Red Bull X-Alps History

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Adventure Racing

The history of the world’s toughest adventure race

Journey through time and discover the key moments that shaped Red Bull X-Alps.

Written by Red Bull X-Alps

12 min readPublished on 22.05.2024 · 15:32 UTC

01

1999: The birth and essence

The concept for Red Bull X-Alps was inspired by Toni Bender’s north to south crossing of the Alps in 1999. His hiking and paragliding adventure became the subject of a documentary that caught the eye of renowned Austrian pilot and adventurer Hannes Arch. This inspired Arch and his good friend Ulrich Grill to ask themselves if such an incredible feat could be made into a competition for the world's best adventure athletes – but across the length of the Alps.

I thought it would be cool to base a paragliding competition on this format and build a basic concept for it – that’s how the idea was born!
Hannes Arch

"I thought it would be cool to base a paragliding competition on this format and build a basic concept for it – that’s how the idea was born!” Arch once explained. “Together with Red Bull, we developed the idea until it became what it is today; an unparalleled test of human endurance in the form of an adventure race.” adds Grill.

Since then, the race has gone from strength to strength. Today, competitors cover over 1,100km of alpine terrain, sometimes racing through the night to gain an advantage. Although each year only a handful of the 30 or so competitors make the finish, the race only gets more competitive as the international athletes go head to head in the battle for glory. Tragically Hannes Arch died in a helicopter crash in 2016.

Ulrich Grill and Hannes Arch — Ulrich Grill and Hannes Arch
© Red Bull X-Alps

02

2003: From the drawing board to the skies

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, Austria, 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.

1

SUI

17:31:51

11d 22h 55m 30s

2

FRA

14:50:00

12d 3h 20m

3

GER1

19:30:00

12d 8h

DNF

GER2

128km

DNF

SUI2

132km

DNF

SLO

143km

DNF

CAN

144km

DNF

GER3

152km

DNF

ROM

182km

DNF

AUT2

246km

DNF

TUR

275km

DNF

POL

278km

DNF

ITA

289km

DNF

AUT1

314km

DNF

MEX

338km

DNF

BUL

443km

DNF

GBR

537km

Route 2003 — Route 2003
© zooom

Turnpoint 1 was located at the Dachstein, Austria — Turnpoint 1 was located at the Dachstein, Austria
© zooom

Athletes getting ready to fly — Athletes getting ready to fly
© zooom

Kaspar Henny flying over Monaco — Kaspar Henny flying over Monaco
© Red Bull X-Alps

Kaspar Henny after reaching the goal in Monaco

© Red Bull X-Alps

03

2005: Red Bull X-Alps returns

In its second installment, a few key changes were made to the route. The Zugspitze mountain peak in Germany stepped in to replace Verbier in Switzerland as the first Turnpoint of the race. The other major adjustment was the addition of Mont Blanc; Europe’s tallest mountain which would appear as the second Turnpoint, as well as Mont Gros as a third and final Turnpoint before Monaco.

As an exciting new development, 2005 also marked the first time that female competitors joined the race, Niki Hamilton of Ireland and Kari Castle from the USA. Three teams withdrew from the exhausting route, but it was Swiss athlete Alex Hofer who took the title from defending champion and fellow countryman Kaspar Henry with a time of 12 days, 1 hour and 20 minutes.

1

SUI3

12d 1h 20m

2

SUI2

13d 2h 20m

3

SUI1

4

AUT1

DNF

GER1

DNF

GER2

DNF

GBR

DNF

ROM

DNF

MEX

DNF

ITA

DNF

ESP

DNF

AUS

OUT

TUR

OUT

USA

OUT

IRL

OUT

GRE

OUT

AUT2

Route 2005 — Route 2005
© zooom

The 2005 Route only had three Turnpoints — The 2005 Route only had three Turnpoints
© zooom

Alex Hofer wins the second edition of Red Bull X-Alps — Alex Hofer wins the second edition of Red Bull X-Alps
© Red Bull X-Alps

04

2007: The world’s thoughest adventure race gets tougher

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 race 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 and 1 hour.

