In frigid Yakutia, Siberia, sixty five runners from around the world ran in a marathon that started at Oymyakon, the coldest village on Earth. The temperature during the contest was -53 °C or -63 °F, and the runners ran on snow-covered tracts, thus earning the contest the moniker of the world’s coldest marathon.
Winning the full marathon for the second time, a local runner named Vasily Lukin finished first in 3 hours 22 minutes as he crossed the finish line at Tomtor. Marina Sedalischeva was the best among the women, with 42 kilometres in 4 hours 9 minutes. Meanwhile, the winners of the half-marathon were Vasily Spiridonov (1 hour 36 minutes) and Ulyana Barashkova (2 hour 5 minutes).
All winners got cash prizes starting from 100,000 roubles ($1,288; £950). Participants above 70 years won a special prize.
This year's marathon was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Yakutia's autonomy within the former Soviet Union.
Image: Semen Sivtsev