cosinuss° equips the local Alpine rescue teams of the Monte Rosa SkyMarathon 2025 with the ultralight mobile patient monitoring system
Date: June 14, 2025*
Language: Englisch/Italian
Location: Alagna Valsesia, Italy
The Monte Rosa SkyMarathon is a renowned international high-altitude race that spans 35 kilometers and climbs a staggering 3,500 meters in elevation. Starting in the town of Alagna Valsesia, the course leads runners to the iconic Margherita Hut on Punta Gnifetti—Europe’s highest mountain refuge at 4,554 meters—before descending back to the starting point. Around 500 elite athletes from around the world will take part in this extreme endurance challenge. cosinuss° will be equipping the local Alpine rescue teams of “Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico Piemonte – Delegazione Valsesia” with its small and ultralight patient monitoring system. This will ensure that their teams have a patient monitoring solution available wherever on the course they need to provide health care. The technology is provided free of charge to support the important work of the Alpine teams.
Ensuring best possible medical service
Carrying out rescue operations above 3,500 meters requires careful logistics and compact, reliable technology. The local Alpine teams of the Delegazione Valsesia will be involved along the racecourse ensuring athlete safety on the route and providing, if needed, both technical alpine rescues as well as medical assistance at the medical stations along the way. Additionally, a SAR helicopter, with a critical care physician on board, will be deployed for assistance. Several teams will be equipped with the monitoring solution of cosinuss°, which is based on the 5,5 gram c-med° alpha in-ear sensor and the °Health app. Due to its minimal dimensions and weight, the innovative technology can be carried in the pocket and thus makes it possible to monitor the athletes’ vital parameters anywhere on the course. The c-med° alpha not only measures pulse rate, oxygen saturation and body temperature, but also provides important additional data such as perfusion, quality index and PPG signal.
A new technology, already in use in mountain rescue
The c-med° alpha has already proven itself under extreme conditions. The technology is now being used as a standard equipment by several mountain rescue and air rescue organizations across Europe. The technology demonstrated reliable data acquisition even during helicopter transport and in severe weather. The Monte Rosa SkyMarathon offers another opportunity to apply and test this innovative system in real-world, high-altitude conditions.
More about the marathon
The Monte Rosa SkyMarathon is a legendary high-altitude race with global participation, retracing the historic 1993 route from Alagna Valsesia (1,192 meters) up to the Margherita Hut (4,554 meters)—Europe’s highest mountain refuge—before returning to Alagna. Covering 35 km and a total of 3,490 vertical meters, the race challenges competitors with steep ascents, glacier crossings, exposed ridgelines, and extreme environmental conditions.
Participants must be highly trained, experienced in high-altitude mountaineering, and prepared to manage rapidly changing alpine weather, including strong winds and sub-zero temperatures. Environmental respect and mutual support between athletes are core values of the event. Strict rules prohibit littering and limit outside assistance to within 100 meters of designated aid stations.
Organized across the Piedmont and Aosta Valley regions, and briefly crossing into Swiss territory, the course passes key checkpoints at Indren (3,260 meters), Gnifetti Hut (3,647 meters), and Colle del Lys (4,250 meters).
More information
*The race is scheduled for Saturday, June 14, 2025. In case of bad weather, the race will take place on Sunday.
Photo credits:
- Marcello Mora
- https://www.monterosaskymarathon.com/monte-rosa-skymarathon-2025/
