Cross-country skiing with and without dogs at the festival in Karelia

Source: Pixabay

The sixth International Skiing Festival KareliaSkiFest will be held in Petrozavodsk from 18 to 26 February.

Adults will compete in a 50 km marathon and 25, 10 and 3 km races (classic and skating). In addition, the festival program includes a night ski race along a 16-kilometer track in the forest. Children will try their hand at distances of 500 m and 3 km.

“Racing on traditional Finnish sledges is another fascinating discipline of the festival, which is held only in Karelia. The most adventurous and fun format of the KareliaskiFest competitions,” the organizers website reports.

One of the most spectacular disciplines of the festival will also be dog racing (skijoring and sledding).

As the organizers promise, each participant of the event will receive a “very beautiful medal” at the finish line.

The festival is held with the aim of increasing the tourist attractiveness of Karelia, developing event tourism in the region, promoting physical culture and sports, and a healthy lifestyle. This is the largest amateur ski festival in the country.