1

SUI1

10:30:00

14d 1h 0m

2

ROM

15:05:00

14d 5h 35m

3

SUI3

10:45:00

15d 1h 15m

4

SUI2

18:20:00

15d 6h 50m

5

JPN

09:26:00

15d 23h 54m

DNF

GBR1

102km

DNF

ESP

124km

DNF

GBR2

130km

DNF

USA2

142km

DNF

ITA2

152km

DNF

CZE

159km

DNF

FRA2

185km

DNF

USA1

186km

DNF

GER2

246km

DNF

AUT1

246km

DNF

ITA1

246km

DNF

AUS

283km

DNF

RUS

325km

OUT

SLO

351km

OUT

BEL

401km

OUT

VEN

424km

OUT

AUT2

436km

OUT

SVK

480km

OUT

FRA1

520km

OUT

POL

599km

OUT

GER1

630km

OUT

CAN

673km

OUT

COL

698km

OUT

GRE

711km

OUT

TUR

815km

Route 2007 — Route 2007
© zooom

Alex Hofer during the race in 2007 — Alex Hofer during the race in 2007
© Red Bull X-Alps

Kaoru Ogisawa during Red Bull X-Alps 2007 — Kaoru Ogisawa during Red Bull X-Alps 2007
© zooom / Vitek Ludvik

Alex Hofer flying through the dolomites — Alex Hofer flying through the dolomites
© Olivier Laugero

05

2009: A suprise debut performance

In the 2009 race, Red Bull X-Alps once again welcomed 30 athletes to battle it out from Salzburg to Monaco. This time, the race would feature a total of seven Turnpoints with two new stops along the way; the Grossglockner in Austria and the Matterhorn in Switzerland. The start point was also moved from the Dachstein Glacier to Mozartplatz in Salzburg’s city center, where an enormous crowd cheered the competitors on.

Switzerland’s Chrigel Maurer made his debut appearance at Red Bull X-Alps and claimed the title from Hofer who came in a day later to take the second place. The two were the only finishers of the event in which Maurer set a new record for the competition at 9 days, 23 hours and 54 minutes, famously arriving in Monaco before the race organizers!

1

SUI1

11:24:00

9d 23h 54m

2

SUI2

20:48:00

11d 9h 18m

DNF

USA

139km

DNF

GBR1

164km

DNF

RUS

193km

DNF

GER

203km

DNF

FIN

230km

DNF

HUN

231km

DNF

ESP

237km

DNF

BEL

238km

DNF

FRA2

245km

DNF

ITA2

288km

DNF

JPN1

297km

DNF

CAN

297km

DNF

GBR2

321km

DNF

CZE

321km

DNF

POL

423km

DNF

SVK

457km

DSQ

AUT1

DSQ

ROM

OUT

SUI1

OUT

JPN2

OUT

FRA1

OUT

AUS

DSQ

VEN

OUT

NED

OUT

RSA

OUT

ITA1

OUT

SLO

OUT

AUT2

Route 2009 — Route 2009
© zooom

The 2009 edition started in Salzburg, Austria — The 2009 edition started in Salzburg, Austria
© zooom / Ulrich Grill

Kaoru Ogisawa during the race — Kaoru Ogisawa during the race
© zooom / Felix Woelk

Red Bull X-Alps 2009 was Chrigel Maurer's first race — Red Bull X-Alps 2009 was Chrigel Maurer's first race
© zooom / Dean Treml

Athletes Michael Gebert, Christian Amon and Aidan Toase

© zooom / Markus Berger

06

2011: Building momentum

With the addition of one more Turnpoint in 2011, Red Bull X-Alps was back with another 30 teams of athletes keen to prove their worth. Leaving from downtown Salzburg, they navigated their way between the Gaisberg, Dachstein, and the Grossglockner, Austria, before passing Drei Zinnen (Tre Cime), Italy. Next up were the Swiss mountains of Piz Palü and the Matterhorn. From there, they made their way to France, stopping at Mont Blanc, Mont Gros and finally Monaco.

Once again, Chrigel Maurer emerged victorious, followed by Romania’s Toma Coconea. Despite a 24-hour penalty for crossing into a forbidden zone, Maurer finished with a time of 11 days, 4 hours and 52 minutes, nearly three days ahead of Coconea.

1

SUI1

16:22:00

11d 4h 52m

2

ROM

11:30:00

14d 0h 0m

3

AUT4

9km

4

SUI3

73km

5

GBR2

113km

6

GER

172km

7

NED

173km

8

FRA3

174km

9

FIN

176km

10

USA

181km

11

BEL

183km

12

RUS

241km

13

AUT1

246km

14

CAN

305km

15

ITA

305km

16

BRA

327km

17

POL

350km

18

ESP

389km

DSQ

GBR1

395km

OUT

CZE

478km

OUT

RSA

516km

OUT

ARG

573km

OUT

JPN2

620km

OUT

FRA1

631km

OUT

AUT3

677km

OUT

POR

683km

DSQ

JPN1

739km

OUT

AUT2

755km

OUT

FRA2

757km

OUT

NOR

768km

Route 2011 — Route 2011
© zooom

Race start in Salzburg, Austria — Race start in Salzburg, Austria
© zooom / Markus Berger

