Running News Daily

New York man runs marathon in Greenland in a singlet and shorts

Vladimir Aslan likes to test the limits of cold exposure. Last year, we wrote about Aslan, a Ukrainian-American living in New York City, after he ran a half-marathon in northwestern Greenland in -18 C without a shirt. On Oct. 26, Aslan ran the Polar Circle Marathon in Kangerlussuaq (also in Greenland)–a full 42.2 km–this time, wearing a singlet and shorts. (He also wore a hat, knee-high socks and running shoes with spikes, but no gloves.) It was -15 C.

“I was in the last wave at the start. We entered a narrow, icy path and I got stuck with slow-running athletes in front of me,” Aslan told us. “They were trying not to slip on the ice, which was covered by light snow.” That was just the beginning, he says. “The cold and wind numbed my fingers, arms and quads very quickly. There were 41 km of hills to go through ahead.”

“Despite the risk of falling into a crevass on the icy surface of the Arctic desert, Aslan passed many other runners, ultimately finishing 10th among 126 starters, in 4:15:05. (Six people did not finish the race.) “I started feeling extreme pain in my elbows and knees, and it was slowing me down,” he says. “All 41 km, I was fighting bitter cold, speeding to reach the top 10 elites.”

Last year, Aslan told us he found running in cold weather was an antidote to the stress of life. “I felt rejuvenated,” he said. “I felt alive. I felt clear.” To train, he swims among icebergs, without a wetsuit.

This year, in the marathon, Aslan suffered frostbite on two of his fingers.

This [race] had such a bitter wind, with low air temperature, and the whole 42 km were up and down–hilly, with no flat surface at all. Plus I was exposed to cold for over four hours; it was the longest I have been. It was slowing me down.”

The hills sometimes involved scrambling, usin

So was it worth it? “It’s absolutely worth it, if behind this lies a big goal–to be the first,” Aslan says.

“I got frostbite, because I trained in New York City, where it was very warm, and I didn’t acclimatize properly. But I still performed way better than expected. My goal was to reach the top 20, so I was paying attention to how many were left and how many I passed.”

The race site has detailed and strongly-worded advice for runners about the type of clothing they should wear, and warns it may pull runners who are not dressed appropriately. However, when we reached out to ask about Aslan specifically, the response from Krista Alexandersdóttir, marketing content manager for the race organizer, Albatros Adventure Marathons, was, “We cannot control what runners decide to wear, only guide them and advise them. We have several doctors and race officials on the route that keep an eye on the runners, so it’s very rare that anything serious happens.”

And what’s next for this cold-embracing daredevil? He has left his day job, and is now planning what he says will be a “historic” adventure, as well as trying to fund a film production company. “This marathon was a part of an acclimatization process–getting to know how my body and mind handles it,” he says. We have a feeling it will involve extreme cold, but beyond that, he’s keeping his cards close to his chest.