Rotenburg fire department breaks world record on spectacular suspension bridge!

Rotenburg fire department breaks world record on spectacular suspension bridge!

The Rotenburg Volunteer Fire Department recently successfully completed a remarkable world record attempt. On Sunday, five brave members of the fire department ran ten kilometers across the impressive “Highwalk” suspension bridge in Rotenburg in full emergency gear. This is a relay race that took place on the 617 meter long bridge, which floats at a height of 60 meters. The Rotenburg firefighters needed a time of 55 minutes and 32 seconds for the run. This meant they beat the old record, which was 1 hour, 1 minute and 34 seconds and was set by fire brigade comrades from Willingen, by more than five minutes.

The bridges that served as the venue for this competition are similar, but differ in their construction and gradient. At 617 meters long, the “Highwalk” is 38 meters shorter and has a gradient of up to 22 percent. In comparison, the “Skywalk” in Willingen is 655 meters long and has a gradient of 12 percent. The latter, however, attracts many tourists due to its spectacular views and the impressive height of 100 meters above the valley floor. Trend magnifier reports that over 45,000 people visited the bridge in the first six months after its opening.

For the world record attempt, the Rotenburg fire department trained for more than three months, once or twice a week and always with emergency equipment that weighs 25 kilograms. Among the participants, members were between 21 and 35 years old, while a substitute was an impressive 55 years old. All of this was monitored by the Record Institute for Germany, which confirmed the success of the world record.

A comparison with Willingen

The original world record was also set by a fire brigade team in Willingen who completed their route over the "Skywalk". The participants had to cross the 655 meter long bridge 15 times and covered the route in a time of 1 hour, 1 minute and 34 seconds. For the team, which consisted of one firefighter and four firefighters, the training was very intensive and took place over two months. The strain of the route was made even more difficult by the steep climb at the start and end of the suspension bridge. Fire department magazine emphasizes that this event was not only intended as a sporting event, but also included a significant fundraising campaign to promote youth work in the community fire departments. Over 2,400 euros were collected in this way.

Both bridges - the "Highwalk" in Rotenburg and the "Skywalk" in Willingen - are not only technical masterpieces, but also popular points of contact for visitors who want to enjoy nature and the view. Ultimately, these record attempts show how important team sports and volunteerism are and offer an excellent opportunity to draw attention to the valuable work of the fire department.