The Toughest Race on Earth

I've heard and read the phrase 'The Toughest Race on Earth' many times, describing many different athletic pursuits. I often wondered, what really is 'The Toughest Race on Earth'?

You decide.

Here are some candidates, in no particular order:

1. The Iditarod - An Alaskan trail sled dog race wherein 'mushers' and their dogs race close to 2,000 kilometers in as little as 8, or as much as 15 days. 'Normal' weather conditions are way below zero, but when blizzards set in, racers have to endure temperatures as low as -70 degrees Celsius.

2. Badwater Ultramarathon - Dubbed 'The World's Toughest Footrace', this Ultramarathon (a footrace covering a distance of more than a marathon - 42km and above) takes ultra-runners 215 kilometers from Badwater Basin, through Death Valley ending at Whitney Portal. If running 215 kilometers wasn't tough enough, take into consideration the over 8,000 vertical feet (2,500m) which the runners have to ascend. And Oh, I forgot to mention, it's hella hot too.

3. Enduroman Arch to Arc Triathlon - 'An ultra-distance triathlon. The triathlon starts with an 87-mile run from London's Marble Arch to Dover on the Kent coast, then a cross-channel swim to the French coast, and finishes with a 180 mile bike from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The clock starts at Marble Arch, London and stops at Arc de Triomphe, Paris. Only five athletes have ever completed the challenge, the current record being held by Enduroman's Eddie Ette and currently standing at 80 hours and 5 minutes.' (Wikipedia)

4. World Deca-Ironman Championships - And you thought an Ironman was tough? What about 10 Ironman distances non-stop? 38 kilometers of swimming, 1800 kilometers of biking and to top it of, 10 marathons (420 kilometers of running) constitute a deca-ironman. Need I say more?


5. Le Tour de France - One of world's most popular cycling races, takes cyclists close to 4,000 kilometers in 3 weeks, around France. Over the duration of the course, cyclists climb as much as 100,000 vertical feet - that's climbing Mount Everest three times!


Not to forget, there are other multi Ironman distances like the Ultraman (2x Ironman), Triple Ironman and 5x Ironman distances. Who would have thought the Ironman is not enough?

Any takers?

*Photos c/o Google Images