Red Bull Dolomitenmann: Course, Elevation & Route Profile

Course & Elevation

The race starts mid-morning with the mountain run from the main square in Lienz to the Kuhbodentörl at 2,441 metres. There the paraglider takes over, first scrambling with full kit over pathless rock to the launch, rounding a turn point, touching down at the Taxer Moos, running with the wing on their shoulder to the second launch at the Damenstart and flying into the Dolomitenstadion.

In the stadium the mountain biker takes over: 19 kilometres uphill to the Hochstein, including a carrying section, then around 13 kilometres of descent over the World Cup ski slope and trails down to the Isel. The kayaker finishes the job, jumping into the Isel at the gravel works and paddling about eight kilometres of whitewater with gates, river crossings and upstream passages to the finish on the main square.

The Dolomitenmann was dreamed up by downhill skier Werner Grissmann and is still run by his family. The field is capped at 125 teams, most qualifying on points plus a set of wildcards. There are overall and amateur classifications as well as women's and mixed teams.

Pacing Strategy

In a relay the total counts, but each athlete races their own leg fresh. The skill is to pace your leg so nothing is left at the end without blowing up early: the run has almost 1,900 metres of climbing and the bike leg around 1,700, both with the hardest part in the second half.

Handovers and time limits often decide the result. Paragliders may only launch once their runner arrives, unless the organiser releases them after a cut-off; bikers whose paraglider lands too late are sent off in a mass start. A weak leg therefore does not just cost time, it can take the team out of the head-to-head race.

Plan the logistics as a team: the run finishes high on the mountain, the bike leg at the Isel, the kayak on the main square. Knowing your handover zone and your course from the official inspection day saves time at every change.

Training plan for Red Bull Dolomitenmann: 12-week build

Each team member trains for their own leg, and the legs could hardly differ more. The run takes the best just under an hour and a half and amateurs two hours or more; the bike leg two to three hours; paragliding and kayaking are shorter but technically demanding.

For runner and biker the common thread is long, steep climbing: uphill intervals above 20 percent for the runner, long threshold climbs and carrying practice for the biker. Both legs end with a section where skill counts more than fitness, the runner on a pathless trail and the biker on the long descent.

Paragliders need running legs as well as flying skills, because between the two flights they climb with their kit. Kayakers train endurance for around 40 minutes of whitewater and for paddling against the current.

The race is held in September in high mountains. The run finishes at 2,441 metres, the biker spends time above 2,000 metres, and the weather can turn within a day. Plan clothing and food separately for each leg.