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The Red Bull X-Alps is one of the world's toughest adventure races in which athletes must hike or fly 1,000 km across the Alps. It first launched in 2003 and has since taken place every other year. Around 30 athletes take part and must navigate their way via a predetermined set of turnpoints that vary with each race. Every kilometer must be covered either on foot or by paraglider. Teams consist of one athlete and one official supporter, whose role providing technical advice, mental and nutritional support is almost as demanding. The route traditionally covers the Alpine regions of Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and France before ending in Monaco. The exact route is normally unveiled in the spring before the race start. New to the 2015 race was the Powertraveller Prologue, a one day hike and paragliding contest in the Salzburgerland region. Starting and finishing in Fuschl am See, athletes had to hike or fly a 38km course around two turnpoints, the Zwölferhorn and Schafberg peaks. It was won by Paul Guschlbauer in 2h 21m. The 2015 race started July 5 and ended July 17th. It was won for the fourth time in a row by the Swiss athlete Christian Maurer who reached the finish, a landing float in Monaco bay, on July 14. His official time, which stops at the final turnpoint of Peille above Monaco, was 8d 4h 37m. ==The race== The concept for the Red Bull X-Alps was developed by Austrian pilot Hannes Arch who saw a TV documentary in which German pilot Toni Bender crossed the Alps from North to South by paraglider, carrying all his equipment, sleeping rough and hiking parts of the way. "I thought it would be cool to base a paragliding competition on this format and developed a basic concept for it - and the idea was born! Together with Red Bull, we have developed it over the years to be the Red Bull X-Alps it is today - the toughest and most extreme endurance and outdoor race in the world. Its simplicity is what makes it most appealing. We start in Salzburg and whoever arrives in Monaco first wins. That's it. It's about body and soul, not about hundreds of rules and regulations," Arch has said.〔Red Bull X-Alps〕 When conditions are good, athletes use paragliders to fly, and when they are not they must run or hike, carrying their paraglider and other mandatory equipment. No other form of transport is permitted. The first edition led from Austria’s Dachstein Glacier to Monaco via Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze, Mont Blanc and Mont Gros in France. Seventeen athletes and their support teams covered a distance of 800 kilometers as the crow flies. Over the years the route and the turnpoints have changed. From 2009 the race started off in the Austrian city of Salzburg. At 1,031 kilometers, the 2013 course was the longest in the history of the race and athletes had to pass 10 turnpoints: Gaisberg, Dachstein, and Wildkogel in Austria; Zugspitze in Germany; Ortler/Sulden in Italy; Interlaken, Matterhorn in Switzerland; Mont Blanc, Saint Hilaire, and Peille in France. The 2015 race route will be revealed in spring 2015. The 2015 race is only the second edition after 2005 that will see women compete. So far the race has only ever been won by Swiss nationals. Thanks to GPS-Live Tracking, all athletes can be followed in real time on the (official website ) throughout the race. The exact position of the athletes is monitored via data loggers and GSM cell phones. The athletes also carry a camera with them at all times. Stills and videos are used in the athletes’ online diaries, which are kept up to date by their supporters. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Red Bull X-Alps」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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