01. Preamble

1.1

The Red Bull X-Alps (“Event”) is an adventure competition for selected international athletes.1.2

The Event starts with the Latest Check-In Date and ends with the Race End. See section “Dates”.1.3

This Event is run by zooom productions GmbH (”Organizer”) whose registered office is located at Felderstraße 12, 5330 Fuschl am See and with the support of the cooperation partners such as Red Bull GmbH whose registered office is located at Am Brunnen 1, 5330 Fuschl am See and its affiliates (“Red Bull”), agencies and service providers.1.4

The Event consists of:

• “Race”: The race is the challenge to cross the Alps from east to west and finish in Roquebrune, Spiaggia Bianca as quickly as possible travelling only by paraglider or by foot.
• “Prologue”: In addition, a mandatory prologue is held prior to the Race.

1.5

The Race Committee (“Race Committee”) consists of:

• Christoph Weber (“Race Director”)
• Jojo Pölzl (“Event Director”)
• Ulrich Grill, (“Organizer”)

1.6

Race Doctor: will be announced by the Race Committee before the Prologue.1.7

The “Race Organization” is the Race Committee, Race Doctor and the Organizer with all its affiliates, agencies and service providers.1.8

The location of the Race Office will be announced by the Race Committee.

02. General

2.1

All decisions regarding the organization and running of the Event are made by the Race Committee.2.2

The Race Committee determines the selection of Teams (see section “General”)2.3

The Event itself or parts of it (i.e. Prologue, Race) can only be cancelled by the Race Committee.2.4

The Race Committee has the right to change any rules and specifications before and during the race without any notice2.5

Any questions or queries for the Race Committee before the race start must be made to info@redbullxalps.com and during the race to the Race Director via race@redbullxalps.com.2.6

All participating Teams have accepted the Terms of Participation at the application.
In the event of any conflict between these Terms of Participation and the Rulebook, the Terms in the Rulebook shall prevail.2.7

A “Team(s)” consists of one athlete (“Athlete”) and one supporter (“Supporter”).2.8

The number of participants for the Event is limited to a maximum of 32 Teams.2.9

Only Supporters with a valid official paragliding license, sufficient skills, and equipment in compliance with the legal requirements are allowed to fly.
Additionally the mandatory insurances as listed in the Terms of Participation for Athletes apply to Supporters who want to fly during the Event as well.2.10

The equipment and piloting skill of both Athlete and Supporter will be checked by the Race Committee prior to the Race.2.11

The Supporter cannot be replaced during the race or quit unless due to sickness, injury, or exceptional circumstances. In this event, the Race Committee must be informed. The Race Committee must approve any change of supporters beforehand.2.12

Athletes or Supporters, who do not arrive and check in at the Race Office by the Last Check-in date will not be permitted to start the race. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the Race Director must be informed immediately.
See section “Dates” for the last check-in date.2.13

All Athletes may be requested to be available during the week leading up to the event. See section “Dates”, the schedule in the Race Office or the hand out.2.14

All race briefings are mandatory for Athletes and Supporter. See section “Dates”, the schedule in the Race Office, or the hand out2.15

During the Prologue or Race, the Athlete has to pass turnpoints (“Turnpoints” or “TP”) in the order and type determined by the Race Committee. See section “Prologue Route” and “Race Route”.2.16

During the Prologue or Race, the Athlete must fly their solo paraglider, hike, and carry the Mandatory Equipment (see section “Equipment”) without any form of physical assistance at any time. Any other transportation assistance, including any kind of motorized flying vehicles, from any third parties is strictly prohibited.2.17

During the Prologue or Race the Athlete is not permitted to use any tunnel connection between different valleys and no highway or motorway tunnels.2.18

The Supporter can use any means of transportation except for any kind of motorized flying vehicles.2.19

The Supporter has to be available 24/7 to the Race Committee, Race Organization and for media requests. If needed the Supporter has to travel towards the Race Organization for collections (e.g.: memory cards) or help with other handovers.2.20

