The Alternative Elfstedentocht: Racing Climate Change

A skater warms her hands after abandoning the event during the Alternative Elfstedentocht on January 25, 2019 in Weissensee, Austria. 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

A skater warms her hands after abandoning the event during the Alternative Elfstedentocht on January 25, 2019 in Weissensee, Austria. 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.