PICTURE PREVIEW

Competitors scale a near-vertical ascent during the Red Bull Planica 400 in Slovenia, on 11 September 2021. The Red Bull 400 is a uniquely brutal race format, which tasks ‘runners’ (a misleadingly speedy term) with covering 400m up out-of-use ski slopes. The definition of ‘short and sharp’, the Red Bull 400 is one of the 15 races that make it into our list of the toughest running events on the planet.

Photography: Samo Vidic / Red Bull Content Pool Fancy putting your legs to the test? Find out more on page 28