Athletes and Supporters are responsible for installing race-relevant Event apps onto their phones – as listed in the section “Equipment”.2.21

The Athlete is responsible that his Primary Tracking Device, Secondary Tracking Device and GPS Logger, as listed in the section “Equipment”, are always properly maintained, charged, and switched on during the mandatory time frames during the Prologue and Race. See section “Documentation”, “Prologue” and “Race”.2.22

Each Team must be prepared for spot checks by the Race Committee or Race Organization during the Event. These spot checks will inspect the Teams’ equipment and their method of transportation or movement.2.23

The Athlete can at any time during the Event be obliged by the Race Committee to take a doping test. The Race Committee will refer to the newest prohibited list published by the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA), which is available to view on www.wada-ama.org. Tests will be carried out by the Race Organization.2.24

Any Athlete or Supporter can quit the Event at any time, after informing the Race Committee.2.25

The Race Doctor and the Race Committee have the authority to stop an Athlete in a medical situation and call a timeout from continuing further until the situation can be assessed and a final decision made in cooperation with the Race Committee.2.26

In addition to the official rules of the Event, any Athlete or Supporter in violation of local, regional, or national laws and regulations as defined by national parks, local authorities, or government organizations is to be held solely responsible. Those who do not abide to the relevant regulations will be personally liable for any fines, punishments, or repercussions of any form which may result from their actions.2.27

Officially provided clothing (at least the official T-shirt) must be worn on all official dates as well as at the start of the Prologue and Race, certain Turnpoints and at the finish of the Race.

03. Dates

3.1

July 2, 2018 12:00pm CEST until August 31, 2018 6:00pm – Application phase3.2

October 16, 2018 – Athletes announcement3.3

March 5, 2019 – latest date for Athletes to send a full list of equipment as in 4.4 as well as certificates of the used paraglider and harness as in 4.33.4

March 12, 2019 – Route announcement3.5

June 07, 2019:  Start Athletes arrival, interviews, photo shoots and filming3.6

June 10, 2019 11:00am CEST: Latest Check-In Date for teams at the race office3.7

June 13, 2019 10:00am CEST – Start of Prologue3.8

June 13, 2019 –  Official reception and Athletes’ dinner3.9

June 15, 2019 – Official press conference at Hangar-7, Salzburg3.10

June 16, 2019 – Start of Red Bull X-Alps 2019 Race3.11

Race finish: The race finishes 24 hours after the first arrival time in Peille, but not before 12:00pm CEST on June 27, 2019 in case of an early finishing time.3.12

June 29, 2019 12:00pm CEST – the possible longest duration of the Race3.13

Award ceremony: The award ceremony will take place within 36 hours of the race finish. If the race ends by midday on the final day, the party will take place that evening. If the race ends after midday, the party will take place the following evening. In case of an early finishing time the ceremony will take place on June 28, 2019.

04. Equipment

4.1

The use of paragliders with 16m² (laid out surface) or less, or of a surface loading exceeding 6kg/m², (so called speed gliders) are prohibited.4.2

All flying equipment has to be certified and fulfill the latest edition of the following certification standards:

• Paraglider: EN 926-2 and 926-1 or LTF 91/09
• Harness: EN 1651 with certified protection or LTF 91/09
• Rescue system: EN 12491 or LTF 91/09 Helmet: EN 966

4.3

Athletes and Supporters who plan to paraglide must provide documentation that the equipment fulfills the requested standards at the equipment check. The certification of the used paraglider and harness has to be finished by the certification institute by March 5, 2019 at the latest.4.4

A complete list of the equipment that will be used in the Prologue and Race has to be provided by each Team latest by March 5, 2019.4.5

Equipment to be supplied by the Athlete (“Personal Equipment”)