Athlete Jouni Makkonen hiking during Red Bull X-Alps 2011 — Athlete Jouni Makkonen hiking during Red Bull X-Alps 2011
© zooom / Olivier Laugero

Athlete Michael Gebert hiking towards Großglockner — Athlete Michael Gebert hiking towards Großglockner
© zooom / Vitek Ludvik

Chrigel Maurer celebrating his victory

© zooom / Felix Woelk

07

2013: Bigger and further than ever

With a total of ten Turnpoints and 31 competing teams, 2013 promised to be one of the most challenging races so far. Once again, the competition kicked off at Salzburg’s Mozartplatz where the teams would tackle the 200km longer Route. Despite the distance, as many as ten teams reached the finish; accounting for one of the highest completion rates in the race’s history.

Chrigel Maurer took the top spot to secure his third consecutive win - crossing the line in a record time of just 6 days, 23 hours and 40 minutes. Frenchman Clement Latour would come in nearly two days later with the rest of the pack arriving over the next 48 hours.

1

SUI1

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
14.07.2013 | 11:10:00
Duration
6d 23h 40m

2

FRA1

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
15.07.2013 | 11:46:00
Duration
8d 16h 0m

3

FRA2

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
16.07.2013 | 19:00:00
Duration
8d 16h 30m

4

GBR

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
16.07.2013 | 19:10:00
Duration
9d 05h 12m

5

ITA2

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
17.07.2013 | 02:42:00
Duration
9d 7h 40m

1

SUI1

14.07.2013 | 11:10:00

6d 23h 40m

2

FRA1

15.07.2013 | 11:46:00

8d 16h 0m

3

FRA2

16.07.2013 | 19:00:00

8d 16h 30m

4

GBR

16.07.2013 | 19:10:00

9d 05h 12m

5

ITA2

17.07.2013 | 02:42:00

9d 7h 40m

6

NED

17.07.2013 | 20:57:00

10d 9h 27m

7

ITA1

17.07.2013 | 21:58:00

10d 10h 28m

8

SUI2

18.07.2013 | 09:13:00

10d 21h 43m

9

AUT1

18.07.2013 | 17:17:00

11d 5h 47m

10

ROM

18.07.2013 | 22:52:00

11d 11h 22m

DNF

USA

101km

DNF

FRA3

113km

DNF

BEL

153km

DNF

Rus

154km

DNF

POL

154km

DNF

JPN1

168km

DNF

ITA3

182km

DNF

JPN2

184km

DNF

CZE

229km

DNF

GER3

261km

DNF

AUT2

379km

DNF

VEN

385km

DNF

CAN

411km

DNF

GER2

428km

DNF

KOR

430km

DNF

RSA

553km

DNF

ESP

558km

OUT

USA2

523km

OUT

AUT3

773km

OUT

NPL

853km

OUT

ARG

877km

Route 2013 — Route 2013
© zooom

Athletes at the start of Red Bull X-Alps 2013 at the Mozartplatz, Salzburg — Athletes at the start of Red Bull X-Alps 2013 at the Mozartplatz, Salzburg
© Vitek Ludvik

Toma Coconea with his supporters — Toma Coconea with his supporters
© zooom / Harald Tauderer

Christian Maurer, celebrating his victory on the float — Christian Maurer, celebrating his victory on the float
© Olivier Laugero

Clement Latour came in second, after 8 days and 16 hours.

© Olivier Laugero

Red Bull X-Alps S1 E4 10 Years of Red Bull X-Alps Art

52 min

10 Years of Red Bull X-Alps

This is the story of the world's most extreme endurance race when athletes trek from Austria to Monaco.

Turkish +8

08

2015: Key changes to the race

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 continued his reign of dominance, yet again taking first place with a time of 8 days and 4 hours. In contrast to previous editions, a record number of athletes made goal. By the time the clock stopped, 19 athletes had made it to Monaco.

