Archive 2025

Simbo-Produktion: Abfahrt

^{Press release - 25 January 2025}

The 81st International Inferno Races 2025 in Mürren are history: a Bernese Oberland triple victory was thwarted in both the men's and women's downhill races. Kilian Burri from Boltigen and Tanja Brawand from Grindelwald both came out on top. However, the race was clearly dominated by the warm temperatures, which simply made it impossible to win with a high start number.
 

A warm breeze was already blowing in the early morning of Saturday, 25 January 2025, when the first racers made the pilgrimage to the start of the 81st Inferno downhill above the Engetal. Although the piste firmed up a little during the night, the warm temperatures remained the dominators of the race, meaning that victory was already decided among the first racers: Kilian Burri from Boltigen im Simmental took victory in the men's race. With start number 9, he skied the downhill in a fast time of 5:45;37, putting him more than two seconds ahead of last year's winner Alexander Zöschg from Tyrol. Last year's runner-up Kilian Rufer from Zweisimmen finished third on the podium.
 

Briton and Italian thwart two Bernese Oberland triple victories

While an Italian thwarted a Bernese Oberland triple victory in the men's race, it was a British woman who did so in the women's race: Amy Donnellon from the Kandahar Ski Club placed between the winner Tanja Brawand from Grindelwald and third-placed Corinne Rohrer from Frutigen. With a time of 6:40.42, the dominator Brawand crossed the finish line an incredible 15 seconds faster than all the other women.
 

Despite the increasingly soft piste and numerous crashes, there were no incidents worth mentioning. This is not least thanks to the 250-300 loyal volunteers who put their heart and soul into ensuring that the event runs smoothly and safely every year.
 

At 8.5 kilometres, this year's Inferno downhill run, which started above the Seewlifuren at the entrance to Engetal and finished at Winteregg, was around 1 kilometre shorter than the start on the Kleine Schilthorn. For the 82nd edition of the Inferno Race, the new aerial cableway to Schilthorn will be in operation, allowing the usual start again. But it's already worth taking a look at the 2028 edition: That's when the Inferno descent celebrates its 100th anniversary. Because on 29 January 1928, five ski-mad Brits skied the very first Inferno Cup - with a steep ascent to the Schilthorn first, mind you!

^{PRESS RELEASE - 23 JANUARY 2025}

The second Inferno race day was all about the giant slalom. In good piste conditions, the 335 competitors put on a thrilling race. The women's podium was dominated by women from the Bernese Oberland. In the men's race, a German is at the top.
 

Despite modest prospects, the weather on Thursday morning, 23 January 2025, made for an exciting giant slalom race. The piste conditions for the 335 registered participants were ideal, even if visibility was a little poor at times due to snow and fog. The cross-country winner from the previous evening, Lara Stern, was in the lead for a long time, but was replaced shortly before the end by start number 321, Michelle Hurni from Unterseen. The 21-year-old Hurni won with a time of 1:28;79, more than a second ahead of the 20-year-old Stern. Arianne Wenger from Zwischenflüh in Niedersimmental came third.
 

In the men's giant slalom, the German Marius Buhl came first with a time of 1:20;69. Nicola Furer from Thun took second place, just a few hundredths of a second ahead of last year's runner-up Joel Jaggi from Unterseen.
 

Next Saturday, 25 January, 2025, the cards will be reshuffled once again in the Inferno Supercombination. That's when the participants will be fighting for the best places in the overall ranking, which is made up of the results of the three Inferno competitions: cross-country skiing, giant slalom and downhill.

^{Press release - 22 January 2025 20:34}

On Wednesday evening, 22 January 2025, Mürren was transformed into a cross-country skiing mecca at the start of the 81st International Inferno Races: 334 Inferno supercombined participants successfully completed the first of three competitions. This year, the night cross-country race took place as usual in the centre of the village of Mürren.
 

The 81st International Inferno Races in Mürren started in the usual setting for once, much to the delight of the long-standing supercombination participants: Unlike in the past two years, when the cross-country competition had to take place on the Allmendhubel due to the weather, this year they were able to start in Mürren again. Despite plenty of sunshine, it was cold for a long time, so that the approximately 2-kilometre course could be prepared with some additional snow and cosmetic work.
 

Well-known winner in the men's race

From 4.30 pm, the participants in the Inferno Super Combination took to the cross-country piste at 20-second intervals in ideal conditions. Oliver Zurbrügg from Lauterbrunnen completed the prescribed three laps the fastest. The undisputed Inferno cross-country winner for many years was able to beat last year's runner-up Patrick Zürcher from Latterbach by a margin of 18 seconds. Only just behind him was 19-year-old Matteo Lüthi from Beatenberg and thus completed the Bernese Oberland winner's podium.
 

Young Bernese Oberland woman leads the women's race

Due to the absence of long-standing top riders, the women's race presented a completely new picture: the winner was Lara Stern from Därligen, who is only 20 years old. She won by over a minute ahead of second-placed Melanie Schock from Weinstadt in Germany. Chiara Donauer from Lucerne came third.
 

Inferno outlook: Giant slalom, downhill and party

On Thursday morning, 23 January 2025, at 10 a.m., the giant slalom will take place on the Winteregg. The legendary Inferno downhill will follow on Saturday. Due to the construction of the new cable car on the Birg-Schilthorn route, the start of the downhill run has had to be moved around one kilometre or 200 metres downhill to the Seewlifura at the entrance to Engetal. In addition to the sporting activities, the Inferno week also places great emphasis on socialising: the party will be on in the festival restaurant in the Alpine Sports Centre in Mürren, especially on Friday and Saturday. The Inferno parade through the village of Mürren, starting at the BLM railway station on Friday evening at 8 pm, followed by the burning of the Inferno devil, is also one of the annual programme highlights.

Ranking list