Dolomitenmann Explained
The Dolomitenmann is an extreme sports relay race held in September in the East Tyrolean, or so-called Dolomite Mountains of Austria, near the city of Lienz. The founder and organiser is Werner Grissmann, a former World Cup skier.
The Dolomitenmann relay race has been run annually 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. The race is billed by its organizers as "the world's toughest team relay race".
The competition is only open to male athletes.[1] [2] Race organizer Werner Grissmann justifies this with the statement that he wishes to protect women, since the competition is only meant for the "hardest athletes", he does not want "to see women suffer" and that it would be "incompatible with their aesthetics".[3] [4] [5] In 2017 for the first time there was a side competition that was also open to female athletes.[6]
Disciplines
Course
The race is started by the mountain runner on the town square of Lienz at 674m (2,211feet) above sea level. who then runs a distance of around 12km (07miles) up to Kühbodentörl at 2441m (8,009feet).
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 take-off point. After descending by air to Moosalm, the paraglider runs to a second take-off point, descending to Leisach where the mountain biker is ready and waiting.
The mountain biker typically climbs 1600m (5,200feet) or more, over a distance of about 27km (17miles). After the climb, the mountain biker must ride a downhill track to the finish.
The teams kayaker swims across the river Drau where his boat is stationed. His first maneuver is an "alpine-start", or a drop off a 7m (23feet) ramp into the river. After the jump the kayaker must navigate a difficult white water track on the river Isel before a last sprint back to the main square of Lienz.
Winning teams and tracks
| Year | Teams | Track | Winners | Time | Comment |
|---|
| 1 | 1988-09-11 | 51 | Goisele | | 3:25:47,6 | | | 2 | 1989-09-10 | 57 | Steiner Mandl | | 3:48:14,5 | | | 3 | 1990-09-09 | 54 | Steiner Mandl | | 3:58:06,6 | First participation of a Red Bull Team.
Team finished in 2nd place. | | 4 | 1991-09-01 | 71 | Steiner Mandl | | 4:13:39,2 | | | 5 | 1992-09-13 | 100 | Laserzwand | | 4:05:03,3 | | | 6 | 1993-09-12 | 125 | Karlsbader Törl | Warsteiner Team (INT) | 3:55:54,0 | | | 7 | 1994-09-10 | 79 | Kühboden Törl | | 3:52:55,2 | | | 8 | 1995-09-09 | 58 | Steinermandl | | 3:33:05,9 | | | 9 | 1996-09-07 | 36 | Steinermandl | Warsteiner Team (INT) | 3:04:59,2 | 25 cm snow at Zettersfeld;
-5 °C at finish line
Paragliding contest had to be cancelled | | 10 | 1997-09-06 | 46 | Hochstadl | Red Bull Körper (INT) | 3:35:09,1 | | | 11 | 1998-09-12 | 65 | Steiner Mandl | Red Bull Geist (INT) | 3:00:28,7 | Paragliding contest had to be cancelled due to gusty conditions. | | 12 | 1999-09-11 | 84 | Steiner Mandl | Red Bull Geist (INT) | 3:35:46,2 | | | 13 | 2000-09-09 | 94 | Steiner Mandl | Red Bull Geist (INT) | 3:36:04,1 | | | 14 | 2001-09-08 | 102 | Steiner Mandl | Red Bull Geist (INT) | 3:24:26,0 | | | 15 | 2002-09-07 | 111 | Kühboden Törl | Red Bull (INT) | 3:55:17,3 | 22 teams on waitlist | | 16 | 2003-09-06 | 110 | Kühboden Törl | Skoda Auto (INT) | 3:45:11,7 | 46 teams on waitlist | | 17 | 2004-09-11 | 110 | Kühboden Törl | Leingruber Fighter (INT) | 3:50:53,4 | 184 teams on waitlist | | 18 | 2005-09-10 | 110 | Kühboden Törl | Leingruber Fighter (INT) | 3:53:36,3 | 208 teams on waitlist | | 19 | 2006-09-09 | 110 | Kühboden Törl | Red Bull (INT) | 3:55:41,6 | 260 teams on waitlist | | 20 | 2007-09-08 | 110 | Kühboden Törl | Kolland Top Sport - Kleine Zeitung (INT) | 3:26:14,0 | 263 teams on waitlist
Paragliding contest had to be cancelled due to gusty conditions. | | 21 | 2008-09-06 | 110 | Kühboden Törl | Kolland Top Sport (INT) | 3:00:17,2 | 272 teams on waitlist
Paragliding contest had to be started from Moosalm due to gusty conditions. | | 22 | 2009-09-12 | 111 | Kühboden Törl | Kolland Top Sport - Kleine Zeitung (INT) | 3:54:46,1 | | | 23 | 2010-09-11 | 115 | Kühboden Törl | Kolland Top Sport - Kleine Zeitung (INT) | 3:50:39,5 | | | 24 | 2011-09-10 | 115 | Kühboden Törl | Robotunits (INT) | 3:55:01,7 | | | 25 | 2012-09-08 | 125 | Kühboden Törl | Pure Encapsulations Team (INT) | 3:57:15,5 | | | 26 | 2013-09-07 | 121 | Kühboden Törl | Kleine Zeitung (INT) | 3:52:23,7 | | | 27 | 2014-09-06 | 124 | Kühboden Törl | Adidas Outdoor (INT) | 4:07:57,8 | Racing order has been changed to mountain running, paragliding, mountain biking and whitewater kayaking. | | 28 | 2015-09-12 | 116 | Kühboden Törl | Kleine Zeitung - Panaceo - Martini Sportswear (INT) | 4:07:57,7 | Hand over from paragliding pilot to mountainbiker was moved to Lienz | | 29 | 2016-09-11 | 116 | Kühboden Törl | Red Bull (INT) | 4:07:25 | | | 30 | 2017-09-09 | 128 | Kühboden Törl | Pure Encapsulations (INT) | 4:07:25 | Paragliding contest had to be started from Moosalm | | 31 | 2018-09-08 | 124 | Kühboden Törl | Kolland Topsport Professional (INT)[7] | 4:06:46 | | | 32 | 2019-09-07 | 123 | Kühboden Törl