1

SUI1

Finishing Time / Time to Goal
13.07.2015 | 15:30:00
Duration
8d 4h

2

GER3

Finishing Time / Time to Goal
14.07.2015 | 9:30:00
Duration
8d 22h

3

AUT1

Finishing Time / Time to Goal
14.07.2015 | 15:30:00
Duration
9d 4h

4

FRA2

Finishing Time / Time to Goal
14.07.2015 | 16:30:00
Duration
9d 5h

5

FRA4

Finishing Time / Time to Goal
14.07.2015 | 16:30:00
Duration
9d 5h

1

SUI1

13.07.2015 | 15:30:00

8d 4h

2

GER3

14.07.2015 | 9:30:00

8d 22h

3

AUT1

14.07.2015 | 15:30:00

9d 4h

4

FRA2

14.07.2015 | 16:30:00

9d 5h

5

FRA4

14.07.2015 | 16:30:00

9d 5h

6

ITA

14.07.2015 | 17:30:00

9d 6h

7

NED

15.07.2015 | 09:30:00

9d 22h

8

USA2

15.07.2015 | 15:30:00

10d 4h

9

GER4

16.07.2015 | 04:30:00

10d 17h

10

NZL

16.07.2015 | 05:30:00

10d 18h

11

FRA3

16.07.2015 | 13:30:00

11d 2h

12

CZE

16.07.2015 | 13:30:00

11d 8h

13

SUI4

16.07.2015 | 23:30:00

11d 12h

14

KOR

17.07.2015 | 02:30:00

11d 15h

15

USA1

17.07.2015 | 04:30:00

11d 17h

16

POL

17.07.2015 | 07:30:00

11d 20h

17

SWE

17.07.2015 | 08:30:00

11d 21h

18

SUI3

17.07.2015 | 09:30:00

11d 22h

19

AUT3

16.07.2015 | 17:30:00

11d 6h ( 2 days penalty)

DNF

USA4

140km

DNF

GBR

178km

DNF

AUT2

302km

OUT

USA3

375km

OUT

BEL

499km

OUT

AUT4

531km

OUT

ROM

555km

OUT

RSA

555km

OUT

GER1

575km

OUT

ESP

611km

OUT

COL

635km

OUT

SUI2

755km

OUT

GER2

840km

DNS

FRA1

Route 2015 — Route 2015
© zooom

Stanislav Meyer, Paul Guschlbauer and Gavin McClurg — Stanislav Meyer, Paul Guschlbauer and Gavin McClurg
© zooom / Markus Berger

Chrigel Maurer wins for the fourth time in a row — Chrigel Maurer wins for the fourth time in a row
© Harald Tauderer

Ferdinand van Schelven lands on the finishing float in Monaco — Ferdinand van Schelven lands on the finishing float in Monaco
© Harald Tauderer

Red Bull X-Alps S1 E1 Red Bull X-Alps 2015 Art

26 min

Red Bull X-Alps 2015

32 elite athletes hike, run, and paraglide across 1,000km in the world's toughest adventure race.

09

Hannes Arch, 1967 – 2016

On September 9, 2016, a short time before his 49th birthday, Red Bull X-Alps inventor Hannes Arch died while flying his private helicopter near Grossglockner.

Red Bull X-Alps simply would not have begun or continued to exist without Hannes Arch. Every year he helped shape the rules, select the athletes, and determine the Route. Despite Hannes having his own public persona and sports career to maintain, his role as Red Bull X-Alps race mastermind was incredibly important to him on a personal level, and he touched every person involved in Red Bull X-Alps, whether athlete or organization team. Everyone saw his dedication to the race.

He will continue to live on in the memories of his friends, family, and adventurers worldwide. ✝︎

Hannes Arch, 1967 - 2016 — Hannes Arch, 1967 - 2016
© Mirja Geh

10

2017: The longest race yet

With seven Turnpoints and a total distance of 1,138km, Red Bull X-Alps 2017 was both the longest and toughest race to date. The Prologue, (this time named the Leatherman Prologue), was restricted due to poor weather conditions. This forced the athletes to run the whole way in pursuit of an additional Night Pass and a head start on day two of the main race.

Proving to be unstoppable, Chrigel Maurer took his fifth consecutive win against the other 30 competitors, achieving a time of 10 days and 23 hours. It was no easy victory though. Hot on his heels was rookie Frenchman Benoît Outters, who, as the only other finisher of the race, crossed the line just two hours behind him.

1

SUI1

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
13.07.2017 | 10:30:00
Duration
10d 23h

2

FRA4

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
13.07.2017 | 12:30:00
Duration
11d 1h

DNF

AUT1

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
5km
Duration

DNF

NED

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
49km
Duration

DNF

AUT4

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
51km
Duration

1

SUI1

13.07.2017 | 10:30:00

10d 23h

2

FRA4

13.07.2017 | 12:30:00

11d 1h

DNF

AUT1

5km

DNF

NED

49km

DNF

AUT4

51km

DNF

AUT3

86km

DNF

HUN

89km

DNF

GER1

95km

DNF

NZL

130km

DNF

CZE

130km

DNF

ROM

271km

DNF

FRA3

275km

DNF

ITA2

275km

DNF

USA1

308km

DNF

CAN

319km

DNF

POL

378km

DNF

RUS

457km

DNF

USA2

474km

DNF

BEL

510km

DNF

GER2

209km

DNF

FRA2

383km

OUT

USA3

530km

DNF

SUI2

551km

OUT

ESP

745km

DNF

AUS

773km

DNF

ITA1

776km

OUT

RSA

832km

OUT

ARG

967km

DNF

AUT2

984km

DNF

FRA1

1048km

OUT

MEX

1059km

Route 2017 — Route 2017
© zooom

Red Bull X-Alps 2017 started in Salzburg, Austria — Red Bull X-Alps 2017 started in Salzburg, Austria
© zooom / Honza Zak

