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People & Culture

Gearing up with Ray Zahab

How the elite distance runner combats the cold

  • Mar 31, 2014
  • 242 words
  • 1 minutes
By Kathleen Clark
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Ray Zahab runs across landscapes where few will ever set foot. From frozen Siberian lakes and the Gobi Desert to his most recent dash across Nunavut’s Baffin Island in March, Zahab knows that having the right equipment is key to a successful trip. Here’s a layer-by-layer look at the gear that got him 160 kilometres across the Arctic island in just 48 hours.

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(Photos: Jessica Burtnick)
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(Photos: Jessica Burtnick)
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(Photos: Jessica Burtnick)
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(Photos: Jessica Burtnick)
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(Photos: Jessica Burtnick)
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(Photos: Jessica Burtnick)
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(Photos: Jessica Burtnick)

Canadian Geographic’s stories on Ray Zahab
From travelling across the Gobi Desert to winter running in Canada, find out more about the Canadian runner

Running across Baffin Island is no sweat for someone who has already travelled across the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, the Sahara Desert in Africa and the Atacama Desert in Chile. In 2009, Ray Zahab was part of a team that broke a world speed record travelling to the South Pole. During his travels, Zahab has shared his experiences and educated people around the world through his non-profit organization, impossible2Possible.

Learn more about why Zahab was one of Canadian Geographic’s top changemakers of 2013.

And read Zahab’s tips for winter running.

Ray Zahab photo shoot

A behind-the-scenes look at the photo shoot for the April 2014 issue’s infographic

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