Coldest race in the world is run at -52C in Yakutia

Mr Ted Clayton—interior Alaska still has a strong winter racing circuit: White Mountains 100, Tanana River Challenge, Chena River to Ridge. Some people still run parts of the Iditarod Trail. But I will freely admit that I haven't run in -50, and would likely huddle up on the couch instead of doing so.

"[A]ll extremely well-trained...". That's the way to do it. Alaska had a brief fad for large-scale cold weather events here about a decade ago, but had some tragedies because although the athletes were fit for say bicycling, they were not properly trained for cold weather.

Yet we know that the a cold-conditioning regime is not a big imposition. From China in like the '30s, were many accounts of small children placed on the sidewalk as beggars, near naked, in sub-arctic winter temperatures. It is related that often these kids had to be turfed-out to some other role, because they would become comfortable in the cold. They would be having a good time, not suffering & pitiable ... and not much good for pulling heart-strings.

During WWII, Skandinavians conducted a range of careful experiments to quickly train recruits to lay down on the winter snow, and sleep ... good & well, within a week or so. Russians fielded large numbers of men without shelter, except their famous Great Coat. But they often lacked a training-approach, so some soldiers 'figured it out on their own', and many did not.
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Really, for this event to grow & develop a wider cache, I suspect it should be relocated to a venue that it is easier to access ... does not require a 1,000 kilometer detour into the deep-bush ... and can offer fuller support facilities. Our friend Sardana Avksentyeva the Mayor of Yakutsk might be a good one to discuss this with!

Alaska's famed Iditarod race toyed in the past with encouraging more of an 'experience' type event; organizing it more like a rally, including camping & dog-care skills as part of a points-system ... and making it more suitable to senior-citizen participants, as well as very young and less-professional (often rural-local) entrants.

But however it evolves, I wish it all the best!

It is wonderful to see that the Peoples of Yakutia are so resilient & sturdy! I share DNA with the Yakut and the Romanov's thru our Viking heritage all the way to Alabama.
I hope to travel to Yakutia one day to see for myself what binds us thru the centuries.
I salute all of Y'all!

I love the Siberian Times. I am fascinated by this part of the world. I know I could not survive the cold there so looking at the photographs and stories you publish makes me feel affection for those who make their life there.

nice place and time to go on vacation