• 1 (one) paraglider 1 (one) harness including a protector
• 1 (one) emergency parachute
• 1 (one) helmet
• 1 (one) climbing harness (CE certified)
• 1 (one) via ferrata set (CE certified)
• 1 (one) Spot or Garmin inReach tracker with online tracking ability with the fastest possible update setting (“Secondary Tracking Device”) The link to the online tracking of the used satellite tracker has to be forwarded to the Race Committee.
• 1 (one) GPS device which fulfills the requirements for a “Backup Track Log” described in section “Documentation”. (“GPS Logger”)
• 1 (one) distress flare with 3 (three) shots for sending a visible signal in case of emergency in remote areas
• 2 (two) mobile Android smartphones for the Athlete and Supporter each, without “SIM lock” to be used with the provided SIM card (“Mobile Phones”)

4.6

The following equipment is provided by the Race Organization (“Official Equipment”)

• 1 (one) tracking device with online tracking ability (“Primary Tracking Device”).
• 2 (two) Recco reflectors which have to be placed on the helmet as well as on top of the Athlete’s backpack for the duration of the race.
• 1 (one) GoPro Hero 6 or similar (“Camera”) incl. battery, loading cable, mounts and accessories
• 2 (two) SIM cards for mobile phones without “SIM lock” (1(one) for the Athlete, 1 (one) for the Supporter)
• Including unlimited phone calls and SMS/MMS within Europe and a defined amount of traffic. All additional costs occurring from usage beyond the mobile phone rate for the SIM card provided by the Race Organization will have to be paid by the Athlete and/or the Supporter. (For example costs for overseas calls, SMS and MMS will be fully charged to the team)
• In case a mobile phone partnership can be established: 1 (one) Android mobile smartphone without “SIM lock”

4.7

The mandatory equipment to be carried by the Athlete during the Prologue or Race (“Mandatory Equipment”)

• 1 (one) paraglider • 1 (one) harness including a protector
• 1 (one) emergency parachute
• 1 (one) helmet
• 2 (two) Recco reflectors
• 1 (one) distress flare with 3 (three) shots
• 1 (one) mobile Android smartphones with 1 (one) provided SIM card
• 1 (one) Camera
• 1 (one) Primary Tracking Device
• 1 (one) Secondary Tracking Device
• 1 (one) GPS Logger • for difficult climbing stages, which include a via ferrata, usage of 1 (one= climbing harness and 1 (one) via ferrata set

4.8

Official Equipment has to be returned to the Race Organization after the Event, including packaging and all accessories. Only complete returns can be accepted. Incomplete sets will be charged to the team.4.9

If Official Equipment gets damaged by accident the Race Organization has to be informed to exchange it with a new one.4.10

If Official Equipment gets lost or stolen the costs for a new device will be fully charged to the Team.4.11

No item listed as Mandatory Equipment can be exchanged during the race. The only exception is if the equipment gets damaged, stolen or lost, in which case the Race Committee must be informed immediately.4.12

In case an Athlete provides a back-up glider: Switching to the back-up glider or switching back to the main glider must be confirmed by the Race Committee first.8, 2019.4.13

All Teams must have the Mandatory Equipment checked and approved by the Race Director before the start of the Prologue.4.14

We highly recommend that Athletes take the following equipment on all trails or flights that lead into high alpine areas and away from official roads: Wind- and waterproof jacket and pants, hat, gloves, sufficient warm layers (top and bottom), emergency food & water, headlamp, spare batteries, whistle, silver blanket, first aid kit.4.15

Every Athlete has to make sure that he is wearing appropriate lighting or reflectors to be easily visible from the front as well as from the back when walking on public roads. This applies to poor visibility conditions of any type (at night, in rain, in fog) in order to be visible to other road users.

