Death at Murren’s Inferno Race
Medical staff were on hand straight away and despite immediate resuscitation efforts the person, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
As a result the Organising Committee decided to immediately cancel the race.
Around half the competitors had completed the grueling course.
The organisers decided to evaluate the results up to the point when the race was cancelled and the winners were announced.
“Despite the sad incident that forced the race to be abandoned, the celebrations at the Alpine Sports Centre in Mürren will continue in the evening in a modified format,” said the organisers in a statement shortly after the accident.
See here for a press release on the incident.
The Inferno Race is held annually in the Swiss resort of Mürren.
It was started by the Kandahar Club in 1928 when 17 Kandahar members climbed to the summit of the Schilthorn over two days.
They then set off in a mass start for the race to Lauterbrunnen in the valley bottom, a drop of 2,170m.
It is now the world’s largest amateur Downhill ski race.
When conditions permit it ends at Lauterbrunnen at 800m, a course of over 14.9km.
The race is is limited to 1,850 competitors, starting at 12 second intervals throughout the day.
PlanetSKI’s Yolanda Carslaw took part way back in 2012.
It remains much the same.
Murren, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI
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