Sebastian Huber climbing in Aschau, Germany — Sebastian Huber climbing in Aschau, Germany
© zooom / Vitek Ludvik

Stanislav Mayer and his supporters — Stanislav Mayer and his supporters
© zooom / Sebastian Marko

Paul Guschlbauer hiking during Red Bull X-Alps 2017

© zooom / Harald Tauderer

2017 was Pal Takat's first race

© zooom / Harald Tauderer

Benoit Outters made it to the second place

© zooom / Harald Tauderer

Christian Maurer after winning the Red Bull X-Alps for the fifth time

© Ulrich Grill

Red Bull X-Alps S1 E2 Red Bull X-Alps 2017 Art

52 min

Red Bull X-Alps 2017

The eighth edition of the world's hardest adventure race pitted contestants in a 1,000km trek across the Alps.

11

2019: Doubling up the Turnpoints

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 emerging victorious. French rookie Maxime Pinot secured second place, while joint third went to Benoit Outters and Paul Guschlbauer. Another memorable moment in the race occured for six time veteran Tom de Dorlodot, who landed on the float for the first time in his 14 year quest.

1

SUI1

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
25.06.2019 | 14:36:00
Duration
9d 3h 6m

2

FRA4

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
26.06.2019 | 09:22:00
Duration
9d 21h 52m

3

AUT1

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
26.06.2019 | 20:15:00
Duration
10d 8h 45m

4

FRA1

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
26.06.2019 | 20:15:00
Duration
10d 8h 45m

5

GER1

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
26.06.2019 | 22:56:00
Duration
10d 11h 26m

1

SUI1

25.06.2019 | 14:36:00

9d 3h 6m

2

FRA4

26.06.2019 | 09:22:00

9d 21h 52m

3

AUT1

26.06.2019 | 20:15:00

10d 8h 45m

4

FRA1

26.06.2019 | 20:15:00

10d 8h 45m

5

GER1

26.06.2019 | 22:56:00

10d 11h 26m

6

AUT2

26.06.2019 | 23:55:00

10d 12h 05m

7

FRA2

27.06.2019 | 00:42:00

10d 13h 12m

8

SUI2

27.06.2019 | 01:16:00

10d 13h 46m

9

ITA1

27.06.2019 | 04:52:00

10g 17h 22m

10

BEL

27.06.2019 | 09:03:00

10d 22h 33m

DNF

ROM

78km

DNF

USA1

206km

DNF

ITA2

213km

DNF

GER2

216km

DNF

NZL1

263km

DNF

MEX

265km

DNF

RUS

270km

DNF

SVK

290km

DNF

SUI3

351km

DNF

USA3

399km

DNF

DNK

424km

DNF

TUR

449km

DNF

USA2

471km

DNF

HRV

478km

DNF

JPN

501km

DNF

AUT3

503km

OUT

KOR

530km

DNF

FRA3

554km

OUT

NZL2

580km

OUT

COL

743km

OUT

POL

870km

OUT

LBN

990km

Route 2019 — Route 2019
© zooom

Paul Guschlbauer flying next to Mont Blanc, France — Paul Guschlbauer flying next to Mont Blanc, France
© zooom / Sebastian Marko

Aaron Durogati hiking on the first day of Red Bull X-Alps 2019 — Aaron Durogati hiking on the first day of Red Bull X-Alps 2019
© zooom / Honza Zak

Chrigel Maurer after landing on the float during Red Bull X-Alps 2019 — Chrigel Maurer after landing on the float during Red Bull X-Alps 2019
© Harald Tauderer

Maxime Pinot and Chrigel Maurer at the Prologue 2019

© zooom

Red Bull X-Alps S1 E3 Red Bull X-Alps 2019 Art

51 min

Red Bull X-Alps 2019

Get a full recap from another incredible year where athletes hiked and paraglided 1,000km across the Alps.

English +1

12

2021: The tenth and toughest edition

For the tenth edition of the race a totally new route was unveiled. The race goal was now in Zell am See, Austria. Athletes would follow a circular route around the Alps via 12 Turnpoints across five countries. At 1,238km, it was the longest route in the race’s history. Once again, the race kicked off with a one-day Prologue in Wagrain-Kleinarl, Austria which Maurer won in 1h 49m 30s, just one minute faster than Pinot, while the Austrian rookie Tommy Friedrich, the race’s youngest athlete, came in third.