05. Flight Rules

5.1

Athletes are not allowed to fly between 09:00pm and 06:00am CEST.5.2

The route flown has to be tracked by the Primary Tracking Device, the Secondary Tracking Device, and the GPS Logger. See section “Documentation”.5.3

Athletes are obliged to respect VFR (Visual Flight Rules) regulations. Any Athlete violating VFR rules takes full responsibility for the legal consequences.5.4

Athletes are obliged to respect forbidden zones defined by the Race Committee.
The exact notification of the forbidden zones will take place at the Race briefings.
The Race Committee will supply all Teams with electronic maps of the forbidden zones.5.5

Planned and organized team flying by pilots not participating in the event, including Supporters, is forbidden. Athletes violating this rule will be reported to the Race Committee by their fellow competitors. The violation of this rule may lead to disqualification.5.6

Launching is to be done without any assistance. Holding the paraglider or the Athlete is allowed only for safety reasons on structural parts belonging to the normal flight equipment and must only be held by hand. E.g. no type of winch towing is allowed5.7

Supporters are not allowed to take off from the first official launch spot until all Athletes have left the airspace.5.8

Overloading of the paragliders and the used rescue systems is not allowed (takeoff weight has to be within the certified maximum loading of the used paragliders and rescue system).5.9

The flight from Peille to the float in Roquebrune, Spiaggia Bianca is limited to Athletes and Supporters only.5.10

For flights over wide water areas a life jacket (100N conform to DIN EN ISO 12402-4) is mandatory.5.11

Speedarms must be worn on every flight.

06. Documentation

6.1

The Primary Tracking Device and the Secondary Tracking Device sends information to the website, where the Athletes’ current position will be displayed (“Live Track Log”)
The Live Track Log serves as a route confirmation for the Athletes and the Race Committee.6.2

The GPS Logger records the Athletes’ movement (“Backup Track Log”).
The Backup Track Log must show a sample interval of 1 second recording all movements on ground and in the air.
The Backup Track Log must be running on MAP DATUM: WGS 84.
The Backup Track Log must be stored in IGC file format with a G-record.
Athletes should take into account that the recording must also be done on the ground, not only during flight6.3

An Athlete’s altitude is verified by the GPS height recorded in the Live Track Log.
The Backup Track Log will be used to verify a violation and then this GPS height will be used as evidence6.4

An Athlete has to be able to document his route by presenting a complete and clean Backup Track Log. The Race Committee understands “a complete and clean Backup Track Log” as follows:

• Each time the track log is started anew, the Athlete must be within 250m of his last recorded position.
• The track log must not have missing track points for more than 5 minutes.
• On the ground, a speed of more than 5 m/s must not appear for more than 10 minutes.
• In flight, a speed of more than 20 m/s must not appear for more than 20 minutes.
• The Live Track Log has to show that no airspace violations were made.
• If log points close to forbidden zones are missing and airspace violation is suspected, the Backup Track Log must clearly show that airspace was not violated

6.5

The Race Committee reserves the right to inspect any Athletes’ Backup Track Log at any time.6.6

The Race Committee will analyze each athlete’s route every day, based on the Live Track Log.
In case a track log is found to have infringed any of the Rules, the Athlete has to deliver his Backup Track Log within six hours of the Race Committee’s request.6.7

Detection of airspace violations:

If a tracking point of the Backup Track Log is within a forbidden airspace, this is considered a violation of airspace.
If the observed line of two consecutive GPS tracking points intersects a no-fly zone, this is considered a violation of airspace.6.8

In case of any abnormality in the Live Track Log of an Athlete, a special icon will appear on the website.6.9

Every Team is strongly advised to practice using the Primary Tracking Device, Secondary Tracking Device and GPS logger under race conditions before the Prologue and Race commences in order to avoid any technical issues or difficulties during the event itself.

07. Penalties

7.1

Athletes who fail to comply with any of these rules will be subject to a penalty, as assessed by and at the discretion of the Race Committee.7.2

Penalties shall range from a minimum of 1 hour and no maximum, with disqualification being an option.7.3

Penalties are subject to a final decision by the Race Committee.7.4

Athletes with penalty times have to prolong their next Rest Period by the duration of their penalty time. In case the athlete reaches the goal before their next rest time, the outstanding penalty time will be added to his overall time7.5

If an Athlete receives a time penalty, which is longer than the remaining duration of the Race, the Athlete will be ranked according to his location backtracked by the remaining penalty time.7.6

The Race Committee reserves the right to give penalties and disqualify an Athlete who acts irresponsibly towards their own safety, towards others or towards the sport, the Event Organization or related sponsors.

