Last year our friend Paul Shippey took on the gruelling Gore-tex TransRockies seven day run in the Colorado Mountains. You can read all about that epic adventure run HERE and you can watch the video from day one below.
The Colorado run is based on a very similar run in Europe in the German and Austrian Alps which is the original version of this epic event. We cover a lot of crazy hard races here at EMT, but we can safely say that the TransRockies is one of the hardest and most rewarding. If you are looking for an epic European running adventure this year you might want to consider the Transalpine-Run.
It's just as hard as the North American version, but perhaps a bit more exotic and of course a lot more European. The details are below:
The starter’s gun will go off on September 3 in front of the Kurhaus in Oberstdorf, and already the first stage is going to afford trans Alpine runners with the wonderful Alpine panorama of the beautiful Kleinwalsertal. Another first as a stage host will be the town of Schruns, the main city of the Montafon valley. From the Montafon, the course continues to Galtür in Switzerland and into Scuol. Here, participants will face a 6.1 km long mountain sprint, which in the past has been dubbed as “the day off,” but – with its altitude difference totaling 1000 m – must not be underestimated. From Switzerland it’s off to southern Tyrol. Here, the Transalpine trek will make a stop in the cities of Mals and Schlanders, before taking mountain runners on the last stage toward the highly anticipated finish line in Latsch.
"We were able to make this year’s course even more appealing and are really excited about running through the Kleinwalsertal for the first time. The high alpine portions do not only demand stamina but also concentration and running skills. The “climbers” among the mountain runners will really get their money’s worth on the GORE-TEX® Transalpine-Run 2011," explains Uta Albrecht, project manager and executive director of PLAN B event company GmbH.
Since its premiere in 2005, the GORE-TEX® Transalpine-Run is said to be one of the toughest challenges for mountain and trail runners. There will be five different classification categories: Men, Women, Mixed, Master Men (combined age of 80+ years) as well as Senior Master Men (combined age of 100+ years). The maximum number of participants is 250 teams consisting of two runners. The course alternates each year between the Eastern route (Ruhpolding to Sexten) and this year’s Western route from Oberstdorf to Latsch.
“The GORE-TEX® Transalpine-Run is more than a mere foot race across the Alps, it now is an event with a cult status, unique flair and extraordinary character,” says Uta Albrecht.
More information at www.transalpine-run.com
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