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Post by Laura (Lori) on Feb 26, 2014 9:06:12 GMT -8
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Feb 27, 2014 0:22:00 GMT -8
I've always thought this was SUCH an exceptional race concept - sort of a speedskating Tour de France. If it were more reliably run, I'd put it on my bucket list. But if it were more reliably run, maybe it wouldn't be quite as exceptional - I guess that's part of the 'mystique' of the thing. It hasn't been held since 1997! This Insane 120-Mile Speedskating Race Makes the Winter Olympics Look EasyFebruary, 2014 The Elfstedentocht—Dutch for “Eleven Cities Tour”—is a 200-kilometer outdoor speedskating race over the frozen canals of Friesland, a northern province of the Netherlands. It has been described as “the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup and World Series rolled into one”—and it might just be my favorite athletic event of all time. The race was first held in 1909, and has since become a national tradition, an epic test of Dutch citizens’ endurance, athleticism, and sanity...
...There’s no set schedule for the Elfstedentocht; it only happens when the ice is sufficiently thick—at least 15 centimeters in depth throughout. But the impromptu nature of the race is a big part of what makes it so exciting. Once the organizers decide that the conditions are right for an Elfstedentocht, plans are made, and the race is held within 48 hours of the official announcement.Read it all: www.slate.com/blogs/five_ring_circus/2014/02/23/elfstedentocht_this_insane_120_mile_speedskating_race_makes_the_winter_olympics.htmlTAGS: Speedskating; Elfstedentocht; Netherlands; Long Track
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