TL;DR
- The Jack Frost race is a hidden challenge found south of Central Station in Everfrozen Earth, Snezhnaya.
- Approach the flag-holding Jack Frost to trigger the race against a crowd of faster snowmen.
- Method 1: Place Grappling Gun Prime Ice Constructs along the route before starting — each gun latches onto a Jack Frost’s back hook and stops it for a few seconds.
- Method 2: Stack movement speed buffs using Anemo Resonance, mobility characters like Wanderer or Xilonen, and an Ambient Bollard construct.
- A snowball launcher on the course lets you skip a chunk of the track — combine it with your chosen method for the best result.
- Finishing first rewards an Exquisite Chest. You can retry as many times as needed at no cost.
What Is the Jack Frost Race in Genshin Impact?
The Jack Frost race is a fun hidden open-world challenge in Snezhnaya, added in Version 7.0. South of Central Station in Everfrozen Earth, a small Jack Frost holding a flag stands at the start of a race course. Nearby, a crowd of other Jack Frosts waits to compete against you. Interact with the flag-holding fae to kick things off — and quickly discover that these little snowmen are surprisingly fast.
At base movement speed, the Traveler simply cannot keep up. The Jack Frosts sprint ahead and reach the finish line well before you unless you use one of two strategies: sabotage them with Prime Ice Constructs, or stack enough movement speed to outrun them legitimately. Both methods work, and this guide covers both in full.
If you enjoy Jack Frost-related challenges across Snezhnaya, also check out the Excitement-Loving Jack Frost Challenge Guide and the Hide-and-Seek Jack Frosts Quest Guide for more fae-themed fun.
Where to Find the Jack Frost Race
The race starts south of Central Station in the Everfrozen Earth sub-region of Snezhnaya. Central Station is the main hub of the Snezhnograd capital area. Once you are in Everfrozen Earth, head south from the station until you spot a Jack Frost standing near a flag. The surrounding group of snowmen waiting beside it is your visual cue that you have found the right spot.
Approach the flag-holding Jack Frost and interact with it to begin. You can restart the race as many times as you want — losing costs nothing, and you can speak to the flag-holder again immediately for another attempt.
To access this area, you need:
- Archon Quest Prologue: Act III – Song of the Dragon and Freedom completed, which unlocks Snezhnaya and gives you the Eye of Graeae gadget.
- Progress through Archon Quest Chapter VII: Act I – Everwinter Without Mercy to unlock world exploration and world quests in Snezhnaya.
Method 1: Use Grappling Guns to Slow the Jack Frosts (Recommended)
This is the most reliable method and works regardless of which characters you have. It uses the Prime Ice Construct system — specifically the Grappling Gun construct — to stop the Jack Frosts in their tracks before they reach the finish line.
Every Jack Frost in the race carries a hook on its back. When a Grappling Gun construct is placed near the race path, it automatically latches onto any Jack Frost that runs past, yanking it in place for a few seconds. This brief stop is all you need to pull ahead and cross the finish line first.
Step 1 — Run the Course Once First
Before setting up your traps, do one practice run to learn the layout of the race course. Pay attention to the turns, the straightaways, and any spots where the snowmen bunch up or sprint ahead of you the fastest. You do not need to win this run — just use it to map out where the Grappling Guns will be most effective. Losing a practice run costs you nothing.
Step 2 — Build Grappling Guns Along the Route
After learning the course, open your Prime Ice Construct menu and place Grappling Gun constructs along the race path before starting the next attempt. Focus on the spots where the Jack Frosts overtake you most easily — long flat stretches and tight corners where they gain the most ground. Build as many as your Kresnik Energy allows.
Make sure your Eye of Graeae is fully charged with Kresnik Energy before setting this up. Refill it from Mini Kresnik Torches or by breaking Kresnik Kristall Ores scattered throughout Snezhnaya if needed. The more Grappling Guns you can place, the more stop-points you create and the bigger your lead grows.
Step 3 — Race and Let the Guns Do the Work
Start the race and run as fast as you can. As the Jack Frosts catch up and sprint past your Grappling Guns, each gun latches onto the hook on their backs and holds them in place for a few seconds. This keeps happening at each gun placement, giving you a growing lead. Sprint to the finish line while the snowmen are repeatedly stopped along the way.
Bonus — Use the Snowball Launcher
One of the Jack Frosts on the course builds a snowball launcher during the race. You can hop into it yourself. Entering the launcher turns you into a snowball and fires you forward, skipping a chunk of the course instantly. Combining the snowball skip with your Grappling Gun placements makes winning even more comfortable. If you spot the launcher, use it — do not let the snowman use it instead.
