VIII  International Baikal  Ice Marathon –“Clean Waters Conservation Run”

has finished setting up a  new world record of  the marathon running on ice.  25-year old scientist of solar studies from Irkutsk – Sergei Kalashnikov managed to cross the lake running a distance of  over 42 km. in 2 hrs 55 minutes and 51 seconds!

 For the first time in its history the start of Baikal Ice Marathon was in Listvyanka on the western shore, and the finish line – in Pereyomnaya on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal.

As ever the world’s Great Lake - Baikal showed this year many evidences of Its living activities, being a huge live body which existence in winter also requires to saturate its holy waters with oxygen. It seemed to us that Great Baikal this winter was in a way breathing differently, at least compared to what we’ve already been observing throughout the 8 year-history of the Baikal Ice marathon. Though as ever fractures and breaks in ice were opening up one night to close up the next morning, in order  to appear  then some other place where one would not expect.  The ice pressure ridges peculiar of most parts of Baikal, this winter seemed to be at nearly same place at the traverse of future marathon ice course. However, and probably, due a later than usually freezing over of Lake Baikal, fractures in compact  pack ice appeared more often this year. Those ones we encountered during our ice scouting trips that as a rule precede the course marking, were not that long  (150-300 meters) , but  were somehow always on the move – wandering around entire area and wider. As for the real black ice – there were only 2 small sections of it where the ice surface was not covered at all by layer of snow, which at places was over 2 feet thick and hiding the above mentioned new ice fractures and urging us to be more careful when checking the way again after it would have already been marked.

The situation became more complicated once we had discovered a wide and long field of brash ice which represented conglomeration of small cakes and chunks, stick and golf balls like - irregularly shaped elements coalesced and refrozen on compact ice surface. That brash ice field located 9 km from the eastern shore was nearly a kilometer wide and over 4 km long. Certainly, besides fractures in ice, this brash ice represented the problem and danger for runners that we had to tackle…And there was no chance for us to avoid it since we had to get those 42 km and nearly 200 m in order to qualify for the traditional marathon course…

Constantly monitoring the ice surface of lake Baikal this year we had to change the future running course a few times. Finally, it became clear that most 4-WD vehicles (vans)   would most likely not manage to drive farther than the middle of Lake Baikal on March,03, therefore,  long delays both with the Marathon starting time and further transfers of the finishers back could be caused…

  But thanks to BAIKAL who did us a great  favor  again this year, as well as thanks to additional funding made available by “VIP-travel” company from  Moscow – the partner of the Baikal Ice Marathon, to the guys from the “First Expedition” Ltd. Co., who  the night preceding the marathon went out again on to the ice and finally managed to clear  the course  off the obstacles, the 8-th edition of Baikal Ice Marathon – as “Clean Waters Conservation Run”- was a success. Likewise, thanks to  the runners themselves who with reverence have related to Baikal before the start, and sprinkled  the “white meal” – milk,  to pacify the spirits of the Great Baikal. Doing such a sacrifice with clear minds we were all granted a good blessing for the run. In such a way, that even the previously forecasted strong south-eastern wind and local “hius” blew at nearly no speed ,there was enough sunshine for all to enjoy the run and view of the gorgeous Baikal landscapes enchanted in ice and snow…  

             We started receiving impressions and stories from the participants of 8-th Baikal Ice Marathon that we want to share with all of you.  So far the feedback is nice, and it is also important for us to know that Baikal Ice Marathon as “Clean Waters Conservation Run” continues to attract people with nature-loving mind and ecological thinking who connect our Event to their  charity and environmental actions.