The Silver Eagle is the symbolic leader of the Red Bull Jungfrau-Stafette. The pilots come the closest to it in vintage airplanes when they fly over the Jungfraujoch with the last bit of their engine power and drop the relay band to the skiers waiting below. This noble king of birds also waits at the finish in Dübendorf as the silver trophy for the winning team – and will be entrusted in their care until the next edition. After 68 years of slumber, the legendary race of the 1930s celebrated a successful revival as the Red Bull Jungfrau-Stafette last year. Approximately 600 athletes covered the route, either running, cycling, skiing and flying from Zurich over the Jungfraujoch through Valais and back to Zurich. Any sort of technological progress that may have made the challenge a bit easier was nullified by the increase in traffic volume and population density. As a result, carrying out the Red Bull Jungfrau-Stafette is just as much of an organisational adventure in the 21st century as it was in the 1930s. First and foremost, however, it is certainly an unforgettable experience for the contestants and spectators. New discipline: kayaking
The starting signal of the second Red Bull Jungfrau-Stafette will sound on 4 October, making it the seventh relay race of this kind through Switzerland – after the editions in 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1939 and 2007. Although details of the route will be announced at a later date, this much can be revealed for now: this year’s race is scheduled to begin at the Rhine Falls and finish on the Dübendorf airfield. Furthermore, a new discipline has been added to the relay race: kayaking, on the Vispa between Stalden and Visp. The other disciplines for the 13 stages include: cross-country running (2nd and 13th stages), cycling (street), flying in vintage airplanes (3rd and 12th stages), skiing, glacier and alpine running, paragliding, downhill mountain biking, as well as motorcycle and car racing with vintage vehicles. Approximately 50 teams are expected to compete in this year’s Red Bull Jungfrau-Stafette. The relay race is open to everyone who can join forces to form a complete team. A large number of prominent figures, including current and former top athletes, carried their team’s relay band one stage further in last year’s race. Exactly who the resourceful team captains can motivate this year will be disclosed within the next fewmonths. Registration and information at: www.redbulljungfraustafette.com , the deadline for registration as a team is 30 June 2008. (Source: Red Bull PR)