Der weisse Rausch (engl. “the white rush”) is an annual end-of-season fun race at St. Anton, Austria, which this year took place on April 18. The race is a 7.3-kilometer (4.5-mile) race that combines a downhill component with uphill sprints and an obstacle finish at the end. 555 skiers and snowboarders battle it out for the podium each year down 1,346 meters (4,416 feet) of vertical.
The race takes place each year at 5 .m. after the lifts have stopped spinning, meaning racers face a skied-out, slushy race course with moguls and deep grooves, making for a leg-burning race down from Vallugagrat, the highest peak in St. Anton at 2,811 meters (9,222 feet) down to the valley. To make the race even harder, there is an uphill section at the top of the course that requires skiers to unclip their skis and run up, and an obstacle course out of snow in the finish, that skiers also have to maneuver with skis in hand.
The uphill section takes between 3-5 minutes for the fittest in the field of 555 competitors. | Image Credit: Eva Beer/TVB St. Anton via Der Weisse Rausch Website
The winning time for the men in 2026 was 8:26.64 minutes and was achieved by Austrian Dieter Bischof, who has won the race four years in a row. The fastest woman was three minutes behind, with Germany’s Petra Zeller crossing the finish after 11:34.10 minutes. It’s her fourth victory of the famous end-of-season race in St. Anton — the POV video is from Zeller’s winning run.
While some may take the race a bit more seriously than others, there are plenty of fun racers who come dressed up and are just there for the fun of it.
The crazy mass-start race is an annual highlight on the resort’s event calendar and each year takes place on the last weekend of the ski season.
St. Anton is part of the Arlberg ski area, which is connected to St. Christoph, Lech, Zürs, Warth Schröcken, and Stuben. The combined ski area offers 302km (189 miles) of groomed runs serviced by 85 lifts and gondolas. Arlberg is an Epic partner, and Epic passholders receive three consecutive days at Arlberg when they stay a minimum of three consecutive nights at a participating Arlberg resort lodging property.
From the highest-lifted point in St. Anton to the valley — the white rush is a mass start race that covers 4,416 feet of vertical. | Image: Der Weisse Rausch