Participants Compete in The European Sauna Marathon in Estonia

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• published: 09 Feb 2016
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Almost 1,000 people stripped down to swimsuits and underwear to take part in a bizarre competition. European Sauna Marathon took place in Otepaa, Estonia, with 217 teams, including 12 international ones. Not needing the allotted six hours, winners completed it in just two hours and 55 minutes. Almost 1,000 people stripped down to swimsuits and underwear to take part in a bizarre competition to visit the most saunas in one day. Braving the cold and ice, the European Sauna Marathon in Otepaa, Estonia, saw competitors, some of whom clearly dressed up for the occasion, run around the town to enjoy as many saunas as possible in just six hours for a prize. The participants were split into teams, with the victors being the group who had visited every designated sauna in the fastest time. There were 217 teams, including 12 international ones, with Estonian World reporting they came from Greece, France, Russia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom, including 'the staff from the British Embassy in Tallinn, led by the ambassador Chris Holtby.' It was the seventh time the festival was held, with entry to the competition free of charge. Participants are given a map to find their way to all of the listed saunas across the city and are required to stay in each place for at least three minutes. A select number of saunas take part, with owners required to mark off each team's charts when they arrive and leave. Thirty minutes is added to a team's finishing time for each of the stops they failed to make, with organisers shaving off ten minutes to hot tub visits if every member of the team takes a dip. The winners, rather predictably, are awarded their very own hot tub. Prizes for second and third place included spa stays and hotel accommodation. Far from needing the allotted six hours to complete the task, the victors succeeded in just in two hours and 55 minutes. And the reward for all those taking part? A beer bath in a traditional Slavic and Baltic fermented beverage commonly made from black or regular rye bread. Otepaa is a popular skiing resort with a population of around 2,000. Every year it attracts thousands of snow sport enthusiasts. Its wooden saunas are among the towns most popular attractions.