Hochstein | Kolland Topsport Professional[8] | 3:47:02 | Due to bad weather the track had to be changed. | | 33 | 2020-09-12 | 96 | Kühboden Törl | Kolland Topsport Professional (INT)[9] | 4:21:27 | Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the route had to be modified. | | 34 | 2021-09-11 | 97 | Kühboden Törl | Kolland Topsport Professional (INT) | 04:08:16 | | |
| Key| hosted in Zettersfeld region (not in Lienzer Dolomiten) | | paragliding contest cancelled | | paragliding contest on shortened track | | | |
The fastest athlete of each discipline receives a trophy and the title Dolomitenmann. Until 2019 the trophies were designed by Jos Pirkner.
Dolomitenmen
Winners so far| Year | Mountain running | Paragliding | Mountainbike | Whitewater kayak |
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| 1988 | | | | |
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| 1989 | | | | |
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| 1990 | | | | |
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| 1991 | | | | |
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| 1992 | | | | |
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| 1993 | | | | |
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| 1994 | | | | |
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| 1995 | | | | |
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| 1996 | | – (cancelled) | | |
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| 1997 | | | | |
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| 1998 | | – (cancelled) | | |
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| 1999 | | | | |
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| 2000 | | | | |
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| 2001 | | | | |
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| 2002 | | | | |
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| 2003 | | | | |
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| 2004 | | | | |
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| 2005 | | | | |
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| 2006 | | | | |
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| 2007 | | – (cancelled) | | |
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| 2008 | | (short track) | | |
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| 2009 | | | | |
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| 2010 | | | | |
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| 2011 | | | | |
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| 2012 | | | | |
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| 2013 | | | | |
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| 2014 | | | | |
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| 2015 | | | | |
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| 2016 | | | | |
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| 2017 | | (short track) | | |
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| 2018 | | | | |
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| 2019 | | (alternate track) | | |
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| 2020 | | | | |
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| 2021 | | | | | |
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As of September 2020, there are 58 Dolomitenmen from 10 nations.
Top 10 Dolomitenmen (as of September 2021)
| Name | - of wins
|
|---|
| 1 | | 7 |
| 1 | | 7 |
| 3 | | 6 |
| 3 | | 6 |
| 3 | | 6 |
| 6 | | 5 |
| 6 | | 5 |
| 6 | | 5 |
| 6 | | 5 |
| 10 | | 4 |
| 10 | | 4 |
| 10 | | 4 |
| 10 | | 4 |
| 10 | | 4 |
| 14 | | 3 |
| 14 | | 3 |
| 14 | | 3 |
|
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Reglement 2022 . 9 September 2022.
- Web site: Red Bull Dolomitenmann Regelwerk. 2021-11-26. de.
- Web site: Dolomitenmann 2017 – Männersache. dead. 2021-11-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20211126113551/https://www.weekend.at/magazin/dolomitenmann-2017-maennersache/39.744.878. 2021-11-26. de.
- Web site: Nur die Harten kommen durch. 2021-11-26. de.
- Web site: Dolomitenmann für Anfänger. 2021-11-26. de.
- Web site: Dolomitenmann mit weiblicher Note. 2021-11-26. Oblasser Catharina. 2017-08-20. de.
- Web site: PENTEK-timing Zeitmessung bei Massensportevents. www.pentek-timing.at. 2018-10-02.
- Web site: Official Results 32nd Dolomitenmann 2019. 2020-08-24.
- Web site: Official Results 32nd Dolomitenmann 2020. www.pentek-timing.at. 2020-11-02.
