Alps

Red Bull X-Alps 2017 will start on July 02 and will be the eighth edition of the world’s toughest adventure race. The combination of trekking and paragliding is one of the most exciting hybrids to emerge from the ongoing convergence of mountain sports. During the race, athletes must hike or fly as fast as possible a straight-line distance of more than 1,000km across the Alps via a currently undisclosed number of turnpoints.

The 2015 edition saw 19 athletes of the 32 that competed make the goal – a record number since the first race in 2003. Incredibly, 12 rookies crossed the finish line, including athletes from the US, Korea, New Zealand and elsewhere for the first time in history.

New to the 2015 edition was the one-day Prologue race. Fans were close to the action as the athletes raced from Fuschl am See, past the Zwölferhorn and Schafberg turnpoints, and back.

The Prologue will return in 2017! The first three athletes each gain an additional Led Lenser Nightpass and a five-minute headstart on the main race start. In 2015, Paul Guschlbauer (AUT) won the Prologue in 2h 21m.

Swiss athlete Christian Maurer, however, won the Red Bull X-Alps 2015 race in the time of 8 days, 4 hours and 37 minutes. It was his fourth successive win – and a new record. Could 2017 see athletes like Sebastian Huber or Paul Guschlbauer end Maurer’s reign as Red Bull X-Alps champion? Only one thing is certain – anything could happen!