Aaron Durogati: A man of extremes

Durogati has been participating in the Red Bull X-Alps since 2013. Sixth place was his best result to date. Until June 22nd, when the South Tyrolean became the first non-Swiss ever to win this top-class extreme competition. Christian Maurer was the last to win eight consecutive times (!).

"I'm doing very well, I'm slowly starting to realize everything," Durogati declared yesterday, overjoyed. Today he's being celebrated in Dorf Tirol, and on Friday he'll return to Zell am See. The prize-giving ceremony won't take place until June 27, which is when this extreme race officially ends.

Tired but pain-free Two days after the great effort, Durogati is feeling very well: "I'm a little tired, but I don't have any muscle or joint pain."

Consider that he was on the move for 17 hours a day for almost eight days in a row. Up mountains, paragliding, for several hours every day, in all weather conditions. "According to the rules, X-Alps participants must rest for seven hours a day, meaning they are not allowed to be moving or flying. In practice, it works like this: you are out and about until about 21 p.m. After that, you are treated by a doctor or physiotherapist, and only then do you eat. And then you get some sleep before you start again at 4 a.m. My girlfriend was always by my side and was my great motivation. My team also did a fantastic job. I was in top shape and had top-notch equipment," says Durogati, citing several reasons for his success.

Aaron Durogati took center stage at this year's X-Alps. © www.redbullmediahouse.com

This year's X-Alps got off to a great start for Durogati: "I was the first to take off from the Streif in Kitzbühel and was also the leader at the turnpoint at home on Meran 2000. That gave me an extra boost, also because some friends joined me for part of the course. The wind conditions in South Tyrol were anything but easy. But luckily, I knew this area very well." Things got exciting shortly before the finish in Zell am See. Four men (Durogati, Maurer, Meerstetter, and Oberrauner) were very close together and fought it out for victory in this year's edition.

The right thermals Durogati reflects on those hours: "We ran up the last hill, giving it our all. I was the first to catch a good thermal and rode my line. It was the right one, and I was the first to reach the floating raft. It was incredible, truly insane. I've been trying to win this extreme competition since 2013, and this year everything worked out, simply amazing."

Aaron Durogati can rely on years of paragliding experience. © www.redbullmediahouse.com

A serious knee injury set the aviation and endurance specialist back in 2017. But Durogati isn't giving up. He feels completely at home in nature, and extreme competitions seem tailor-made for him.

Now the Dolomitenmann The focus in the coming weeks will be on relaxing and doing some gentle hiking. "Maybe I'll even be able to squeeze in a few days by the sea," the Passerstadt native hopes. He has another big goal in mind for 2025. Durogati has won the Dolomitenmann, an extreme relay competition involving canoeing, mountain running, mountain biking, and paragliding, four times, most recently twice in a row. "No athlete has ever achieved three wins in a row; I want to achieve that this year. On September 6th, I'll give it my all to achieve my second big goal of the season."

The family is proud Sponsoring giant Red Bull will continue to support him, as will other loyal sponsors. They bet on Durogati, and they were right. He is a thoroughbred athlete who has fulfilled a lifelong dream by winning the X-Alps.

His mother, all his loved ones, and his friends are proud of their Aaron. He's a super athlete. Just think: He carries his paraglider on his back and in two or three minutes he makes it flyable. Durogati is truly the best example: Red Bull gives you wings.

Aaron Durogati in brief Aaron Durogati was born on June 6, 1986, in Merano, Italy, and lives there. He began paragliding with his father at the age of six. Since the age of 15, Aaron has been flying solo. He later won the Paragliding World Cup twice. He has been competing in the X-Alps since 2013. After placing sixth and seventh, he won this extreme competition in 2025, both in a paraglider and on foot.

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Aaron Durogati: A man of extremes

Aaron Durogati will likely never forget Sunday, June 22, 2025, shortly after 21 p.m. At the Red Bull X-Alps, the Merano native crossed the finish line first on the floating raft in Zell am See. His first victory in the world's toughest adventure race was a fact.

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