Running Monkey
Baikal Ice Running Marathon
Baikal Ice Running Marathon – March 1, 2014
If you like running, ice and possibly vodka then the incredible Baikal Ice Running Marathon in Siberia is certainly for you. Part of the larger winter games held on Lake Baikal, the ‘Winteriada’ Baikal Nordic Games Festival and based in the small town of Listvyanka, 65 km south of Irkutsk (a major stop-over on the Trans-Siberian route), this is a unique opportunity to race across the frozen ice surface of the world’s largest, oldest and deepest lake.
The course is predominantly flat, but hard and at times uneven and although mostly covered in a soft layer of snow, there are areas of highly polished ice that create conditions similar to an ice-rink. Wind can add to the already bitingly cold temperature and further hamper progress and another unusual feature is the utterly featureless landscape which gives little or no sense of perspective to competitors – the field is so barren that the finish line at the port of Listvyanka can be seen almost from the start line. But despite harsh conditions this is still a marathon that can (and has) been run at impressive speed – last year’s winner, Sergei Kalashnikov, completed the 26.2 in 3:07:43…
Tempted? RunningMonkey is sure you are. Further details on te Baikal Ice Running Marathon at absolute-siberia.com
