The Red Bull Dolomitenmann is billed by its organizers as "the world's toughest team relay race".
The race is held yearly in September in the East Tyrolean, or Dolomite Mountains of Austria, near the city of Lienz. The founder and organiser is Werner Grissmann, a former World Cup skier and self-proclaimed "tough guy". 110 teams typically start the race each year.
Each team consists of a mountain runner, a paraglider, a whitewater kayaker, and a mountain biker, racing in that order. The course varies slightly each year according to weather conditions and the mountain runner typically runs and climbs a few thousand feet from a start line that is already far above sea level. The actual running distance is usually 6 to 8 miles, but that is far less challenging than the change in elevation.
When the runner makes the hand-off to the team’s paraglider, he must also run, this time with his whole equipment to the first jump-off point. After descending by air to Moosalm, the paraglider runs (again!) to a second start point, descending to Leisach where the kayaker is ready and waiting.
The teams kayaker swims across the river Drau where his boat is stationed. His first maneuver is an "alpine-start", or a drop 20 feet ramp to the river. After the jump the kayaker must navigate a difficult white water track on the river Isel before handing off to the mountain biker.
The mountain biker typically climbs 8,000 feet or more, over a distance of about 8 miles. After the climb, the mountain biker must ride a downhill track to the finish. The winning team collected 15,000 Euros in 2002.
The Dolomitenmann relay race has been run yearly since 1988. In recent years the race has been sponsored by the manufacturers of Red Bull energy drink and is now known as Red Bull Dolomitenmann.
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1. Dolomitenmann 1988:
Track: unlike the name the premiere was not in the Dolomites but in the Zettersfeld area -> 'Goisele'
Teams: 51
Winner: Schlickermandln Nordtirol (AUT) consisting of Florian Stern, Andre Bucher, Markus Dobesch and Ernst Denifl
2. Dolomitenmann 1989:
Track: Zettersfeld -> 'Steiner Mandl'
Teams: 57
Winner: again Schlickermandln (AUT), first title defence
3. Dolomitenmann 1990:
Track: Zettersfeld -> 'Steiner Mandl'
Teams: 54
Winner: Hypobank Figaro Lienz (AUT)
Note: first participation of a Red Bull Teams (Schatz Peter, Rainer Herbert, Pock Kurt, Ekkehard Dörschlag). Team is ranked in 2. place
4. Dolomitenmann 1991:
Track: Zettersfeld -> 'Steiner Mandl'
Teams: 71
Winner: Red Bull (AUT) (Stadlober Alois, Bachmayr Hansjörg, Winkler Peter, Manfred Kornelson)
5. Dolomitenmann 1992:
Track: Lienzer Dolomiten for the first time! -> Laserzwand
Teams: 100
Winner: Profi-Team (AUT)
6. Dolomitenmann 1993:
Track: Lienzer Dolomiten -> Karlsbader Törl
Teams: 125
Winner: Warsteiner Team (INT) (Helmut Schmuck, Perathoner David, Gickler Markus, Gerhard Zadrobilek)
7. Dolomitenmann 1994:
Track: Lienzer Dolomiten -> Kühboden Törl
Teams: 79
Winner: Red Bull Körper (AUT)
8. Dolomitenmann 1995:
Track: Zettersfeld -> Steinermandl
Teams: 58
Winner: Red Bull 1 (AUT) (Schatz Peter, Ortner Wendelin, Pock Kurt, Ekkehard Dörschlag)
9. Dolomitenmann 1996: paragliding contest had to be cancelled
Track: Zettersfeld -> Steinermandl
Teams: 36
Winner: Warsteiner Team (INT)
Note: 25 cm snow at Zettersfeld; -5°C at finish line
10. Red Bull Dolomitenmann 1997:
Track: Lienzer Dolomiten -> Hochstadl
Teams: 46
Winner: Red Bull Körper (INT)
11. Red Bull Dolomitenmann 1998: paragliding contest had to be cancelled
Track: Zettersfeld -> Steiner Mandl
Teams: 65
Winner: Red Bull Geist (INT)
12. Red Bull Dolomitenmann 1999:
Track: Zettersfeld -> Steiner Mandl
Teams: 84
Winner: Red Bull Geist (INT)
