The "Hardest 400m Race" Takes Place On A Ski Jump

Ella Boyd
·2 min read

Welcome to the Red Bull 400 race, where competitors have to run up an entire ski slope as fast as possible.

You've heard of the 12-3-30 workout, now try the 400-37: 400 meters at a 37-degree incline.

The Red Bull 400 is considered the world's toughest race.

According to Red Bull, the race was created in Austria in 2011 and grew into "an international competition, drawing in participants from a variety of sporting disciplines and fitness levels. Each and every year race times are getting faster, but with this mixture of sporting backgrounds and abilities, it's anyone's guess who'll emerge victorious."

Interestingly, the last event advertised on the Red Bull website is from the end of December in 2022.

The YouTube channel "150 days of winter" dives into the rise and fall of the Red Bull 400 as it grew and shrank in popularity over the years.

In 2023, there were only 2 venues for the Red Bull 400, as opposed to 10 venues just two years prior in 2021.

Dive into the history of the Red Bull 400 below. 

According to "150 days of winter", the diminishing number of events could be a post-covid lull, but many people hope for a return of the event.

Throughout its history, 17 is a lucky number: the youngest person to ever win the event was only 17, and one man, named Ahmet Arslan, has won the event 17 times.

Record times include 2m 48s from Jakob Mayer in Einsiedeln, Switzerland in 2018. For women, Judith Wyder completed the race in 3m 39s in Einsiedeln, Switzerland, also in 2018.

Do you think this infamously difficult event will come back for 2024? Would you give it a shot?

Hey, at least you don't have to do it in ski boots.

Related: Summer Ski Jumping Is The Ultimate Adrenaline Rush

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