08. Prologue

8.1

The Athlete has to pass the turnpoints in the order and type announced by the Race Committee (“Prologue Route”)8.2

The Prologue is mandatory for all Athletes.8.3

The three fastest Athletes of the Prologue will each be rewarded with an additional “Night Pass”.8.4

Athletes who fail to finish the Prologue will get a penalty, which will delay the start of their Race for 24 hours.

09. Race

9.1

The Athlete has to pass the Turnpoints in the order and type announced by the Race Committee (“Race Route”)9.2

The Athletes have to make an uninterrupted rest stop from 10:30pm until 05:00am (“Rest Period”).9.3

During Rest Periods the Athlete is not permitted to move away from his stop position (position where the Rest Period began) by more than 250m (see section “Documentation”)
The exception is when Athletes reach Peille and wait to fly to the landing float. In this case the rule is not applicable, but Athletes must switch off their tracking device and have clearance from the Race Committee9.4

Every Athlete can ignore the Rest Period once in the race by using the Night Pass. The first three winners of the Prologue each gain an additional Night Pass and therefore can ignore the rest period twice.9.5

Usage of the Night Pass has to be announced to the Race Committee by 12:00pm (midday) CEST on the same day the Night Pass will be used.9.6

Rest Period on day two of the Race:

• Athletes who failed to finish the Prologue must wait for 24 hours
• Athletes who finished the Prologue must extend the duration of their first Rest Period beyond 05:00am by the amount of time between their finishing time in the Prologue and the finishing time of the Prologue winner.
• Athletes who finished the Prologue and activate their Night Pass to travel through the first Rest Period of the Race may travel until 05:00am but must then wait for a period of time equal to the time in which they finished behind the winner of the Prologue

9.7

The Primary Tracking Device, Secondary Tracking Device and GPS Logger can be switched off during the Rest Period, except when the Athlete has pulled the Night Pass. 
Switching off the Primary Tracking Device, Secondary Tracking Device or GPS Logger while racing will be highly penalized up to disqualification. See section “Documentation”.9.8

An authorized UIAGM mountain guide must accompany teams for dangerous hiking and climbing sections on glaciers or extreme alpine conditions. In case the athlete or supporter is a certified UIAGM mountain guide, no additional mountain guide is needed. The license has to be presented to the Race Committee during pre-week check-in. Glaciers with crevasses may only be crossed by a rope team, not by a single person, even if the athlete or supporter is a UIAGM guide.9.9

Teams must report to the Safety Director before appointing a guide and attempting a difficult section. The Safety Director must approve the appointment and give permission for the team and guide to continue. The Race Committee will determine the most obvious of these difficult sections prior to the race start. If a team approaches any other difficult section, the Race Committee can insist on athletes being accompanied by a mountain guide before continuing.9.10

48 hours after the first Rest Period the last Team in the Race rankings will be eliminated. Thereafter the last Team will be cut from the race every 48 hours at 06:00am CEST. This rule applies only to Athletes who have not voluntarily quit the race.9.11

The landing float in Roquebrune, Spiaggia Bianca is the official finish line, but the Turnpoint in Peille determines all rankings.9.12

A Team is seen as having completed the Race as soon as the Athlete has reached the landing float in Roquebrune, Spiaggia Bianca.9.13

A final results table will be put together as soon as the Race is over. Athletes are judged according to the time it took them to reach Peille via all Turnpoints. Athletes with more correctly passed Turnpoints are ranked better.9.14

All Athletes with the same amount of Turnpoints passed are ranked according to their remaining straight-line distance from their final position to the goal, via all remaining Turnpoints.9.15

All Teams, including withdrawn Athletes, are expected to attend the prize-giving ceremony and party9.16

“Race End” will be announced by the Race Committee during the Race depending on the arrival of Athletes