This morning, a squadron of six Red Bull X-Alps athletes flew a test flight directly over the city centre of Salzburg, Austria.

The flight was part of preparations leading up to the world’s most spectacular adventure race, the Red Bull X-Alps which begins at 11:30 on July 19 in Salzburg.

The athletes will compete in the 818km event, where competitors must hike and fly through the Alps and negotiate seven turnpoints before reaching the goal in Monaco. Every competitor will have a GPS device which tracks their exact position and displays it on a Live Tracking map on the official event website.

Air traffic at busy Salzburg airport was diverted temporarily to allow the athletes to fly directly over the dramatic Festung Hohensalzburg castle. It’s the first time permission has ever been granted from the control tower for such a stunning flight.

Heli Eichholzer (AUT1), Christian Amon (AUT2), Alex Hofer (SUI1), Martin Müller (SUI2), Christian Maurer (SUI3) and Michael Gebert (GER) launched from the Gaisberg mountain, glided across Salzburg’s Old Town, circled the Castle overlooking the city and landed in the Henkerswiese just south of the world-famous fortress.

Photocredits: ©Red Bull Photofiles

I just got home from the USAC Marathon National Championships in Breckenridge, CO. This is the 2nd year they’ve held Marathon Nationals at this high altitude venue. The race course is two laps on a 25 mile technical, high alpine course. It’s fabulous terrain and one of the best run races I’ve done, but the altitude is a huge factor. The race starts around 9500 ft in the town of Breckenridge and tops out above 11,000 ft. The 800 athletes roll out as the start of the 4th of July parade with hundreds of people lining the streets in their lawn chairs, cheering as we cruise by in our lycra.

Flying by…see the front wheel not even touching the ground. Photo courtesy of Liam Doran
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The June numbers are available for the USARA National Rankings.

Presented By:

July 4, 2009

TEAM NAME/ POINTS
1. Nature Cure 193.00
2. Berlin Bike 180.00
3. Checkpoint Zero/Inov-8 131.00
4. Alpine Shop 127.00
5. Vignette 122.00
6. Shake-A-Leg Miami 101.00
7. Eastern Mountain Sports 88.00
8. Citgo/Gray Goat Multisport Team 87.00
9. Team Peanut Butter 79.00
10. Werewolves of Austin 76.00

Mark your calendars! Untamed New England, the 3 day, non-stop adventure race will begin at the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel on July 9th. Race disciplines include; trekking, biking, paddling, ropes, navigation and conservation projects. Untamed Adventure is proud to be a part of the Adventure Race World Series this year, organizing the only qualifier in North America. Teams from all over the world will be traveling to New Hampshire to compete for entry into the Adventure Race World Series Finals in Portugal.

After an award winning debut edition last Summer, the Untamed New England Adventure Race joins with premiere races from around the planet in the Adventure Racing World Series (AR World Series). Podium finishers at Untamed New England will battle for over $10,000 in prizes and qualify for the World Championship race being held in Portugal in December 2009.

“We’re excited by the opportunities this opens for our race, for the New England region, for the American and Canadian teams who deserve a World Championship Qualifier on their own home turf, and for the environmental causes we promote;” observed Untamed New England Director Grant Killian.

9 races around the globe host races as part of the AR World Series. In all of the races, teams compete non-stop for days of biking, trekking, paddling, orienteering, and other challenges. With this announcement, New England adds its name to this list of adventure destinations and participants in Untamed New England will explore the wilderness terrain of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Our website http://www.untamedne.com/ will have a live race portal tracking the progress of the teams and reporting all the exciting news as it happens on the race course throughout the three days.

With the start of the Red Bull X-Alps 2009 just a little over two weeks away, several of this year’s participating athletes gave their take on strategies, the competition, the course and more.

LLOYD PENNICUIK (AUS)

Q: What do you think of this year’s route?
LP: I think this race is incredible and the route is really exciting with most of the famous peaks in each country.

Q: Who do you think are your main challengers?
LP: For me its pretty much everyone, because I have virtually no experience in the Alps.

Q: What are your strategies for coping with the exhaustion of the event?
LP: Eat often but not too much.

Q: What are you looking forward to the most about this year’s race?
LP: Some good flying hopefully but meeting people is always the best.

Q: What are you dreading the most about this year’s race?
LP: I am really worried about maybe getting a minor injury that could put me out.

