Aside from Olympic competitions, the world’s most important ice-skating race is held annually in The Netherlands.
This race, called the Elfstedentocht, or “Tour of the Eleven Towns,” has been held almost every year since the 18th century. The route winds its way over rivers, lakes, and canals for a distance of 124 miles, making it one of the longest ice- skating races.
The fastest anyone has ever finished this race is about 7.5 hours.
