Route | Red Bull X-Alps (2024)

For the first time in its 20-year history, the race started in the Austrian town of Kitzbühel, home to the famous Hahnenkamm downhill race. Athletes were running through the town before racing 900m to the top of the mountain. Start: Schulgasse 2, 6370 Kitzbühel
Images © Kitzbühel Tourismus Michael Werlberger / TVB Kitzbüheler Alpen-Brixental Mathäus Gartner

The site of the world’s most famous downhill course and a Turnpoint in 2021. Athletes were battling nerves but it's an area they knew well after the Prologue. From here they headed south-east towards Wagrain-Kleinarl. On the way they passed the finish line at Zell am See. Seeing it was a strong motivator for when morale would be low later on in the race.
Image © Michael Werlberger

A Turnpoint in 2021 and 2019, the picturesque Wagrain-Kleinarl mountain resort is situated 60km south of Salzburg. The most easterly point on the route. Athletes had to sign a board where the previous athlete camp used to be.
Image © Erwin Trampitsch

This Turnpoint took athletes to the very northern fringes of the Alps. Part of the scenic Chiemgau and Achental regions of southern Germany, it is the home area of Markus Anders and rookie Maximilian Loidl. With the incredibly fast pace of the race the athletes had notime to enjoy the scenic view over Lake Chiemsee.
Image © zooom / Felix Woelk

Athletes then headed towards Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze (2,962m). The signboard had a new location in 2023. It was situated on the Austrian side of the mountain, in Lermoos, part of the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena with incredible views of the mountain - but not far from the old site. Image © zooom / Sebastian Marko

The Swiss peak of Piz Buin is situated on the Swiss-Austrian border in the heart of the Silvretta Alps and forced athletes deep into the mountains after Lermoos.Athletes had to pass within a 3km radius of the peak. From here athletes followed the Rhine and Rhone valleys to Fiesch, crossing the Overalp pass on the way, which is famous for its strong headwinds.

Fiesch is situated in the Aletsch Arena in Valais, and is home to the Alps' longest glacier, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. To get here from Piz Buin it’s a straight-line distance of almost 160km across challenging mountain terrain. Image © zooom / Adi Geisegger

It’s relatively short stop from Fiesch to the Swiss village of Frutigen but it’s across the mighty Aletsch glacier where even the passes are over 3,000m. Athletes had to hike over the challenging Lötschenpass after flying the Rhone valley and then glided to Frutigen – only one of them dared to take the shortcut by flying over Aletsch glacier.
Image © Frutigen

It’s been just under 6km to the next Turnpoint, the summit of Niesen, which is known as the Swiss Pyramid for its perfect triangular shape. The mountain is a popular flying site well known to the Swiss athletes of Chrigel Maurer, Patrick von Känel and Sepp Inniger, who all live within gliding distance.
Image © Bruno Petroni

The highest mountain in the western Alps makes another appearance as a Turnpoint. Like 2021, athletes must cross from France to Italy. This turnpoint was unique in that it had to be passed from the north, heading west – making a counterclockwise circle around Mont Blanc. It was not required by the athletes to reach the summit, they just needed to circumnavigate around the Mont Blanc Massif. This was already challenging enough, but the athletes took advantage from the favorable flying conditions.

It’s just a short 17km leg from Mont Blanc to the Col du Petit Saint-Bernard in the air, one of the main crossing points of the Alps, but it’s much longer on foot! Most athletes were lucky enough to be able to fly from Mont Blanc directly to the Turnpoint. There they had to land to take a selfie with their CAT phone and send it to the race committee.

A 5km cylinder athletes could pass in the air or on the ground. This was one of the most challening Turnpoints, forcing athletes to make their way over 2,000m passes south of the Matterhorn and almost cross the Monte Rosa massif. It was complicated terrain and it didn't get any easier on the way to Cima Tosa.

At 234km this was the longest leg of the route. At 234km this was the longest leg of the route where the field spread out even wider and some athletes pulled a magic move – Damien Lacaze made history by nailing down the longest flight the race has ever seen. Athletes flew through very technical terrain close to lakes Maggiore, Lugano and Como before having to land by the Refugio de Brentei and snap a selfie for the race committee.

One of the most famous landmarks of the Sexten Dolomites, the three limestone rock towers of 3 Zinnen (also known as Tre Cime) are an incredible wonder and scene of some of the most famous climbing epics in the Alps. Athletes had to climb a via ferrata to tag this Turnpoint atop the peak of Paternkofel (2,740m) and take the selfie before dropping into the second part of this Turnpoint, Sexten itself. Image © Wisthaler

Nestled in the shadow of the Dolomites and just a short hop from its most famous mountain, 3 Zinnen, Sexten is the classic South Tyrolean mountain village in the holiday region 3 Zinnen Dolomites. For athletes, it was the last stop before the final crossing of the main divide back into Austria.

Image © Wisthaler

The last and final Turnpoint for those athletes still in the race is this 1,960m peak overlooking Zell am See. At this point the race is all but over, just one final glide remains.
Image © zooom / Sebastian Marko

The long desired goal – reached by the highest number of athletes ever in the history of the race. Zell am See is one of Austria’s most famous lakeside resorts. With camping beside the lake, it was the perfect venue to finish the race – and to recover afterwards. Image © Nikolaus Faistauer Photography