Italian extreme runner’s documentary crew stranded after vehicle succumbs to -60°C Russian cold

The project of Italian extreme runner Paolo Venturini, who wants to test his resolve in Russia’s coldest place, met a hiccup this week. The car they loaned from local rescue services failed due to extreme cold weather.

Venturini came to Russia’s Yakutia because the region claims the title of the world’s coldest place. A village called Oymyakon may not be even beyond the polar circle, but its long distance from the Pacific Ocean and high altitude result in an extreme local climate, with temperatures ranging from as high as 30 degrees Celsius at the peak of summertime to as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius during winters. The official temperature record in the place is -67.7°C, according to the data of a local weather station, while locals claim one year it went below -70 °C.

This is exactly what the Italian wants for his Monster Frozen project – a marathon run in the extreme Russian cold. Venturini said he has spent two years preparing for the challenge, designing special clothes, training inside an industrial freezer and gathering the crew, who will support and film his endeavor.

The team arrived in Yakutia on Thursday, but they met an unexpected hurdle. The truck they loaned from the regional rescue service failed as they were travelling to Oymyakon. The vehicle got stranded about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from a weather station, a spokesman for the service told the media.

“The temperature is -58 degrees Celsius there and will remain about the same for the next few days,” the spokesman, Nikolay Fadeev, said.

It was not immediately clear whether the vehicle could be repaired or replaced, but at least the crew, which is accompanied by three Russian rescuers, is not in any danger. The have a heater inside the truck and can reach the weather station if necessary.

Venturini has planned his extreme run for sometime around the upcoming weekend, picking the day with the lowest temperature when it comes. He expects to finish the marathon in about four to five hours. He is to be accompanied by a doctor, an interpreter, two cameramen and his wife. The couple is expected to join the advance team a bit later.

The Italian, who is a police officer by profession, earlier traversed a marathon distance in the extreme heat of the Dasht-e Lut desert in Iran.

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