80 Day Race to come to Astana

ASTANA. KAZINFORM On Wednesday, co-founder and director of the 80 Day Race Frank Manders and Director of Astana Convention Bureau Saniyar Aitekenov signed a memorandum on Astana's inclusion into the list of the 80 Day Race host cities, the organizers said.

Astana became the ninth host city in the race that will start in Paris and will be heading east in the direction of China.

Each of almost 40 teams will be free to choose its own route between the stopover cities. It is planned that from Asia, the teams will cross the North Pacific Ocean to arrive at the half way mark North America's West coast. After that, the teams will race through a variety of landscapes towards South America, before heading back to Europe.

"Host cities, scattered around the globe, will map the race track. These cities are the destination for each leg, a rewarding goal for the teams, an exciting experience for the public, and a platform for thought leaders in sustainable mobility," the race's official website reads.

80 Day Race will be held in 2019. And, according to the organizers, it should become "the start of a new era when new technology allows us to go around the world in less than 80 days without the use of fossil fuel. It is planned that the teams will try to cover over 500 km a day.