37th Dolomites Man

Wendelin simply can’t let go of his dream of flying

Paraglider Wendelin Ortner is competing in the Dolomitenmann for the 37th time.

(Bild: Mirja Geh / Red Bull Content Pool)

On Saturday, September 7th, starting at 10 am, the time has come again. The 37th Red Bull Dolomitenmann will once again be the toughest relay competition in the world. And the legend attracts 120 teams from 16 nations to Lienz. Paraglider Wendelin Ortner is the only one who has never missed a race.

"Only for the toughest under the sun" is the motto of the Dolomitenmann, which was invented by former ski star Werner Grissemann in 1988. Since its premiere 36 years ago, 3,500 teams and 14,000 athletes have competed in the extreme relay race for mountain runners, paragliders, mountain bikers and canoeists in the Dolomite town.

One person who can talk about all 36 events to date is East Tyrolean paragliding pioneer Wendelin Ortner. He has been the best paraglider six times and has twice reached the top of the podium with the Red Bull team.

Launching for a good cause
The 59-year-old is now more relaxed. This time, he will be competing in the "Wings for Life" team with Lukas Kovacic, Benjamin Karl and Harald Hudetz: "For us, it's primarily about the good cause and not about being among the front runners. We couldn't do that either, there are many athletes in other teams who are among the world's best in their discipline."

However, the quartet has set itself a mini-goal: "Last year, we finished ahead of the fastest women's team, and we want to do that again."

At 59, Wendelin Ortner is not yet thinking of retiring.

(Bild: Jan Kasl / Red Bull Content Pool)

Premiere a fun adventure
Wendelin Ortner would never have imagined that the Dolomitenmann would one day enjoy a global reputation when he first started. He took part with his brothers Isidor (biker) and Josef (runner) as well as Andrä Aichner (canoeist) as a fun adventure: "Isidor brought the invitation home from the Tour of the Dolomites. Today it's a classic, everyone knows the race."

Flying is super relaxing for me. After a few minutes, I feel detached from everything

Wendelin Ortner

No end in sight
At 59, Wendelin is the oldest participant in the 37th Dolomitenmann. He doesn't set himself any limits, even anniversaries like a 40th participation don't interest him: "Birthdays aren't a goal either. I'll take part as long as I'm fit and healthy."

Flying is his fountain of youth. As a flight instructor, the father of three is up in the air every day: "Flying is super relaxing for me. After a few minutes, I feel detached from everything."