Running Up A Ski Jump

At the same venue that hosted the Winter Games nearly four years ago more than 300 athletes braved the Russian winter to compete in the floodlit finale of Red Bull 400.

The RusSki Gorki Ski Jumping Center in Sochi is usually accustomed to athletes hurtling down and leaping off on skis but this time runners took on the 400-meter near-vertical sprint with 140m of elevation gain on a 33,60° incline.

Russian power couple Dmitry Mityaev and wife Ekaterina Mityaeva took the victory ahead of rivals from four other countries to repeat their success in Chaikovsky earlier this year.

Dmitry powered to the top in three minutes and 40 seconds with Ekaterina crossing the line after four minutes and 34 seconds.

Sochi was the 13th event this year and the fifth being held at an iconic former Winter Games venue after earlier races in Sapporo, Courcheval, Whistler and Park City.

2017 has seen seven new venues and the first ever World Championships being held, featuring 1,056 participant from 40 countries.

Winners

MEN

Dmitry Mityaev 03min 40s

WOMEN

Ekaterina Mityaeva 04min 34s

Red Bull 400 in 2017

– 14 events in 13 countries

– Seven new venues

– First ever World championships were held in Titisee-Neustadt, Germany, in July, featuring 1,056 participants from 40 countries

– Highest elevated venue in 2017: Park City, USA at 2126m

– Lowest elevated venue in 2017: Okurayama in Sapporo, Japan at 126m

– Fastest and slowest winning times in 2017

03min 8s – Bischofshofen AUT

05min 4s – in Planica SLO

Winter Games venues in 2017

Sapporo, Japan

Courchevel, France

Whistler, Canada

Park City, UT, USA

Sochi, Russia