Equipment
Clothing
Skaters wear gloves and tight fitting, all in one aerodynamic suits with an integral hood. The clothing is designed to offer the least possible wind drag The skater starting on the outside lane wears a red armband and the skater starting in the inside lane wears a white armband.
Skates
Skates for speed skaters have long straight blades, longer than their figure skating and ice hockey counterparts, reaching up to 46cm long. The boot does not come up over the ankle, allowing flexibility of movement. The blade is only 1mm thick.