Red Bull X-Alps Adventure Racing Event
The Red Bull X-Alps is the world's toughest adventure race event held every year since 2003. The world's best endurance athletes and paragliding pilots were specially selected and invited by the organizers to race from Salzburg to Monaco, by foot or paraglider, a straight-line distance of approximately 1,000km.
Each team entering the race consists of one athlete and up to two supporters to help with logistics, food and motivation. The contestants race between 5:00 am and 10:30 pm, hiking over 100 kilometers a day. A paraglider, harness, rescue parachute, helmet, emergency signal rocket, reflector belt and tracking device must be carried at all times.
A typical race lasts about 10 days, and each athlete covers over 900 kilometers on foot. They burn about 5,000 to 7,000 calories a day, which means they pretty much need to eat all day. Athletes can choose any route they like, but they must pass ten predefined turnpoints. They cannot travel through tunnels that connect valleys. Mandatory rest time is from 10:30 pm to 5:00 am, but the rules were changed last year – participants were allowed one ‘night pass’ each.
The race is stopped 48 hours after the winner arrives at the finish line. The rest of the athletes are ranked on how far they are from Monaco.
Red Bull X-Alps Race - Adventure Stills
