On February 2, Estonia’s annual Sauna Marathon celebrated the region’s passion for sauna culture.
During one of the coldest winter afternoons in Estonia, participant after participant jumped from sauna to sauna and into some of the coldest waters in the region. In an effort to raise attention surrounding exposure to extreme temperatures is good for our hearts, hundreds of people from across Europe in teams of four competed for a chance to win their own hot tub.
Now, how does plunging yourself into cold winter water equate to sauna culture – well, let us explain. Saunas are one area where more Europeans are retreating to throughout the winter months. Saunas have been associated with a number of health benefits including assisting with circulation, weight loss, and cardiovascular improvements. Cold weather is what sauna enthusiasts have to contend with, as a sort of protest against the winter. Being able to survive temperatures like this is unfortunately more of a marathon than a sprint. The colder winters are never going to fade. It’s simply a part of living in Estonia and other similarly northern European countries.
Estonia is a small country on the Baltic Sea, where temperatures hover below freezing on the regular. This year, more than 4,000 people came out in support of one of winter’s biggest events. For that matter, the Sauna Marathon is very much seen as a community event. It brings together families and individuals from all over the region to eat, drink, and get to know each other. In a season plagued with the year’s darkest and coldest times of year, these sort of community gatherings come few and far between. For countries like Estonia, saunas are far more than hot rooms – they’re gathering places where everyday citizens can come to escape the dark winter feels.
Northern Europe culture has saunas deeply embedded into contemporary living. As a matter of fact, in 2014, UNESCO added the traditional Estonian smoke sauna to its list of ‘practices of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.’ Needless to say, saunas and Estonia have close relationship. Although the official Sauna Marathon has only been around for roughly a decade, saunas have been used in Estonia to face the winter since the thirteenth century. This year’s Estonian Sauna Marathon welcomed groups from not only the local region but from as far away as Japan, New Zealand, and Mexico.
To compete in the Estonian Sauna Marathon, a team must perform three tasks across nineteen different sauna stops. They start with three minutes in a sauna, then they spend time soaking in a wood-fired hot tub, and lastly, at least one member must plunge themselves into cold water at every stop. The competition does not operate as a traditional ‘race to the finish’. Instead, the winners of the competition are selected at random. This is to ensure no team breaks the speed limit while driving between saunas.
As a North American supplier of steam rooms and saunas of all varieties, it’s our hope as sauna culture continues to grow in North America, similar events can be held here. Not only is it a ton of fun but it’s also a great way to meet and bond with others in the community. Plenty of business and personal relationships both were established or reinforced this year around at the Estonian European Sauna Marathon. It looked to be an absolutely beautiful experience! For your own steam room or sauna, contact a representative at Steam Sauna today.