Mountain Running
Are you ready for the return of the world’s toughest 400m?
It’s back. The toughest 400m you'll ever run returns for a landmark year as it heads into its 10th season.
It’s the competition that gets hearts racing, muscles straining and adrenaline rushing. It’s Red Bull 400 and it’s getting steeper.
Kicking off on April 26 in Almaty, Kazakhstan the pace is only set to increase as the event gathers momentum through 2020's 19 events, winding up in Sapporo, Japan for the ultimate finale: the World Championships. Having hosted Red Bull 400 over the last few years, Sapporo has always delivered an absolutely sensational event in striking surroundings, so this year it promises to be huge.
This 400m race is tougher than any other on the planet. Runners from across the globe must face a colossal 140m height gain as they sprint up ski jumping hills. It’s an unbelievably intense race which puts even the most competent athletes to the test.
Red Bull 400 in Japan
© Jason Halayko/Red Bull Content Pool
But it’s not just for professional athletes. Coming from a huge variety of sporting backgrounds, participants from across the globe have varying skill and fitness levels and range from hobbyists to Olympic medallists. Those include cross-country skier Petter Northug from Norway, US swimmer Ryan Lochte and multiple mountain running world champion Andrea Mayr from Austria.
Andrea Mayr
© Mirja Geh/Red Bull Content Pool
It's a race for everyone. Over the years, the event's seen competitors ranging from 14 to 93 years old. There are full distance and relay races, which frequently see members of firefighting units and special forces take part. This blend of sporting disciplines, backgrounds and abilities makes Red Bull 400 the dramatic and unpredictable event that it is. The deciding factor is focus, determination and courage. Have you got what it takes?
Hundreds of athletes challenged body and mind at Red Bull 400 Park City
© Benedick David/Red Bull Content Pool
Always looking to mix it up, the 2020 calendar has some new locations up its sleeve. Erzurum, Turkey will be once again hosting the Red Bull 400 event after a two-year hiatus. Later in the season, the event will be headin to Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina for what promises to be an emotional, yet memorable event. The stop in Steamboat, Colorado, concludes the new locations and is the third US event this year after Copper Peak, Michigan, and Park City, Utah. The US stops consistently prove to be among the biggest on the season calendar. Whistler, Canada, where 2019 world champions Madison Sands and Alexandre Ricard were crowned, is also back on the calendar, bringing the total of North American events to four.
Erik Resell and Alexandre Ricard battle for 1st place at Whistler
© Scott Serfas / Red Bull Content Pool
2020 marks the 10-year anniversary of the event. Originating in Austria, the 2011 Red Bull 400 saw, for the first time ever, 261 brave athletes attack a ski jump from bottom to top, setting the precedent for the next 10 years. Now, spanning the globe, the event has grown considerably over the years, with 2019 welcoming more than 18,400 participants. As numbers have increased, race times have decreased and new records have been set every year. It’s anyone’s guess as to what will happen this year, but one thing’s for sure, 2020 is set to be massive.
Suzy Walsham successfully defended her title in Titisee-Neustadt
© Max-Louis Köbele/Red Bull Content Pool
Yet the event is only as big as the participants involved. As Red Bull 400 has grown, some renowned names have arisen, including record winner Ahmet Arslan (TUR) with 16 wins under his belt, Tomas Čelko (SVK), Toni Palzer (GER), Jakob Mayer (AUT), ultrarunner Ekaterina Mityaeva (RUS) and stair runner Suzy Walsham (AUS). Luka Kovaćić remains the defending champion of the notorious 225m Ski Flying Hill in Planica, Slovenia. It's still on the calendar for the 2020 season, promising pain and triumph to all those brave enough to take it on.
Luka Kovačič celebrates his win
© Jure Makovec/Red Bull Content Pool
Also on the cards this year, Red Bull 400 returns to Lahti, Finland in May for the first European stop of the season. The Czech Republic marks the second, while Italy, Poland and Slovakia will all have their chance to host the event over the 2020 season. Titisee-Neustadt, Germany features twice this year, holding both the German and Dutch events. The competition will also return to Chaikovsky, Russia in May for the fourth time. Pyeongchang, Korea held its debut event last year and proved to be so popular that it will feature again in September this season.
Red Bull 400 in Lahti, Finland
© Victor Engström/Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull 400 is tough. It’s pain. It’s brutal. But it’s rewarding. It’s relief. It’s victory. The one thing that unites Red Bull 400 competitors is their desire for a challenge, their need to test themselves to beyond their limits. You can make 2020 the unforgettable season it promises to be. Be that person.
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