Published 28th Jun. 2021
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I've done Switzerland's Engadin Ski Marathon for the last three years, and although I'm certainly not the future of British Nordic skiing, these are my tips if you're thinking of doing it...
It's worth getting fit for the race. Bicycling, brisk walking, running or cross training are fine if you can't practice on the real thing. Expect to take anything from three to five hours to complete the course when planning your training. I have plenty of friends who have done it without doing any training at all, going at a leisurely pace. So don't worry too much if you haven't got time.
If you're feeling keen, there is a growing interest in roller skiing, which will give you a much needed head start and may even mean that you can arrive on the Thursday evening instead. It looks uncomfortable (as with much of this sport) but is actually surprisingly fun. The guy who runs it is called Iain Ballentine.
Techie stuff can be hired there. Regarding clothes, I'd race in light trekking trousers, a thin thermal top, a headband and a sleeveless fleece. You can still take lots of warm clothes to the start, and with typical Swiss efficiency, the organisers wing it down to the finish for you in a fleet of Swiss Army trucks.
Grannies and grandpas complete the Engadin Ski Marathon every year. To help convince you of my recommendation to head out on the Wednesday evening, a friend of mine who runs marathons in less than three hours rocked up a couple of years ago on the Friday evening, allowing just one day's worth of lessons and relying on his fitness to see him through. On the race day, he reached the half marathon finish in 4.5 hours with two broken toes. By contrast, grannies and grandpas of nearly 90 complete it every year in not much more than three hours through good technique alone!
For more information on competing in the Engadin Ski Marathon, contact Original Travel.
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