Runners risk frostbite and death for -52°C Siberian marathon

Want to go for a little run in -52°C (-61.6°F) weather? Why not?! A group of 38 Russian athletes charged head-first into the Siberian cold!

The marathon took place in the Siberian settlement of Oymyakon, arguably one of the coldest, if not the coldest, cities in the Northern Hemisphere.

Due to its extreme conditions, all 38 runners had to pass a mandatory medical check before entering the marathon. Running in such extreme conditions can ultimately lead to death.

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Throughout the race, as Reuters reported, the runners were provided broth, hot tea, and snacks to keep them moving – essential fueling!

Runners were wrapped up from head to toe to help mitigate the temperature. Many of those who finished the race, passed the finish line covered in ice!

"It was hard to run for the first 10k. Then it was easier because you already understand how to breathe. You remember that you need to remove ice from our eyes, because your eyes get covered with it," Alisa Matveeva (participant in the marathon) told Reuters reporters.

"I am really glad that I wore a thermal mark and heater insoles, it just saved me," Matveeva added during a post-race interview reported by Runnersworld.

According to Reuters, Konstantin Dragunov was the first to cross the finish line, with a time of 3:07. A remarkable achievement from the Russian athlete who almost blacked out mid-race!

"After the 33rd kilometer, I almost blacked out completely," he told reporters while he sipped on another cup of hot tea.

Running in extremely cold temperatures is an incredible challenge for the human body. The activity itself already demands a sharp level of fitness! Inhaling very cold and dry air presents as an acute physiological stressor to the surfaces of your airway.