It took Christian Maurer (SUI1) 10 days, 23 hours and 23 minutes to complete this year’s 1,138km Red Bull X-Alps. And Benoit Outters (FRA4) came in a couple of hours after him. How many more pilots finish the race before it ends at 10.53am tomorrow morning, however, remains to be seen. It appears certain that Paul Guschlbauer (AUT1) will make Peille, but will we see a fourth, fifth or sixth athlete land on the beach at Roquebrune?

In 2015, with good weather and a route through the mountains, 19 of the 32 athletes who started in Salzburg completed the 1,038km course to arrive in Peille, overlooking the Mediterranean sea.

Chrigel Maurer’s personal record for Salzburg to Monaco is six days, 23 hours, and 40 minutes, but that was in 2013, when the weather was good and the course also followed the high mountains. That year, nine other teams made it to goal.

In 2007, five people made it – but it took victor Alex Hofer (SUI) 12 days, one hour and 20 minutes to complete, the longest race so far. In the first edition, in 2003, just three reached goal, while in the three other races – 2005, 2009, and 2011 – only two made the finish line.

No one said it would be easy.

Photos by © zooom / Harald Tauderer