2003 saw the first edition of Red Bull X-Alps come to life. In its inaugural event, the race format was simple. A total of 17 top athletes set out from the Dachstein Glacier in the south of Salzburg and raced their way down to Monaco on the Mediterranean Sea. Along the way, they checked in at two mandatory turnpoints; Verbier in Switzerland and Mont Gros in France.  

Of the 17 athletes who took part, only three crossed the finishing line; proving that Red Bull X-Alps was shaping up to be a race like no other. Completing the journey in just 11 day, 22 hours and 55 minutes, first place went to Kaspar Henny, who, back then was the three-time paragliding world champion for the Swiss national team.

In its third edition, Red Bull X-Alps ramped up the route with a total of five turnpoints. In this race, Germany was dropped from the course and two new locations were added; Marmolada in Italy and the Eiger in Switzerland. 2007 proved to be the toughest yet. Of the 30 teams who participated, 12 were forced to withdraw due to injury and fatigue. 

Alex Hofer once again took the podium after taking the lead in the last stage of the event. Hofer’s first class piloting skills allowed him to fly for 61% of the course, much further than anyone else had ever managed before. His victory time clocked in at just over 14 days, some 4 hours and 35 minutes ahead of Romanian endurance legend Toma Coconea.

For Red Bull X-Alps 2015, the addition of the all-new Powertraveller Prologue Race just a few days ahead of the main event gave the top three finishers a five-minute head start on race day and an additional Night Pass. This new development combined with the increasingly restricted flight paths made for a highly competitive field. 
Chrigel Maurer continue his reign as the champion, yet again taking first place with a time of 8 days and 4 hours. Unlike previous editions, a record-breaking 19 athletes came in close behind the leader, making it a nail biting adventure to the very end. 

While the 1,138km straight-line distance didn't change from the 2017 version of the race, one major change was made to the 2019 route: a record number of 13 Turnpoints in 6 different countries. The field of 32 adventurers, which saw two female athletes for the first time since 2015, set off to cross the main chain of the Alps five times and face conditions like never before in the history of the race. Starting in mid June, an unusual amount of snow forced the athletes to either rethink their route choices or to cope with gruelling ascents and mountain traverses. Whereas lasting rain and even thunderstorms gave most athletes a hard time on the ground in Switzerland, the French Alps - unlike in previous Red Bull X-Alps editions - proved to be a test piece in endurance and patience. A vast heatwave ensured mostly stable air conditions for the front of the field that were heading for Monaco. Finally a group of ten managed to brave every adversity and reached the goal, with Chrigel Maurer once again at the top. French rookie Maxime Pinot securing second, a joint third place of Benoit Outters and Paul Guschlbauer and 6-time participant Tom de Dorlodot landing on the float for the first time in his 14 year quest. These were just some of the highlights of a truly memorable race.