15th European Sauna Marathon
The 15th anniversary edition of the European Sauna Marathon, the Guinness World Record holder for longest running annual sauna marathon. Teams of four race between 21 saunas across the Estonian winter capital, spending at least three minutes in each. VIP tickets sold out months in advance.
Participants at the European Sauna Marathon in Otepää. Photo: European Sauna Marathon / Otepää Sport.
The European Sauna Marathon in Otepää is the original sauna marathon, first held in 2007 by a group of friends who wanted to combine running and saunas. The 15th anniversary edition drew participants from 20 countries to the small southern Estonian town known as the country's winter sports capital.
Teams of four receive a map of every participating sauna, then race to visit as many as possible within a five-hour window. Each team member must sit in each sauna for at least three minutes. A car and designated driver are mandatory because the saunas are scattered across the countryside. Costumes are encouraged, and prizes go to the fastest team, the best costumes, and the best "sauna enthusiasts."
The event is organized by NGO Otepää Sport in cooperation with the Otepää Municipal Government. The Estonian smoke sauna tradition, inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2014, is a central draw. The town's residents open their private saunas, and mobile saunas arrive in the shape of barrels, huts, igloos, and tents.
For the full deep dive on how sauna marathons are spreading across Europe, see our Analysis of the format.
