Episode 48- Bonus Podcast! Gavin McClurg and the 2017 X-Alps

Gavin McClurg (USA1) prepares for flight during Red Bull X-Alps on Mangart, Slovenia on July 5, 2017

This is a bonus episode for our podcast supporters! Nik Hawkes, who you will all remember from the groundhandling podcast followed the 2017 X-Alps closely and volunteered to interview me about the race. The Red Bull live tracking is great, but it misses out on all the behind-the-scenes and in this talk we dive into what the fans don’t get to see. We talk training, supplements, our decision on using the nightpass the first night, mistakes made, good moves, dicey launches, crazy weather and how the 2017 race was the most brutal yet. In 12 days I did 16 1/2 marathons, climbed the height of Everest 4 times (34,000 meters of vertical ascent), flew over 1,000 km- and I was still 308 km from goal! Only two athletes made it, Chrigel Maurer won for his 5th straight time, and rookie Benoit Outers made it in just before the time expired. 5 athletes were eliminated and 7 withdrew due to injury or exhaustion. Hope you enjoy!

A buck an episode, that’s all we ask.