The 2025 PreAlpiTour confirms its status as one of the toughest and most fascinating races on the international calendar. Sixty athletes from 17 nations tackled a 260-kilometer course over four days in the southern Dolomites, the Venetian Prealps, and the Lagorai.
The weather forecast promised no respite, and from the very first hours, rain and wind transformed the challenge into a test of endurance. Little flying, lots of walking: over 70 kilometers on foot a day, often in floods, with significant elevation changes in search of a takeoff site. But it's precisely in the challenges that Hike & Fly reveals its true essence: athletes forced to choose between the risk of taking off and the prudence of continuing on foot.
The 2025 PreAlpiTour challenge began in the historic center of Feltre, at the foot of the Vette Feltrine peaks. Italian Elisabeth Kofler immediately set the pace, dominating the women's standings and finishing seventh overall after the first strategic pass at the Baita Col Indes. Behind her, Tamara Lunger , making her Hike&Fly debut, climbed to second place, while German Celia Viermann took third place, maintaining her composure even during the race's toughest moments.
The standings, however, don't tell the whole story. Another striking feature was the choice of an international pair, Avagian and Della Brida , respectively Norwegian and Italian: rather than facing each other as opponents, they decided to collaborate , choosing the ideal tactics together and completing the entire race together .
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The men's race was no less intense: Slovenian Leonart Oblack dominated the first few days, choosing bold yet confident lines, until, on the final day, the uncertainty of a takeoff forced him to stay on the ground. This was the opening for Italians Aaron Durogati , fresh from his victory at the Red Bull X-Alps, and Patrik Prantl . With a decisive flight, they overtook Oblack, igniting the final kilometers of the race. A head-to-head race, followed live by thousands of spectators on live tracking, was decided at the end of the day: Durogati took victory, followed by Prantl and Oblack in third. Just outside the podium, with fourth place overall, was Titta Scalet, an athlete from the AKU Hike&Fly team .
In the end, the numbers speak for themselves: over 200 kilometers covered on foot and just 30 by air. Rain, extreme elevation gain, and fatigue made this edition one of the most challenging ever. The 2025 PreAlpiTour was a true test of endurance and strategy. AKU is proud to stand alongside those who live the mountains with dedication and passion, because every safe step is part of a responsible and mindful approach .
