Climbing
The 771 Solo Run is a race that covers 1,400 kilometers and 34,000 meters in altitude, climbing the seven highest mountains in seven Alpine countries non-stop and without support in just seven days. The race consists of climbing Mont Blanc (France), Gran Paradiso (Italy), Dufourspitze (Switzerland), Vorder Grauspitz (Liechtenstein), Zugspitze (Germany), Großglockner (Austria), and Triglav (Slovenia). The 771 Solo Run differs from other races because the athletes have no support. This race was designed for a triathlete and long-distance cycling specialist to compete in. That athlete’s name is Austrian Michael Strasser.
Strasser completed the race but conquered seven Alpine peaks in seven countries in just over seven days, setting a new world record for solo, unsupported endurance. His official time for the race was 7 days, 10 hours, and 56 minutes. That time set a new “Fastest Known Time” for the challenge in the “Self-Supported” category. In that category, there are no support cars or mountain partners, and it is not even permitted to allow cheering from friends and family because that would be considered mental support. It is a grueling race where athletes may only get a few hours of rest a day.
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Strasser is no stranger to extreme endurance races like this and has successfully competed in events worldwide. He has competed in the triathlons at events like Balatonman in Hungary and more extreme races like Austria eXtreme and SocialMan. In 2013, as part of a four-person team, he raced from Moscow to Vladivostok, which is over 9,000km (5,600 miles) in under two weeks. Three years later, he was setting a solo world record for cycling from Cairo in Egypt to Cape Town in South Africa. In 2018, he took on his Ice 2 Ice challenge to cycle solo from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska to Ushuaia in Argentine Patagonia and set a new world record of 84 days, beating the previous best by a clear 15 days. Strasser has also been voted Austria’s “Sportsman with a Heart” in 2018 and 2023 (as part of the “Sportsman of the Year” vote) for his humanitarian work.
After breaking the world record, Strasser posted on Facebook his excitement and joy:
7 days 10hrs 56min
my craziest week in life so far! this is the time it took me to climb the seven summits of the Alps and cover the distance in between by bike solo and unsupported, which is now the @fastestknowntime for this challenge. The biggest ‚thank you belong to my family, especially to my wife @ke__str ! Without their help and support (365d/year) this would not have been possible
All the sections of the race were immediately published on Strava and there was also a GPS live tracking his movements, Strasser stated in a social media post. “I was very strict about following all the rules for a self-unsupported record. The photos show the 7 mountains – all the routes in between were done by bike, without any help. no electric! no lifts!,” said Strasser.
Strasser also has a unique background as an architect and a PhD student. He is an instructor at Vienna’s University Sports Institute, a triathlon instructor, a ski mountaineer instructor, and an MTB guide. He is also a motivational speaker giving a speech at the UN’s climate change conference in Katowice, Poland.
Strasser’s amazing achievement is something everyone can look to for inspiration and motivation. It symbolizes what humans can accomplish when they are courageous, strong, and determined. What Strasser will do next is unknown at this time, but whatever it is, he will know he holds the record for completing the 771 Solo Run by himself, and whatever challenges he faces in the future, anything is possible.
