The North Pole Marathon ® is run over the classic 42.195km (26.2 miles ) marathon distance. The race encompasses an individual competition, with male and female divisions, and a team competition for teams of three or more. There is also an option to run a half marathon.
summary facts about the north pole marathon
- Full member of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).
- Only certified marathon that is run entirely 'on' water, the frozen water of the Arctic Ocean.
- Recognized by Guinness World Records as the Northernmost Marathon on Earth.
- Dubbed the 'World's Coolest Marathon' ® by Runner's World magazine in 2004.
- The first North Pole Marathon occurred on 5th April 2002 when Richard Donovan (IRL) ran the distance alone, thus becoming the first marathoner at both the North and South Poles.
- There have been 16 North Pole Marathons to date. The 2022 race will be the 17th event.
- Five-hundred-and-fifty-two people from 55 countries have successfully completed the event (535 have completed the marathon).
- It's impossible to predict winning times because weather conditions and terrain are variable from one year to the next.
- The men's record of 3:36:10 was set by Thomas Maguire (IRL) in 2007.
- The women's record of 4:52:45 was set by Anne-Marie Flammersfeld (GER) in 2014.
- Three guided blind athletes, Mark Pollock (IRL), Jamie Cuthbertson (GBR) and Siu Wai Leung (HKG), completed the race in 2004, 2010 and 2018, respectively.
- In 2007, William Tan - a wheelchair competitor - completed a marathon distance on the aircraft runway.
- Paul Grealish (IRL) has run six North Pole Marathons (2004, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018), the most completed by one person.
- The oldest woman to complete the North Pole Marathon is Kenwynne Barber (GBR), who was 66 years old in 2006 when she ran the event.
- The oldest man to complete the North Pole Marathon is Michel Ribet (FRA / USA), who was 78 years old in 2016 when he ran the event.
- Participants are eligible to join the exclusive Marathon Grand Slam Club by finishing a marathon on each of the seven continents and the North Pole Marathon.