The main race started in Salzburg, Austria, just as a heatwave struck. The first few days saw the lead change multiple times. On Day 2 Maurer made the first breakaway, but the chaser pack reined him back in. Around Mont Blanc, the race’s biggest challenge, Maurer and Pinot flew wingtip to wingtip but it was on Day 8 that Maurer once again made a magic move, this time across Switzerland to Italy from Fiesch to Merano, which saw him end the day 160km ahead of his nearest rival. It sealed his victory. Day 10 saw a closely-fought battle for 2nd and 3rd decided between three athletes. Ultimately it was von Känel who triumphed, reaching the landing float after 9d, 2h 7m. Simon Oberrauner came third, arriving 11min later while Maxime Pinot came in 4th, 40min afterwards. Benoit Outters was the final athlete to make goal, after an heroic 40h push which saw him cover 170km on foot and hike 7,700m.

1

SUI1

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
28.6.2021 | 18:00:28
Duration
8d 6h 30m 28s

2

SUI2

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
29.6.2021 | 13:37:30
Duration
9d 2h 7m 30s

3

AUT2

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
29.6.2021 | 13:48:25
Duration
9d 2h 18m 25s

4

FRA1

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
29.6.2021 | 14:31:14
Duration
9d 3h 1m 14s

5

FRA2

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
30.6.2021 | 20:42:12
Duration
10d 9h 12m 12s

1

SUI1

28.6.2021 | 18:00:28

8d 6h 30m 28s

2

SUI2

29.6.2021 | 13:37:30

9d 2h 7m 30s

3

AUT2

29.6.2021 | 13:48:25

9d 2h 18m 25s

4

FRA1

29.6.2021 | 14:31:14

9d 3h 1m 14s

5

FRA2

30.6.2021 | 20:42:12

10d 9h 12m 12s

6

GER1

39,1km

7

AUT1

43,5km

8

ITA2

65,6km

9

POL

88,1km

10

NED

93,4km

11

FRA5

99,3km

12

ITA1

108,1km

13

ROM

218,3km

14

MEX

252,7km

15

BEL

280,3km

16

GBR

330,5km

17

USA1

393,9km

18

SUI4

412,0km

19

GER3

429,3km

20

JPN1

512,9km

DNF

GER2

467,8km

OUT

FRA3

544,7km

OUT

FRA4

595,2km

DNF

AUT3

731,5km

DNF

USA2

733,8km

OUT

ITA3

739,0km

DNF

JPN2

926,1km

OUT

NZL1

1.050,9km

OUT

RUS

1.132,9km

Route 2021 — Route 2021
© zooom

Simon Oberrauner on Day 2 of Red Bull X-Alps 2021 — Simon Oberrauner on Day 2 of Red Bull X-Alps 2021
© zooom / Lukas Pilz

The two female athletes Yael Margelisch and Laurie Genovese — The two female athletes Yael Margelisch and Laurie Genovese
© zooom / Adi Geisegger

Chrigel Maurer celebrates in the finish in Zell am See, Austria — Chrigel Maurer celebrates in the finish in Zell am See, Austria
© zooom / Christian Lorenz

Chrigel Maurer signing at the Turnpoint at Kronplatz, Italy

© zooom / Sebastian Marko

Red Bull X-Alps S1 E5 Art

23 min

Red Bull X-Alps 2021

Watch full highlights of Red Bull X-Alps 2021, where 29 athletes race across the Alps on foot and in the air.

English +4

13

2023: A record breaking edition

The eleventh edition was probably the most memorable race ever. More Turnpoints than ever before, shortest race ever and the first woman ever to make goal are just some of the highlights to be mentioned.

The start has been moved from Salzburg to Kirchberg-Kitzbühel, Austria, where the Prolouge and the first Turnpoint led around famous Hahnenkamm, the mountain well known for its iconic ski-downhill race called "The Streif". With a record number of 15 Turnpoints the race followed a circular course around the alps all the way to Mont Blanc and back to the goal in Zell am See, Austria. The athletes were lucky because the weather was mostly flyable – even though challenging. These conditions meant that they were able to finish the 1,223km course in a record-breaking time of only 6 days. Chrigel "the eagle" Maurer celebrated his 8th consecutive victory with French challengers Damien Lacaze and Maxime Pinot coming in one day behind him. Austrian athlete Eli Egger was the first female to ever reach goal in the history of Red Bull X-Alps after 10 days 5h and 18m, ranked 21st overall.

