On April 25, teams of top international athletes from eight disciplines will return for the Dainese Peak to Creek – the ultimate adventure relay race held in the spectacular Austrian Ötztal Valley.

The unique event, now in its sixth year, will see world-class athletes battle against each other and the elements along a 90km course. The Dainese Peak to Creek has already secured big names taking part for the first time, including Manfred Mölgg, former Ski World Cup winner from Italy and Czech Olympic Silver medallist Vavřinec Hradilek. Climbing legend Hansjörg Auer and seven-time Dolomitenmann winner Markus Kröll will be returning this year.

“The scenery of Ötztal is amazing,” says runner Markus Kröll. “The team spirit at Dainese Peak to Creak is always great and it motivates me to push my limits even further.”

The relay kicks off with ski mountaineers tackling a grueling 670m vertical sprint to the summit of the Schwarze Schneide, where they hand over to their skiing teammates. Skiers then shoot off down the imposing slopes of the Rettenbach glacier, finishing to send the mountain bikers off on their downhill course.

This year brings some added difficulty for mountain runners who will run their stages in two parts, with a break in-between while the climbers complete their stage – two tough routes in the Taufenberg area. Road cyclists will then take over, tackling a challenging 36km route with 1,047m of ascent, before handing over to the kayakers who then set off on the grand Ötztaler Ache River. After individual kayak performances teams pile into a raft together and power to the finish line, eager to claim Dainese Peak to Creek victory at Area 47.

INFO: Dainese Peak to Creek