The Alternative Elfstedentocht: Racing Climate Change

Skaters are seen during the Alternative Elfstedentocht on January 25, 2019 in Weissensee, Austria. To minimize the number of laps required, the organizers fold many turns into one area of the lake - one lap is 12.5 kilometers long. Depending on the conditions of the ice, some years the course is extended to the east end of the lake, allowing for a 25km lap length. The Elfstedentocht is a legendary Dutch speed skating race and a victim of global warming: it hasn't been held in 22 years; the longest such period since its inception. Beginning in 1989, organizers have held an "Alternative Elfstedentocht" race in Weissensee, Austria, where the ice is reliably thick enough to skate the grueling, 200km tour.

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Contained in galleries: The Alternative Elfstedentocht

Skaters are seen during the Alternative Elfstedentocht on January 25, 2019 in Weissensee, Austria. To minimize the number of laps required, the organizers fold many turns into one area of the lake - one lap is 12.5 kilometers long. Depending on the conditions of the ice, some years the course is extended to the east end of the lake, allowing for a 25km lap length. The Elfstedentocht is a legendary Dutch speed skating race and a victim of global warming: it hasn't been held in 22 years; the longest such period since its inception. Beginning in 1989, organizers have held an "Alternative Elfstedentocht" race in Weissensee, Austria, where the ice is reliably thick enough to skate the grueling, 200km tour.