1

SUI1

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
17.6.2023 | 17:31:51
Duration
6d 6h 1m 51s

2

FRA2

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
18.6.2023 | 05:35:55
Duration
6d 18h 5m 55s

3

FRA1

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
18.6.2023 | 06:17:54
Duration
6d 18h 47m 54s

4

HUN

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
18.6.2023 | 07:51:35
Duration
6d 20h 21m 35s

5

SUI2

Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
18.6.2023 | 08:21:58
Duration
6d 20h 51m 58s

1

SUI1

17.6.2023 | 17:31:51

6d 6h 1m 51s

2

FRA2

18.6.2023 | 05:35:55

6d 18h 5m 55s

3

FRA1

18.6.2023 | 06:17:54

6d 18h 47m 54s

4

HUN

18.6.2023 | 07:51:35

6d 20h 21m 35s

5

SUI2

18.6.2023 | 08:21:58

6d 20h 51m 58s

6

AUT1

18.6.2023 | 09:04:19

6d 21h 34m 19s

7

FRA4

18.6.2023 | 09:22:10

6d 21h 52m 10s

8

ITA2

18.6.2023 | 12:19:00

7d 0h 49m 0s

9

GER1

18.6.2023 | 12:22:30

7d 0h 52m 30s

10

FRA5

18.6.2023 | 12:22:44

7d 0h 52m 44s

11

AUT3

18.6.2023 | 12:25:18

7d 0h 55m 18s

12

SUI4

18.6.2023 | 12:37:49

7d 1h 7m 49s

13

AUT2

18.6.2023 | 12:55:11

7d 1h 25m 11s

14

BEL

18.6.2023 | 13:08:05

7d 1h 38m 5s

15

ITA1

18.6.2023 | 13:13:04

7d 1h 43m 4s

16

ITA3

18.6.2023 | 13:59:09

7d 2h 29m 9s

17

SUI5

18.6.2023 | 14:43:19

7d 3h 13m 19s

18

GER2

18.6.2023 | 14:54:53

7d 3h 24m 53s

19

POL

19.6.2023 | 13:19:25

8d 1h 49m 25s

20

USA1

21.6.2023 | 14:45:28

10d 3h 15m 28s

21

AUT4

21.6.2023 | 16:48:38

10d 5h 18m 38s

22

CAN

22.6.2023 | 19:00:47

11d 7h 30m 47s

23

JPN

23.6.2023 | 07:50:34

111d 20h 20m 34s

24

ESP

68,3km

OUT

AUS

504,0km

OUT

NZL

604,0km

OUT

CHN

734,8km

OUT

FRA3

858,8km

OUT

CZE

980,0km

OUT

SLO

651,4km

DNF

ROM

693,3km

DNF

GER3

694,5km

Route 2023 — Route 2023
© zooom

Christian Maurer after signing at Turnpoint 15 Schmittenhöhe — Christian Maurer after signing at Turnpoint 15 Schmittenhöhe
© Sebastian Marko

Christian Maurer at Turnpoint 15 Schmittenhöhe in 2023 — Christian Maurer at Turnpoint 15 Schmittenhöhe in 2023
© Johannes Radlwimmer

Patrick von Känel at Red Bull X-Alps 2023

44 min

Red Bull X-Alps 2023 - The Champions Challenge

2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the world's toughest adventure race across the Alps with elite athletes.

English

14

2025: A new champion

The twelfth edition of Red Bull X-Alps saw a new champion emerge. For the first time in 16 years it was not Chrigel Maurer who won the race. Veteran athlete Aaron Durogati was the first to reach the finish line.

The race started once again from Kitzbühel - Kirchberg, Austria, which hosted the Prologue as well as the first Turnpoint, Hahnenkamm. With 1,283km the route was the longest one ever, featuring 16 Turnpoints around a figure of eight course. In its centre was the never seen before X-Turnpoint, located in the famous Swiss resort St. Moritz. Athletes, which had to pass it twice, once on their way out and then again on their return journey towards goal. Another new addition to the 2025 route was the most western Turnpoint in Les 2 Alpes, never before did the course go that deep into the French Alps.

The weather was on the athletes’ side once again and the good flying conditions meant for a fast pace. The first four athletes finished the race after seven days. In total, 21 athletes reached the goal in Zell am See, including first-time finishes for the nations Australia, Norway and Slovakia.

Aaron Durogati made it to the first place with rookie Lars Meerstetter and veteran Simon Oberrauner coming in just 31 minutes behind him – the closest finish in Red Bull X-Alps history. Chrigel Maurer, who had won every edition from 2009 to 2023, made it to the fourth place.

