On A Wing & Legs -The World's Toughest Adventure Race

The Red Bull X-Alps could be the ultimate adventure race. You run/trek and er… fly, yes, paragliding is the other mode of locomotion. And the athletes must carry their kit with them as they journey from Austria to Monaco

- Red Bull & John Shepherd

Under dark and threatening clouds in Salzburg, 31 athletes from 20 countries set off on the Red Bull X-Alps 2017. Their mission? To get to Monaco in the fastest time possible, whether paragliding or on foot, via a set route that weaves its way across seven countries and has seven turnpoints.

TURNPOINT 1

First on the checklist was the summit of the Gaisberg, a 1,287-metre peak that overlooks Salzburgerland. The race entrants started from Mozartplatz, running past famous landmarks before crossing the Salzach river. Sebastian Huber (GER1) was first to reach the summit in one hour and three minutes. He was followed by Toma Coconea (ROU) seven minutes later, with Christian Maurer (SUI1), Aaron Durogati (ITA), Nelson de Freyman (FRA3) and Benoit Outters (FRA4) very close behind. The rest of field reached the summit by two o’clock.

The next Turnpoint would be more of a challenge - situated on the peak of Triglav, Slovenia, some 157 kilometres to the south.

With adverse weather making flying all but impossible, the athletes faced a brutal start to the race on foot, carrying all their paragliding equipment and mandatory gear with them.

In a surprise move three athletes decided to deploy their Ledlenser Night Passes – Coconea, Gavin McClurg (USA1) and Huber – these allow them to hike through the mandatory rest period. Ledlenser Night Passes must be deployed before midday of the day the athlete wants to use them, so the decision made by the three was a tactical one to get some serious distance behind them early in the race.

TURNPOINT 2