Red Bull X-Alps 2011 Adventure Race
Adventure Racing. The idea of competing with fellow outdoor oriented (or perhaps, -obsessed or —crazed would be more fitting adjectives) athletes in pursuit of a common, often extreme goal. I’ll admit I’ve competed in a few adventure races myself, my favourite being The Mud Run, dubbed Canada’s Dirtiest 10k; however, after being asked to blog about Red Bull’s X-Alps 2011, my entire understanding of the term adventure race has been tossed out the window, turned upside down.
Here are the basics: Red Bull’s X-Alps 2011 adventure race brings together 30 of the world’s best endurance athletes to compete in a race of epic proportions. Beginning in Salzburg, Austria and finishing in Monaco (with mandatory check in points at, get this: the Tre Cime in Italy, the Matterhorn, Switzerland and Mont Blanc in France… among others!) the athletes will travel 864km in total, moving only by hiking boot or paraglider. Sound crazy? I thought so, too!
This year’s race began on July 17, 2011 and is expected to finish as early as July 27, depending on weather conditions. The Red Bull X-Alps website has live tracking of all athletes. Be sure to keep an eye on Canada’s own Max Fanderl of Invermere, British Columbia, currently in 16th position with just over 500km to go!
