Skiing in your undies takes off in Russia

The 150 entrants who competed this year are local cross-country skiers from Syktyvkar in northern Russia.

Nude participants will endure a gruelling race through the woodlands around the town – with the men’s distance three miles and the women’s 2.5 miles.

And it's hardly the weather to strip off - the skiers will compete in sub-zero temperatures with falling snow.

But as one participant claimed: "It felt like normal and I didn't notice any difference between skiing in ski suits or like this, so I wasn't cold at all."

Despite the freezing conditions the race has become something of a local institution over the last 10 years.