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The Yukon River Quest is the longest annual canoe and kayak race in the world. Except for two mandatory rest stops totaling 10 hours, paddlers race non-stop over approximately 740 kilometers (460 miles) from Whitehorse to Dawson City. Held annually in the north during the last week of June (around the summer solstice), it is a true “Race to the Midnight Sun”. The YRQ is widely recognized now as one of the toughest ultra marathon paddling events on the planet, where the world’s best paddlers gather to compete.

2009 Official Winners & Special Awards

• 73 teams started the 2009 Yukon River Quest and 56 teams finished
• This was the 3rd largest field in the 11-year history of the event
• The women’s tandem canoe and tandem kayak records were broken
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AWM has been keeping tabs on the Tour Divide Race this year, the insane, self-supported 2,745 mile off road race from Banff, Canada down along the Continental Divide to Mexico. The coverage has been incredible, using SPOT Messengers, we can track all the riders progress LIVE, and the Tour Divide site also offers frequent podcasts and news from riders as they reach their various checkpoints.

Unfortunately, the most recent news is the kind of news you never want to hear:

Shortly after the Indiana Pass, Jill Homer encountered an ambulances carrying Pete Basinger after he collided with a truck head on. They let her into the ambulance briefly to speak with Pete and later makes a distressed call-in from Platoro with the news.

[Pete Basinger was] probably going 25 mph hit head on.. by a truck, in ummnh in a pretty remote area, they were trying to get him to an area where they could lifeflight him , they actually let me in the ambulance to talk to him, he was alert, he seemed to be in good spirits, ummh, but I dont´know what´s wrong, the extent of his injuries, i´ve called, since i´ve got to Platoro, tried to call all the local hospitals and haven´t been able to get any information, and uh I´ve just I´ve been kind of distraught…..
-Jill Homer from TD Site

We are anxiously awaiting news on Pete, and hope he is doing well.
UPDATED: He has been released from the hospital in Pueblo with broken bones but no critical injuries.

Matthew Lee finished with an unofficial time of 17d23h45m, with Kurt Refsnider finishing close behind. Chris Plesko is nearing the border as is Jacy and Tray Petervay on a tandem.
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Overcoming temperatures that reached more than 100 degrees, Hal Koerner, 33, of Ashland, OR, defended his men’s title while Anita Ortiz, 45, of Eagle, CO, made a smashing 100-mile debut to win the women’s race during Saturday’s 35th annual Western States 100-mile Endurance Run.

Koerner, who won the race in 2007, ran 16 hours, 24 minutes and 55 seconds for his second win at Western States. Tsuyoshi Kaburagi, 40, of Japan, was second in 16:52:06. Jez Bragg, 28, of England, was third in 16:54:26.

Koerner broke the race open with a sizzling 58-minute split from the race’s 55.7-mile checkpoint at Michigan Bluff to the 62-mile Foresthill checkpoint. Continue Reading

Honza Rejmanek will be representing the USA beginning July 17th at the Red Bull X-ALPS
500 Mile Hike & Fly Competition!

The X-Alps is the worlds toughest and longest hike and paraglide endurance race covering over 500 miles of mountainous terrain. It lasts for over two weeks. (17 days in 2007).

The rules are simple: Fly or hike carrying your glider around set turn points all the way across the Alps to Monaco! The whole event can be tracked live at www.redbullxalps.com.

It is the premier spectator event for paraglider pilots in the world. If you weren’t “tuned in” last race(2007), you will be this year.

Honza came from behind to do very well at the last X-Alps 2007. He has been training full time ever since. Not only is Honza one of the finest XC pilots around, he is a graduate student of meteorology. Honza has been intensely training for this event and also fund raising for the US team’s 2009 mission. Raffle tickets supporting the 2009 US X-Alps team are available for purchase on line at www.honzair.com. Raffle takes place during the event with the winners posted on line at the USA team blog daily.

After a one-year hiatus due to fires, the world’s most prestigious 100-mile trail event returns deeper and better than ever.

The Western States 100-mile Endurance Run returns on June 27, 2009, when more than 400 athletes from around the world toe the starting line in Squaw Valley, CA. Their journey will finish following 100 miles of running and more than 40,000 feet of climbing and descending through the Sierra and the California Gold Country at the finish line at Placer High School in Auburn, CA.

