Vasaloppet

It's not so often I watch TV and I certainly don't watch it in the morning normally. For that matter I've never blipped the TV either! However, today it was the Swedish x-country ski race, the Vasalopp, and the weather here wasn't very inspiring so I decided to watch.
This race is the longest (90 km) and biggest (15,800 starters) X-country ski race in the world and the soft snow and snow showers made it tougher than usual. The winning man finished in 4hr 15 minutes and the winning woman in 4 hours 32 minutes. A young couple I know finished together in 11 hours 15 minutes.
There is something fascinating in watching the leading group eating up the kilometers as they race along averaging just over 20 km/h. How can they keep going at that speed, hour after hour.
The photo shows Audun Laugaland, in red, moving into the lead with 30 minutes still to go and the leading group of about 50 skiers a little way back. Audun came in fourth as he was overtaken shortly before the finishing line.