Update, April 12th: First video news reports / releases here:
Eurosport - Daily Motion - 7 News (Australia) - 3 News (New Zealand) - HUTC Productions - BBC News 24 - NDTV (India) - TV2 Africa
Update, April 11th: The competitors and organisers have been travelling since yesterday. A news release should be available later today or tomorrow.
Update from Spitsbergen, April 10th: All competitors have returned to Spitsbergen to make their scheduled international flights. A small selection of Mike King's photos are vailable for download here.
Update from North Pole, April 9th: The marathon commenced at 22:00 on April 8th and ran throughout the 'night' (there are 24 hours of daylight at the North Pole). The temperature was -32C and conditions underfoot became more difficult as the race progressed. However, all runners successfully completed the event and have now stood at the precise Geographic North Pole. Istvan Toth (HUN) won the men's division in a time of 4:54:03 while Richelle Turner (AUS) won the women's race in 6:03:06. Results below - a full news release will follow soon after their return from the Pole.
MEN
1. Istvan Toth (HUN) - 4:54:03 (Bib 23)
2. John Braun (LUX) - 5:05:50 (Bib 9)
3. Dmitry Mamadaliev (RUS) - 5:05:53 (Bib 27)
4. Fernando Gonzalez (ESP) - 5:09:40 (Bib 14)
5. Peter Van Den Berg (GBR) - 5:23:55 (Bib 26)
6. David Brogan (GBR) - 5:34:35(Bib 2)
6. Ben Walmsley (GBR) - 5:34:35 (Bib 5)
8. Nigel Clark (GBR) - 5:41:42 (Bib 4)
9. James Love (GBR) - 6:01:05 (Bib 18)
10. Andre Cronje (RSA) - 6:08:08 (Bib 1)
11. Glenn Harkness (CAN) - 6:18:22 (Bib 15)
12. Chris Clark (GBR) - 6:20:45 (Bib 3)
12. Mark Duncan (RSA) - 6:20:45 (Bib 12)
14. Bernt Arne Tvedt (NOR) - 6:53:44 (Bib 7)
15. Christophe Lebrun (FRA) - 7:07:48 (Bib 17)
16. Nicholas Swan (AUS) - 7:12:18 (Bib 22)
17. Ronan Scully (IRL) - 7:58:02 (Bib 20)
18. Ajay Khandelwal (GBR) - 8:11:10 (Bib 16)
19. Jon Smith (GBR) - 8:34:44 (Bib 21)
20. George Nichols (USA) - 8:40:42 (Bib 19)
21. Krishna Prasad Chigurupati (IND) - 9:11:20 (Bib 10)
22. Anand Anantharaman (IND) - 9:20:50 (Bib 6)
WOMEN
1. Richelle Turner (AUS) - 6:03:06 (Bib 24)
2. Sharyn Fitzgerald (AUS) - 6:28:16 (Bib 8)
3. Sue Bradford (GBR) - 7:14:24 (Bib 13)
4. Aly Van Den Berg (GBR) - 8:52:04 (Bib 11)
5. Uma Devi Chigurupati (IND) - 9:11:20 (Bib 25)
North Pole, April 8th (pm): The AN-74 plane safely landed at the Pole with 15 marathoners and picked up Prince Harry in the process. The course is currently being marked and the race is expected to begin at 22:00 GMT after the remaining marathoners arrive on a second flight. The scenery and light is amazing with temperatures of -25C approximately. Spectacular hillicks of ice dot the horizon. A Russian special forces soldier at the Russian base will also join the marathon to bring the total to 27 competitors.
Spitsbergen, April 8th (am): The UVU North Pole Marathon runners have received the green light to fly to the Pole today. With 24 hours of daylight at the Pole, the Marathon could begin at midnight GMT.
Spitsbergen, April 7th (pm): Updated News - There is no flight to the North Pole tonight while the runway is fixed. There will be an update at approximately 10:00 GMT tomorrow when we hope to learn the North Pole Marathon competitors will be able to depart for the Pole.
Spitsbergen, April 7th (am): The North Pole Marathon is currently delayed while logistics attempts to repair the landing runway at the Pole. The marathon takes place on the Arctic Ocean and a crevasse of 1 metre wide opened up on the runway yesterday. A flight containing several North Pole Marathon competitors was en route to the Pole at the time and was ordered to return to Spitsbergen in midair.
While the North Pole Marathon competitors are now waiting in Spitsbergen to fly to the Pole, the UK's Prince Harry is on the other side waiting for the North Pole Marathon flight to arrive and take him back to Spitsbergen. The Prince had embarked on a charity trek with wounded soldiers but is due home now.
Weather also deteriorated at the Pole yesterday evening with high winds and a blizzard developing. It seems the earliest possible opportunity to fly to the Pole will be tomorrow afternoon, assuming the runway is repaired or a suitable site for a new runway is located and prepared. In this case, the marathon will likely take place on April 9th.
The UVU North Pole Marathon is dedicated to the memory of Mari-Simon Cronje, whose father Andre is running in the event with a team who are raising funds for Great Ormond Street Children's Kidney Centre. Please see www.arcticchallengers.com for details. Profiles of all of the 2011 North Pole Marathon competitors can be viewed at www.npmarathon.com/html/200427/.
Title sponsor UVU is a new sportwear label that creates from the highest performing fabrics that are tested in extreme conditions. The company's product range, catering for ultrarunning and extreme running, will be available later this year.
We hope to have a further update later this evening.
Spitsbergen, April 6th (pm): The High Arctic is a true frontier and the North Pole Marathon has been suddenly delayed for safety reasons due to a crack developing on the landing runway at the North Pole. The crack is currently being asessed and may require the lengethening of the runway on either end or else a new runway. More information will be available tomorrow, but it is likely that the marathon cannot take place until Friday or Saturday.
Spitsbergen, April 6th (am): The UVU North Pole Marathon is scheduled to take place on 7 April 2011. Competitors have assembled at Spitsbergen, the departure point for the North Pole. The current temperature at the North Pole is -25C with clear blue skies and low winds -- perfect conditions for marathon running!
This year's race is dedicated to the memory of Mari-Simon Cronje, an 11-year-old girl who died in a tragic accident last year. Her father Andre will run with a team called The Arctic Challengers to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Children's Kidney Centre in her memory - see www.arcticchallengers.com. There are 26 competitors in total, 21 men and 5 women, whose profiles can be viewed at www.npmarathon.com/html/200427/. In addition to challenging themselves in the world's coolest marathon, many are raising significant funds for good causes in the process.
Competitors are currently scheduled to arrive at the North Pole camp on the morning of 7 April after acclimatising in Spitsbergen over the previous two days. The marathon course will have been prepared in advance and the expected start time is 14:00 GMT. With 24 hours of daylight, however, the race can commence at any time!
New sportswear label UVU, whose products are created from the highest performing fabrics and tested in extreme conditions, are partnering with the North Pole Marathon as title sponsor. The company's product range, catering for ultrarunning and extreme running, will be available later this year.
Finally the organisers are utilising a Russian camp at the North Pole and would like to pay tribute to the Russian cosmonauts who celebrate 50 years since Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. Famous Russian cosmonauts are signing diplomas for all of the North Pole Marathon competitors, including Alexei Leonov (the first man to walk in space) and Valentina Vladimirovna (the first woman in space).