1

Aaron Durogati (ITA1) profile picture

ITA1

Duration
7d 8h 31m 33s
Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
22.06.2025 | 20:01:33

2

Lars Meerstetter (SUI4) profile picture

SUI4

Duration
7d 9h 2m 54s
Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
22.06.2025 | 20:32:54

3

Simon Oberrauner (AUT1) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

AUT1

Duration
7d 9h 18m 57s
Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
22.06.2025 | 20:48:57

4

Christian Maurer (SUI1) profile picture

SUI1

Duration
7d 9h 21m 30s
Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
22.06.2025 | 20:51:30

5

Damien Lacaze (FRA1) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

FRA1

Duration
8d 1h 35m 21s
Finishing Time / Distance to Goal
23.06.2025 | 13:05:21

1

Aaron Durogati (ITA1) profile picture

ITA1

7d 8h 31m 33s

22.06.2025 | 20:01:33

2

Lars Meerstetter (SUI4) profile picture

SUI4

7d 9h 2m 54s

22.06.2025 | 20:32:54

3

Simon Oberrauner (AUT1) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

AUT1

7d 9h 18m 57s

22.06.2025 | 20:48:57

4

Christian Maurer (SUI1) profile picture

SUI1

7d 9h 21m 30s

22.06.2025 | 20:51:30

5

Damien Lacaze (FRA1) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

FRA1

8d 1h 35m 21s

23.06.2025 | 13:05:21

6

Rémi Bourdelle (FRA5) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

FRA5

8d 8h 55m 5s

23.06.2025 | 20:25:05

7

Tobias Grossrubatscher (ITA2) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

ITA2

8d 23h 8m 0s

24.06.2025 | 10:30:00

8

Patrick von Känel (SUI2) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

SUI2

8d 23h 23m 24s

24.06.2025 | 10:53:24

9

Tanguy Renaud-Goud (FRA4) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

FRA4

9d 5h 29m 30s

24.06.2025 | 16:59:30

10

Nicola Heiniger (SUI3) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

SUI3

9d 6h 15m 16s

24.06.2025 | 17:45:16

11

Markus Anders (GER1) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

GER1

9d 22h 5m 44s

25.06.2025 | 09:35:44

12

Jared Scheid (USA) profile picture

USA

9d 22h 31m 0s

25.06.2025 | 10:01:00

13

Juraj Koreň (SVK) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

SVK

10d 0h 23m 43s

25.06.2025 | 11:53:43

14

Jean de Biolley (BEL2) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

BEL2

10d 2h 24m 55s

25.06.2025 | 13:54:55

15

Benedikt Dornauer (AUT3) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

AUT3

10d 2h 47m 41s

25.06.2025 | 14:17:41

16

Thomas Friedrich (AUT2) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

AUT2

10d 3h 11m 20s

25.06.2025 | 12:41:20

17

Shane Tighe (AUS) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

AUS

10d 3h 55m 33s

25.06.2025 | 15:25:33

18

Davide Sassudelli (ITA4) profile picture

ITA4

10d 5h 56m 0s

25.06.2025 | 17:26:00

19

Samuel Tanner (AUT4) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

AUT4

10d 6h 36m 10s

25.06.2025 | 18:06:10

20

Erlend Ukvitne (NOR) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

NOR

10d 22h 45m 31s

26.06.2025 | 10:15:31

21

Sebrand Warren (NED) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

NED

11d 22h 6m 55s

27.06.2025 | 09:36:55

DNF

Ondrej Prochazka (CZE) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

CZE

OUT

Mattin Iñiguez (ESP) profile picture

ESP

DNF

Tim Alongi (FRA3) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

FRA3

DNF

Nicola Donini (ITA3) Red Bull X-Alps Profile Picture

ITA3

OUT

Celine Lorenz (GER2) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

GER2

DNF

Gabriel Jansen-Rabello (BRA) profile picture

BRA

DNF

Patrick Harvey-Collard (CAN2) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

CAN2

DNF

Christian Schugg (GER4) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

GER4

OUT

Bei Yu (CHN) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

CHN

OUT

James Elliott (CAN1) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

CAN1

OUT

Hugo Ivarez Chamoreau (MEX) profile picture

MEX

DNF

Maxime Pinot (FRA2) Red Bull X-Alps Profile picture

FRA2

Aaron Durogati wins Red Bull X-Alps 2025 — Aaron Durogati wins Red Bull X-Alps 2025
© zooom / Sebastian Marko

Lars Meerstetter (SUI4) together with his team in Zell am See — Lars Meerstetter (SUI4) together with his team in Zell am See
© zooom / Maximilian Gierl

Thomas Friedrich (AUT2) lands on the finishing float in Zell am See — Thomas Friedrich (AUT2) lands on the finishing float in Zell am See
© zooom / Adi Geisegger

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Red Bull X-Alps

Only the strongest, most skilled athletes are able to take on the race across the Alps by foot and paraglider.

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