Aaron
Durogati
Italy
·
Adventure Racing
The mountains of the Alps have been Aaron Durogati’s playground for 20 years, especially the Dolomites near his base in Merano, Italy. Few athletes are as at home as he is among the jagged spires - whether climbing, skiing, paragliding and speed riding, often all the same day. As a two-time paragliding world champion he is one of the best paragliding athletes.
In Red Bull X-Alps, Aaron likes to follow his own path, flying on instinct and feeling rather than by instruments or instructions. After years of persistence, he reached the pinnacle of the race in 2025, winning Red Bull X-Alps - a triumph that cements his legendary status. That he continues to race at all is a small miracle: a few years ago, doctors told him the state of his knees was so bad he should retire - an unthinkable prospect for someone as active as Aaron.
Aaron has also made pioneering flights in the Himalayas and Karakoram, flying a 312 km triangle in Pakistan in 2022, an Asian record. In 2026, Aaron set a new 24-hour hike-and-fly world record on Slogen Mountain in Skylstad, Norway by completing 18 ascents in 23 hours, 42 minutes and 32 seconds. In total, he gained 19,424m of vertical elevation which is more than twice the height of Mount Everest. With his skill, determination, and now Red Bull X-Alps victory, Aaron’s adventures continue to inspire. This will be his seventh race - anything is possible with Aaron.