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Yes, that is snow up there. Yes, it is summer.
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Nobody seemed interested in getting in much earlier than necessary. And there wasn't much in the way of warming up.
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The sun finally came out at about 9PM (that is not a typo), well after the race was over.
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Walking to the start through the very shallow (and very cold) water.
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The water of Meðalfellsvatn is clean and clear. You can drink the water straight out of the lake if you wish.
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The wind was blowing hard all day.
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Some male pros (in pink caps for this race) exit the water.
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What to wear? The decision about what to put on - and what not to put on - was a big challenge. Putting on gloves was a good idea, except that it was quite hard to do with numb hands.
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The race had 230 participants, up from only 51 in its inaugural year in 2015, but close to 100 volunteers.
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Women's winner Jeanni Seymour ran a disc but smartly paired it with a shallow front wheel.
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Race creator Viðar Þorsteinsson (with the bushy beard) was the man who had the vision for this amazing course.
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Justin Metzler of the USA won on the heels of the day's fastest half-marathon and an overall very balanced performance.
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The men's podium was an international affair wit Metzler (USA) in 1st, Trevor Wurtele (CAN) in 2nd, and Jesper Svenson (SWE) in 3rd.
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Jeanni Seymour hugs women's runner-up (and defending champion) Heather Wurtele, who took a hard spill in the final 50m as the run transitions from the road the finishing chute on the grass. It was a sprint finish as Seymour closed with a very fast half-marathon the just pip Heather - who led for most of the day after a dominant bike ride - at the line.
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Eddi Birgisson fills the giant plastic tubs with hot water to allow athletes a warm bath post race. Many, many, many of the racers availed themselves of this unique and welcome post-race treat.
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Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Metzler and Seymour, who are a couple in addition to both being 2017 Challenge Iceland champions, enjoy a warm soak together. All smiles after a very tough day that ended with great wins for both of them.
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Lachlan Kerin of Australia finished in 7th place on a very tough day and here soaks out the cold.
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Race director Pétur Einarsson broadcast onto Facebook Live the whole weekend and here does an interview with an athlete in a tub.
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Eddi is a Civil Engineer and triathlete, so we enjoyed being nerds together for much of the weekend.
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The bike course follows a fjord for almost the full 56mi (90km) and is truly stunning.