Paragliding
A sleepless battle against elimination
Athletes dug deep in overnight marathon effort as the axeman approached.
The mountains of the Alps were home to a tense battle on the night before the first elimination of Red Bull X-Alps 2025. While the race leaders settled into their mandatory rest periods, three athletes at the back of the field were pushed to the absolute limits of human endurance.
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As Day 4 dawned and elimination loomed at 08:00, Hugo Alvarez Chamoreau (MEX), Sebrand Warren (NED), and Ondrej Prochazka (CZE) found themselves in a fight not just against the mountains, but against time itself. The elimination rule – designed to prevent the field from becoming too spread out – meant only two of these three athletes would continue the world's toughest adventure race.
The Mexican's surprise
What unfolded was a masterclass in never giving up. Warren and his supporters thought they had breathing room when they spotted Hugo approaching what appeared to be an impossible launch site. "We thought he was running up to the worst place to take off," said Sebrand's supporter Tom Peek.
But the Mexican athlete had other plans. In a move that caught everyone by surprise, he managed to get airborne from the challenging terrain, suddenly finding himself just 5km behind Sebrand.
A night of relentless pursuit
After the demanding via ferrata section, Sebrand had stretched his lead to 25km and was beginning to take brief rest breaks. But Hugo refused to ease the pressure. "In the end, the Mexican just started charging!" Tom Peek said with evident admiration. "He mounted such a strong comeback. We had to pace Sebrand all night."
The decision to use the strategic Night Pass – each athlete's one opportunity to break the mandatory rest period – became crucial. While Sebrand pushed through the darkness, Ondrej Prochazka had decided not to pull his Night Pass. When 04:00 arrived and movement was again permitted: "Ondrej had to start charging like a maniac all the way to elimination," Tom Peek explained, with Hugo just 3km behind.
Beyond human limits
The toll on these athletes was extraordinary. All three pushed themselves hard, running with less than one hour of rest in total throughout the night. Sebrand Warren alone covered around 60km in his overnight marathon effort – a superhuman achievement in the unforgiving alpine terrain.
"I'm sad that Hugo's out of the race," Tom Peek said with genuine respect for the eliminated athlete. "He was not going to give up easy."
The fighting spirit
For Sebrand, this marked his second heroic effort in just four days. His first came during the Prologue, where he battled for nearly nine hours to complete the course, earning the biggest applause of the day when he finally crossed the finish line. That same determination carried him through this elimination battle.
"We're back in the game," said his relieved supporter, noting that Warren is feeling well despite the ordeal and that messages of support are flooding in from around the world.
The axeman's toll
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The elimination system, while necessary for safety, creates these moments of pure drama that showcase what Red Bull X-Alps is truly about. It's not just a paragliding competition – it's an adventure race that tests every fiber of an athlete's being. The ability to dig deep when everything seems impossible, to find reserves of strength when the body screams to stop, and to maintain the spirit of adventure even in the face of elimination.
It was a beautiful experience
When informed about his elimination, Hugo Chamoreau said: “"It was very fun and thank you. It was a beautiful experience.”
As Hugo's Red Bull X-Alps 2025 journey came to an end, he left behind a story of courage and determination that embodies the true spirit of this race. His relentless pursuit through the night, refusing to give up until the very last moment, reminded everyone watching why this is called the world's toughest adventure race.
The mountains may have witnessed the elimination of one athlete, but they also saw three warriors give everything they had. In Red Bull X-Alps, sometimes the greatest victories aren't found at the finish line – they're found in the moments when athletes refuse to surrender, no matter the odds.
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