WATCH: Brooklyn resident runs shirtless in a blizzard

It turns out Canadians aren’t the only ones who know a thing or two about braving the cold. When a big winter storm hit New York City this weekend, one Brooklyn runner laced up his shoes and stepped out for a 10-mile (16km) run, but he left his shirt at home. The runner, Tim Zhou, was interviewed by a local news station, where he revealed this has become an annual tradition.

NOPE! ? Shirtless #Brooklyn runner braves the snow-covered streets during #noreaster – https://t.co/YE51plRwv8 pic.twitter.com/kRPJC77kCt

— News12BK (@News12BK) January 29, 2022

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Zhou told the reporter that he’s been doing this for a couple of years, saying that he prepares himself by doing ice baths and cold showers. “You get used to the cold,” he said. “So you go out on days like these and you don’t really feel it.”

This tradition puts Zhou among the ranks of barefoot winter runners and these guys, who ran shirtless after a blizzard in Whiterock, B.C., and while he’s certainly a brave runner, it’s possible he’s part of the 20 per cent of the population who’s genetically resilient to the cold.

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Here at Canadian Running, we definitely recommend the majority of runners wear the appropriate clothing for winter running and that you be careful when choosing to head out in a blizzard since visibility could be a concern. But if the cold doesn’t bother you and you prefer the minimalist approach to your winter running wardrobe, who are we to judge? Just have fun and be safe.