This year’s Western States 100 marks the return of the world’s oldest and most prestigious 100-mile trail running event. In 2008, only days before runners were prepared to start in Squaw Valley, the 35th annual run was cancelled due to severe smoke and major fire that had been sparked by a series of Northern California lightning strikes. The cancellation was the first in race history.

A year’s hiatus, however, has ensured that this year’s event has become even more eagerly anticipated. A year off has also helped make an already deep and talented field that much stronger. Due to the race’s partnership with Montrail and the Montrail Cup (a series of top-level ultra events held throughout the country where the top-three finishers earn a coveted spot in Western States), the field now has two full years of Montrail Cup qualifiers, as well as many of the runners who finished in the top 10 in 2007.

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RED BULL X-ALPS 2009 ATHLETES REVIEW: WHO ARE THE TOP FAVORITES?

There’s no doubt that this year’s Red Bull X-Alps contains the strongest field yet seen at this biennial adventure race. On the start line on July 19 in Salzburg’s Mozartplatz will be some of the world’s best pilots and endurance athletes, raring to begin their 818km journey to Monaco.

Here’s a look at how five of the top favorites rate, with a verdict from respected and seasoned Red Bull X-Alps editor and expert, Hugh Miller.

The Champion: Alex Hofer (SUI)
Just how does one go about beating this guy? The two-time champion is yet again the number one favorite, and the canny Swiss is bound to have some cunning strategies up his sleeve. His flying skills are unquestionable and his large frame makes him a natural athlete.

The 32-year-old, who lives and works in China, describes the route as “fantastic” and anticipates “a thrilling race.”
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This year’s Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge will be held from the 4th to the 9th of December. The innovative nature of this demanding sporting and cultural odyssey, with its unique emphasis on fairness, accessibility and camaraderie, represents adventure racing’s most exciting opportunity to race against the world’s most international field.

In keeping with the last two years, when early December was chosen as the ideal period for adventure racing’s Blue Ribbon finale, the 2009 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge will be held from the 4th to the 9th of December. What’s more, to ensure that the race offers a sporting challenge rather than an economic one, especially given the current economic climate, the organisers have made a €1,000 reduction to the 2009 entrance fee, bringing it to €2,500 per team and opening the world’s most international race to the entire adventure racing community.

In total contrast to many other headline-grabbing races held around the globe, the ADAC is designed to not only appeal to the world’s top teams but also to those with the ambition of becoming one themselves but who, as yet, might lack sufficient international or big race experience. Last year, the highly successful ADTA awards took a selection of fortunate ‘local’ teams from Britain, Sweden, Slovenia the USA and South Africa, all with no international race experience, handed them entry fees, plane tickets and the opportunity to rub shoulder with and learn from the world’s best. The ADTA Continental Rookie Prizes (2,500 USD) handed out cash prizes to the four top teams, one from each of the following four continental zones, Europe, North – South America, Asia – Oceania and The Middle East – Africa, racing for the first time in The Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge. Both initiatives, aimed at promoting the sport throughout the burgeoning international rookie community, will be maintained for this year’s race.

After 6 days over a course worthy of the world’s most international field and matched only by the quality of the encounters with Abu Dhabi’s vibrant culture, a lucky few will take with them the “glittering prizes” but thanks to a judiciously planned course and flexible support infrastructure, every team is given the chance to finish the race one way or another. Only in this way are all teams able to complete what is, after all, the objective of any sporting event: to participate and be enriched by the competition, rivalry and ensuing camaraderie. To learn from the experience, come back again and maybe win.

For more information visit www.abudhabi-adventure.com

Beginning near the border with Mexico the Arizona Trail 300 winds up to Superior Arizona, in this gnarly self supported, wilderness mountain bike route along the Arizona Trail

First started in 2006, with only 6 competitors (4 did not finish), this race is not for the weak hearted. No prizes, no cheering fans, and absolutely no support, you´re very much on your own out there.

Scott Morris of topofusion.com helps organize this event and also has the record at 2 days, 16 hours and 57 minutes. In 2008, the event brought about 10 athletes, many of which are world class endurance athletes including Mike Curiak and Pete Basinger who have competed successfully in the Great Divide Race.

This year´s event is scheduled to start on April 10th, and will offer live tracking through the topofusion.com site. Scott promises the route will have more singletrack and less pavement; also including a caveat warning about substantial hike-a-bike possibilities.
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The Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge first appeared on the race calendar in 2007 and made such an impact that its second running in December 2008 had the most international entries ever for an adventure race – 36 teams and racers from 21 nations!

By Jacqueline Windh

Defending TCC champion, Costa Rican Javier Montero ran pretty much a perfect race this year. He’d won the first four stages, and even though Italian Leonardo Soresi had won the fifth stage, Leonardo had been quite a bit slower in the early stages and posed no threat for the overall win.

American Dave James, who finished second last year without little apparent effort, took his training more seriously this year and was clearly here looking for a win. Dave also ran a pretty much perfect race – but coming into the final 23 km stage, Javier still had an approximately 50 minute lead over Dave. Scott Jurek, probably the most accomplished and awarded runner of the field, had been finishing in the top 5 each stage, but Scott was definitely focussing on his upcoming summer race season and not pushing for the win here.

Competition was much hotter in the women’s category. Costa Rican Ligia Madrigal had won most of the previous women’s stages, but American Jaclyn Greenhill had been pushing hard and was only 13 minutes behind Ligia in cumulative time.

Other than the inital 4 km river section and waterfall crossing, the whole route was very runnable. Although Javier’s overall victory was all but certain, Leonardo and Javier were both going for the stage win. Leonardo won the stage in 2:43:25, with Javier sprinting in only 20 seconds behind him, both of them a good 7 minutes ahead of Canadian woman Doone Watson who took third – an impressive effort by Doone, and first time in this race that a woman has placed in the top three overall.

Click the Sleepmonsters Race Report Logo to read the rest of the story.

By Cory Wallace

Last night there was a storm warning for Sunday so the riders had a meeting and decided they would rather do the full 160 km today rather then do two 80 km days and risk the weather which was coming. Riding out into the fog at 8am a paceline of 5 riders (Lupillo, Simon, Art, Ramon and myself) formed at the front for the first 50 km before the feedzone split the pack as Art continued on thanks to his camelback and Ramon dropped off.

Leaving the feedzone the pace was slow and pretty soon we found out Art had taken a 7 minute lead. I was getting nervous so I picked up the pace and soon a sick Simon was off the back which left Lupillo and myself. Lupillo was suffering and wasnt willing to help chase down Art so I set the pace for the next 2 hrs, finally catching Art about 20 km from the finish. 10 km from the finish I attacked, dropping Art but I couldnt loose my shadow Lupillo. For the last 9 km Lupillo and I would ride togethar along the stunning ocean side boulevard in Vera Cruz with Art just 10 seconds back and chasing hard but we made sure to ride a little bit harder as we didnt want to test his legs out in the sprint.

Coming around a corner 400 m from the finish the sprint was on. Lupillo got a slight edge, I reeled him back in and came around his right side just before the finish line as we crossed together before slamming on the breaks and skidding into the fence behind the finish line dangerously out of control. Were still not sure who took the win as the organizers are looking at the photos of the finish. If I had to guess I would have to say Lupillo may of taken it by the thickness of a tortilla. For the next 3 hrs we would relax with drinks on hand as the rest of the riders rolled across the finish line of what may be the toughest mtn bike course in the world.
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By Kathi Merchant
March 4, 11:23 AM

Fingerlake, Checkpoint 3 mile 130:

Many racers have made it into the Fingerlake Checkpoint(mile 130). 29 racers so far.

Tim and Tom from Pennsylvania are leading the foot race and arrived in Puntilla (mile 170) this morning. They are veterans of this race and have done this race several times.They both walked 1100 miles to Nome in 2001 on the southern route in just under 27 days. Tim walked to Nome in 2004 and 2008 on the northern route.

I heard through the trail gripevine that Marco Costa and Roberto Gazzoli had spent the night with Mike and Ingrid at Fin Bear Lake. They have been on the trail for several years now offering their hospitality to weary racers between Fingerlake and Puntilla.They go out to their remote cabin every year to cheer on the racer and they are just great people and big fans of this race!
Steve Evans, a racers from the UK just called me that he was scratching at Shell Lake Lodge and to let his friend Howard Cook ( from the UK as well) know that he was out of the race. He said that he has not been feeling good since he started the race. Most racers have been stopping at Shell Lake Lodge which is about half way between Skwentna and Fingerlake and Zoe has been feeding them hamburgers to get them up them trail.
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