World's Coolest Marathon
02.04.2007
Among those leading the charge for the men’s title will be Thomas Maguire (Ireland) who finished 12th in the 2006 World 100km Championships in Korea. Other leading contenders for the top position include seasoned adventure athlete Francesco Galanzino (Italy), Bobby Bostic (USA), Kym McConnell (New Zealand), Jukka Viljanen (Finland), Juan Antonio Alegre (Spain) and Andrew Murray and Dave Horsley (Great Britain). The winner's prize will be a coveted Kobold expedition watch.
The women’s race, which also offers a Kobold timepiece to the winner, will be contested by Liubov Bleykh (Russia), Marianne DeMarco (USA), Karen Michelsen (Canada) and Katy Disley, Alison Gill and Susan Holliday (Great Britain). Gill is a triple-Olympian at rowing. Three teams will take part in the team competition.
The race, recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s most northerly marathon, will also include an attempt by paralympic athlete William Tan (Singapore) to finish the 26.2 miles (42km) distance. Tan will use the runway section of the course to meet this remarkable challenge, part of a global effort that also sees him attempt a marathon on all seven continents.
North Pole Marathon competitors will be flown by private jet from Spitsbergen (Norway) to a North Pole camp on the day prior to the race. They can expect temperatures of –20C to –30C and must wear three layers of clothing to contend with the frigid conditions. They have the opportunity to both run the marathon and stand at the precise Geographic North Pole during the course of the trip.
[The 2008 North Pole Marathon is provisionally scheduled for 6th April 2008 with a strict limit of 24 competitors. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.]
For more information see www.npmarathon.com.
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