Method 2: Outrun the Jack Frosts with Movement Buffs
If you prefer to win the race cleanly without sabotage, you can stack enough movement speed to genuinely beat the Jack Frosts on foot. This requires preparation before the race starts but is satisfying to pull off.
Movement Speed Stacking Strategy
Start by bringing two Anemo characters in your team to activate Anemo Resonance, which increases the whole team’s movement speed by 10%. Add an Ambient Bollard Prime Ice Construct near the starting line for a further speed boost, and equip the Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds catalyst on a character for an additional 10% movement speed.
The biggest speed gains come from characters with high-mobility skills. The key is to rotate through them continuously so you always have at least one active boost running:
- Wanderer — high mobility during skill activation
- Xilonen — high mobility during skill activation
- Xianyun — high mobility during skill activation
- Diona — faster movement with reduced Stamina drain during skill use
- Dehya — increased movement speed during daytime
- Rosaria — increased movement speed at nighttime
Switch characters the moment one skill ends so the speed boost carries over without a gap. If you plan to use Dehya or Rosaria, open the in-game clock from the main menu and set the time to day or night accordingly before the race begins so their passive is active throughout.
The Snowball Launcher Works Here Too
Even when using the movement buff method, keep an eye out for the snowball launcher mid-race. Using it in combination with your speed buffs is the fastest possible way to cover the course — the launcher skip plus active mobility skills makes the race almost trivially easy.
Reward for Winning the Race
Cross the finish line ahead of every Jack Frost and an Exquisite Chest appears at the finish. Open it to collect Primogems, random artifacts, Adventure EXP, Mora, and other Snezhnayan materials.
There is no tracked quest tied to the race and no achievement for winning. It is a pure open-world encounter — interact, win, collect the chest, move on. If you fail, simply talk to the flag-holding Jack Frost again to restart immediately. The chest only appears on a successful first win, so you do not earn multiple chests from repeat attempts.
Tips for Winning the Race
- Always do a practice run first. Knowing the course before you start placing Grappling Guns or committing to a speed-buff rotation saves you from guessing where the hard spots are. The Jack Frosts tend to pull ahead most on straight open sections.
- Stack multiple Grappling Guns, not just one. A single gun stops one Jack Frost for a few seconds, but the others keep running. Placing several guns across different points of the route stops the whole group repeatedly and gives you a more comfortable lead.
- Charge your Eye of Graeae before starting. Building several Grappling Guns costs Kresnik Energy. If you run out mid-setup, your trap coverage is incomplete. Top up at a nearby Mini Kresnik Torch before you begin placing constructs.
- Use the snowball launcher no matter which method you pick. It is the single fastest way to skip ground during the race. Whether you are running the Grappling Gun sabotage or the movement buff method, hopping into the launcher is always worth doing.
- For Dehya or Rosaria users, set the clock first. Their movement speed passives are time-gated. Setting in-game time to day for Dehya or night for Rosaria before approaching the flag-holder ensures their bonus is active when the race starts.
- Combine both methods for an easy win. If you have already set up Grappling Guns along the route, there is no reason not to also activate a mobility skill at the start. Doing both at once gives you a lead from the beginning and keeps the snowmen stopped throughout.
Other Jack Frost Challenges in Snezhnaya
The race is just one of many Jack Frost-themed hidden encounters across Snezhnaya. Here are other quests and challenges involving these fae creatures worth completing while you explore the region:
- Excitement-Loving Jack Frost Challenge Guide — help a thrill-seeking Jack Frost complete exciting challenges across the icy terrain
- Hide-and-Seek Jack Frosts Quest Guide — find three Jack Frosts hiding in disguise on the House of Hesperides Main Floor
- Dizzy Jack Frost Quest Guide — escort a confused Jack Frost fae back to its home in the village
- Jack Frost Train Puzzle Guide — rescue three Panicked Jack Frosts trapped inside locked wrecked train cars
- All House of Hesperides Challenges Guide — full walkthrough of every puzzle inside the Fellfrost Peak mansion including multiple Jack Frost encounters
- Zarkaya Prime Ice Construct Quest Guide — complete a three-angle cube sculpture for an unmotivated Svetloledovka artist
- Yarina Prime Ice Construct Quest Guide — help Yarina with her symmetrical Prime Ice stall display
- Trembling Voice Puzzle Guide — help a mysterious voice in an abandoned house in Everfrozen Earth
- Dragov Photo Shoot Puzzle Guide — place three animal statues on a cliff in Fellfrost Peak
- Shadow Wingdrop Guide — use the Shadow Realm Analyzer in Fellfrost Peak
- Pioneers Quest Walkthrough — a key early world quest in Snezhnaya
Where to Play Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact and all of Snezhnaya’s Version 7.0 content is free to play on every platform:
