Fitness Training
Rémi Bonnet smashes the Vertical Kilometer world record
Swiss trail runner Rémi Bonnet just made history at the Fully Vertical Kilometre. On a course so steep it's almost climbing, he raced over a minute faster than anyone before.
Rémi Bonnet set a new world record at the Fully Vertical Kilometre in Switzerland, completing the grueling 1.92km climb with 1,000m of elevation gain in an incredible 27m 21s.
Competing alongside 669 participants in the Vertical Kilometre race, local hero Bonnet was bidding to eclipse the time of 28m 53s that was set by Italy's Philip Götsch on the same route back in 2017. Covering the distance with a punishing average gradient of more than 50 percent, he shattered the previous world record by a massive 1m 32s.
Rémi Bonnet celebrates smashing the vertical KM world record
© Baptiste Fauchille/Red Bull Content Pool
“I didn’t think it was possible,” the Swiss mountain runner and ski mountaineer said after the race, sinking to the ground. “I thought I’d started a little too quickly when I saw the first splits. Then, I thought that based on how I was feeling, everything was alright. So, I told myself that maybe today is going to be special and I’ll be able to hold on all the way to the top.
"I've done this climb a good 50 times in my career. My primary motivation for setting this world record is to go as fast as possible and I felt that this was the right moment for me. Setting a world record on this climb, which is very close to home, is something special."
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The Vertical Kilometer in Fully is one of the fastest and steepest in the world, with an average gradient of more than 50 percent. The route starts at La Belle-Usine (500 m) and finishes at Les Garettes (1,500 m), crossing vineyards, meadows, and forested terrain.
Runners face a time-trial format with markers every 100m to track progress, the course follows a disused mountain rail line. Helmets are mandatory and climbing poles are recommended for the athletes due to the steep incline. "It’s very, very steep and quite hardcore. If you try to stand up straight on the slope, you fall over backwards," explained Bonnet.
Rémi Bonnet celebrates his victory at the Kilomètre Vertical de Fully
© Baptiste Fauchille / Red Bull Content Pool
My primary motivation for setting this world record is to go as fast as possible and I felt that this was the right moment for me
What is the Fully Vertical Kilometer?
The Fully Vertical Kilometer is mountain running at its steepest: 1,000m of climb over less than 2km, racing straight up against the clock. At Fully, Switzerland, it starts at La Belle-Usine and ends at Les Garettes, with slopes averaging 50 percent, poles are a must. The route passes vineyards, meadows and forests, and the finish line comes with a celebratory lasagna feast.
Fully Vertical Kilometer – key facts
Rémi Bonnet gears up for the Vertical Kilometer in Fully
© Fabiano Mancesti / Red Bull Content Pool
- Distance: 1.92km
- Elevation Gain: 1,000m (500m climb to 1,500m)
- Average Gradient: 50%+
- Start: La Belle-Usine, Fully (500m)
- Finish: Les Garettes (1,500m)
- Course: Following an old railway line, the route covers the hillside of Fully and passes through vinyards and a forest.
