These Are the Most Spread Out Winter Olympic Games in History-so I Tried to Visit All the Venues in 24 Hours

"The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are the most geographically spread out Winter Games in history, unfolding across 8,500 square miles of Northern Italy and the Dolomites. Rather than concentrating in a single host city, the competitions weave through alpine valleys, lakeside towns, the urban heartbeats of Verona and Milan, and some of the most breathtaking and iconic ski and snowboard terrains in the world. The 15 official Olympic venues are scattered across seven clusters. Instead of one Olympic Village, there are six."

"I've always been drawn to travel challenges that combine time pressure, endurance, and a healthy dose of delusion. Two years ago, I completed seven triathlons on seven continents in seven consecutive days, an experience that reshaped my sense of time and distance. So when I overheard an Italian journalist casually remark that visiting all the Olympic venues in a single day would be impossible without a helicopter, a light bulb switched on."

Milano Cortina Winter Olympics span 8,500 square miles across northern Italy and the Dolomites, with 15 official venues arranged in seven clusters and six Olympic Villages. Competitions occur across alpine valleys, lakeside towns, Verona, Milan, and renowned ski and snowboard terrains. Organizers provided a transportation app that generates optimal routes between any two venues, addressing road closures, single-lane mountain passes, and winter storms. A sample journey from Milan to Cortina during a blizzard required a train to Venice, a bus to Cortina's center, and a one-mile walk to the Curling Stadium, taking seven hours one way. A history of extreme endurance feats, including seven triathlons on seven continents in seven days, motivated an attempt to visit all venues in a single day after hearing such a feat deemed impossible without a helicopter.

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