13. Red Bull Dolomitenmann 2000:
Track: Zettersfeld -> Steiner Mandl
Teams: 94
Winner: Red Bull Geist (INT)
14. Red Bull Dolomitenmann 2001:
Track: Zettersfeld -> Steiner Mandl
Teams: 102
Winner: Red Bull Geist (INT)
15. Red Bull Dolomitenmann 2002:
Track: Lienzer Dolomiten -> Kühboden Törl
Teams: 111 (22 on waitlist)
Winner: Red Bull (INT)
16. Red Bull Dolomitenmann 2003:
Track: Lienzer Dolomiten -> Kühboden Törl
Teams: 110 (46 on waitlist)
Winner: Skoda Auto (CZ)
17. Red Bull Dolomitenmann 2004:
Track: Lienzer Dolomiten -> Kühboden Törl
Teams: 110 (184 on waitlist)
Winner: Leingruber Fighter (INT)
18.Red Bull Dolomitenmann 2005
Track: Lienzer Dolomiten -> Kühboden Törl
Teams: 110 (208 on waitlist)
Winner: Leingruber Personal (INT)
19.Red Bull Dolomitenmann
Track: Lienzer Dolomiten -> Kühboden Törl
Teams: 110 (260 on waitlist)
Winner: Red Bull (INT)
20.Red Bull Dolomitenmann - paragliding contest had to be cancelled
Track: Lienzer Dolomiten -> Kühboden Törl
Teams: 110 (263 on waitlist)
Winner: Kolland Top Sport - Kleine Zeitung (INT)
21.Red Bull Dolomitenmann - paragliding contest had to be started at Moosalm
Track: Lienzer Dolomiten -> Kühboden Törl
Teams: 110 (272 on waitlist)
Winner: Kolland Top Sport (INT)
22.Red Bull Dolomitenmann
Track: Lienzer Dolomiten -> Kühboden Törl
Teams: 111
Winner: Kolland Top Sport (INT)
The fastest athlete of each discipline is awarded the title 'Dolomitenmann'
| Year | Mountain running | Paragliding | Whitewater kayak | Mountainbike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Stern Florian (AUT) | Bucher Andre (AUT) | Schimansky Alexander (AUT) | Denifl Ernst (AUT) |
| 1989 | Pfitscher Peter (AUT) | Geg Peter (AUT) | Pock Kurt (AUT) | Ekkehard Dörschlag (AUT) |
| 1990 | Randl Hansjörg (AUT) | Holzmüller Walter (AUT) | Pock Kurt (AUT) | Mattersberger Uli (AUT) |
| 1991 | Schatz Peter (AUT) | Bachmayr Hansjörg (AUT) | Pock Kurt (AUT) | Kornelson Manfred (AUT) |
| 1992 | Schmuck Helmut (AUT) | Pucher Andre (AUT) | Kirn Alexander (AUT) | Pallhuber Hubert (ITA) |
| 1993 | Schatz Peter (AUT) | Perathoner David (ITA) | Pock Kurt (AUT) | Zadrobilek Gerhard (AUT) |
| 1994 | Schmuck Helmut (AUT) | Ortner Wendelin (AUT) | Gickler Markus (GER) | Ekkehard Dörschlag (AUT) |
| 1995 | Tomasselli Pio (ITA) | Hörhager Alfons (AUT) | Becker Thomas (GER) | Ilg Thomas (AUT) |
| 1996 | Schmuck Helmut (AUT) | – | Hilger Thomas (GER) | Stauder Roland (ITA) |
| 1997 | Schmuck Helmut (AUT) | Ortner Wendelin (AUT) | Hilger Thomas (GER) | Stauder Roland (ITA) |
| 1998 | Schmuck Helmut (AUT) | – | Hilger Thomas (GER) | Stauder Roland (ITA) |
| 1999 | Schatz Peter (AUT) | Hörhager Alfons (AUT) | Hilger Thomas (GER) | Stauder Roland (ITA) |
| 2000 | Krupicka Robert (CZE) | Hörhager Alfons (AUT) | Hilger Thomas (GER) | Pallhuber Hannes (ITA) |
| 2001 | Skalsky Roman (CZE) | Ortner Wendelin (AUT) | Hilger Thomas (GER) | Stauder Roland (ITA) |
| 2002 | Kröll Markus (AUT) | Amon Christian (AUT) | Schmid Gerhard (AUT) | Stauder Roland (ITA) |
| 2003 | Maluni John (KEN) | Ortner Wendelin (AUT) | Schmid Gerhard (AUT) | Golcer Juri (SLO) |
| 2004 | Wyatt Jonathan (NZL) | Ortner Wendelin (AUT) | Hudetz Harald (AUT) | Pallhuber Hannes (ITA) |
| 2005 | Wyatt Jonathan (NZL) | Amon Christian (AUT) | Schmid Gerhard (AUT) | Stauder Roland (ITA) |
| 2006 | Magal Jiri (CZE) | Ortner Wendelin (AUT) | Hudetz Harald (AUT) | Pallhuber Hannes (ITA) |
| 2007 | Magal Jiri (CZE) | – | Mruzek Kamil (CZE) | Lakata Alban (AUT) |
| 2008 | Wyatt Jonathan (NZL) | Prantl Markus (ITA) | Hudetz Harald (AUT) | Pallhuber Hannes (ITA) |
| 2009 | Wyatt Jonathan (NZL) | Prantl Markus (ITA) | Hudetz Harald (AUT) | Lakata Alban (AUT) |
As of September 2009 there are 40 Dolomitenmen from 7 nations.