Baikal Ice Marathon

Every year the ice course of Baikal Ice Marathon is different: the run course on the ice can be covered with snow that can fall the night prior the start, or some years can have many sections of open ice ( nearly polished surface).In other places there can be fields of so-called “kolobovnik” – sections of the «pan” or “plated” ice with granular tops of blurred color , frozen in the surface, which represent some difficulty to run smoothly and require carefulness in fast moving on them. Also matter weather/climatic conditions.

Lake Baikal has a number of general and locally formed winds, and weather here is notoriously difficult to predict. The wind can be very changeable: blow in the race direction as well as into the runners’ backs or at a low height (south-eastern wind). Under the low air pressure, local Siberian “khius”-wind can blow, which being though not very strong, is very biting and piercing. Considering the wind chill, sharp gusts of the “khius”-wind even with – 10-Celsius can at sometimes freeze one’s face during the run or penetrate to one’s body through any of tiny openings or holes in sports wear cloths. During the last three editions of BIM, after 13:00 / 30-km course mark  the Angara wind– a stable strong transverse wind would start blowing , that can significantly  cool down the body of already tired athlete streaming with perspiration. It is very important to make sure that you can stay warm, dry and wind proven in just about any conditions. “Pack up” your body the most appropriate way for the run but in safe, cold wind protecting manner. Make sure your entire body is well protected

The average air temperature range in the 1-st decade of March in the area of Baikal Ice Marathon course: from – 14 below zero to – 27 below (eastern shore) Centigrade near the starting line and at time of starting, from – 7 down to – 14 in the middle of the Baikal Ice course, from – 12 up to + 1 Centigrade closer to the western shore after 02 p.m.