2024
Spring
Summer
Edition
Dawei Bian
Dawei, a 52-year-old Chinese national, embarked on his running journey in 2014. Over the years, he has transformed his health, shedding 20 kilograms and adopting a proactive, disciplined lifestyle. His passion for running has taken him to over a hundred marathons and triathlons around the world, marking significant milestones in his athletic career. Dawei’s running resume boasts an impressive array of achievements. He completed his 100th marathon at the Forbidden City Marathon on November 7, 2022. His personal best time of 3 hours and 31 minutes was achieved at the 2019 Seoul Marathon. To date, he has completed 124 full marathons. His dedication extends beyond marathons, with 15 trail races and 15 triathlons under his belt, including his first IRONMAN 226 in Gurye Korea in 2023. Among Dawei’s notable accomplishments, he completed the Virtual World Marathon Challenge (777) in 2020 and has successfully finished two rounds of the Abbott World Marathon Majors so far. His commitment to the sport earned him membership in the inaugural group of the China Exploration Association’s 100 Marathons Club. Driven by an unyielding spirit, Dawei has set his sights on several ambitious goals, including participating in the North Pole Marathon, the Gobi Desert Challenge, and the World Marathon Challenge (7 Marathons 7 Continents 7 Days). He also aims to complete the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. Beyond his personal achievements, Dawei is a fervent advocate for scientific training methods and a positive lifestyle. His influence has inspired nearly a thousand individuals, including family, friends, and colleagues, to take up running. He has also invested in and nurtured various sports/health projects. Dawei’s running adventures have allowed him to explore diverse corners of the globe, and he looks forward to continuing his journey, challenging himself, and meeting like-minded enthusiasts along the way.
Ignacio Inglessis
Ignacio grew up in The Andes, running since childhood chasing his father in the era before Garmins, gels, and dedicated running shoes. In retrospect, he probably ran marathons in his youth without knowing the exact distance, fueling on Coke and sugared bread. He owes his entire official marathon history to their dearest and fearless team leader, who convinced him to run his first Boston Marathon in 2011. Since then, he has been chasing the Seven Continents and 6 Majors (with two left of each). He also finished an Ironman in 2023 guided by the expert training of Coach Mauritz in their team. Running both polar marathons, the Antarctic Ice Marathon and the North Pole Marathon, will go down in his book as his highest athletic accomplishments.
Mauritz Jansen van Rensburg
Mauritz Jansen van Rensburg, better known as coach Mo, is South African born and raised on 7 April 1971. He graduated from the University of South Africa with a BCom degree in Marketing and Business Management. He is the founder of Soul Running, his online coaching business for runners, triathletes, and cyclists. Mauritz previously worked in sales for Oakley Africa and New Balance Africa for almost two decades. He ran his first cross-country race at age 7 and has since completed 47 marathons, with his fastest being his first at 2:36:15 at age 25 in Bloemfontein. His international marathons include Boston (9 times), Chicago, New York (twice), Cape Town (twice), Buenos Aires, Auckland, Honolulu, and the Antarctic Ice Marathon. He is a six-time Ironman finisher, including the Hawaii Ironman, and was part of the 2-man winning team at the 2008 Cape Odyssey Trail Run. He has represented South Africa in triathlon and duathlon at various World Championship events. In 2023, he completed the Comrades Ultra Marathon 90km race in just over 8 hours. His future goals include running marathons on all 7 continents, running the 6 Major Marathons in under 3 hours (he has done 3 so far: Boston, Chicago, New York), and returning to Ironman after turning 50 to qualify for another Hawaii Ironman World Championship in his age group.
Lawrence Bradley
Larry has run 76 marathons over 38 years. He is blessed with a very patient and understanding family who have indulged him over those years, as well as supportive friends, teammates, and colleagues who pretend not to think he's crazy. With his running buddies on Team Boston, they have run the World Marathon Majors and covered all 7 continents. They've had great trips and seen some fantastic places. Larry expects the North Pole Marathon to be one of the high points, even though he hates the cold!
Elaine Du
Elaine is a senior student majoring in photography at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and a member of the Chinese Women Photographers Association. She served as the chief director of the 2024 NYU CSSA Annual Conference. A marathon enthusiast, Elaine completed the Arctic Circle Half Marathon in 2015, secured second place in the women’s category of the Antarctic White Continent Marathon in 2018, completed all seven half marathons in the 2023 World Marathon Challenge WMC777, and finished the New York Marathon in 2023 and the Los Angeles Marathon in 2024.
Jerome Grove
Jerry has been running for over forty years and is a middle-of-the-pack runner. He started running for exercise and soon joined a group of committed runners, leading him to participate in races from 5k to marathons. His first marathon was the Boston Marathon, where he initially ran as a bandit and once beat Johnny Kelly by 10 minutes. Jerry has run approximately 50 marathons, including many majors, with his PR in NYC. He has run with great runners and friends from central Massachusetts and now enjoys running with his current group of friends. Running has provided him with great friendships, adventures, and fitness. He is inspired by his father, who ran his last 5k after turning 90 with a bum knee.
William Hafferty
Billy is a resident of Charlotte, Vermont. He is the owner of Green Mountain Massage & Bodywork. Bill was the men’s winner of the 2019 Antarctic Ice Marathon. He is also a running and multisport coach for Breakthrough Performance Coaching. He believes that the beauty of competition is with and within oneself more than anything else and that how one deals with the challenges on race day will always be worth more than the time on the clock.
Patrick Joyce
Patrick has been running since he was in junior high school and ran in college at NC State University. He then ran for Adidas for a couple of years after college. He has run over 30 marathons and has been blessed to do this with great friends all over the world. His personal record in the marathon is from Boston, where he ran 2:29. His wife is also a runner and ran in college at Providence. They have 2 kids, Molly, age 11, and Liam, age 9, who have started to run themselves. They reside in Raleigh, NC.
Katherine Kennedy
Kate is still surprised that she’s a marathoner because growing up she only ran within the context of other sports. After college, she slowly began to get into running, and then began to enjoy it. After two half marathons, she was ready for more and registered for her first marathon. Kate now loves the physical and mental challenge that training for and running marathons provides. She’s run 33 marathons, most frequently the Boston Marathon and the Chicago Marathon, and most notably a PR of 3:45 at the California International Marathon. While Kate has always enjoyed experiencing other countries through travel, she’s recently been able to combine marathons with international travel through the Athens Marathon and the Auckland Marathon. The North Pole Marathon will be Kate’s most outrageous marathon to date, and next on her list will be to run the three World Marathon Majors outside the US.
Katherine Kowalchek
Katherine, also known as "KK," entered her first race, a 5K for the YMCA & Livestrong Foundation, in 2010. She wasn’t sure she could run that far. Since then, she has surprised herself by running a lot further! She ran her first marathon in Chicago in 2013, followed by 9 Boston Marathons, the New York Marathon, as well as a few international 26.2s as part of “Team Boston”: the Athens Authentic Marathon and the Auckland Marathon. She is very proud to say that in 2021 she ran three marathons within a one-month timeframe (2 of them one week apart). Katherine has personally completed a total of 15 marathons and is most excited to be on board this ice-breaking vessel to -- God willing -- test her endurance and complete her 16th marathon like a true explorer of the geographic North Pole! Her long-term dream is to complete all the World Marathon Majors along with her husband, who also runs marathons and with whom she has completed the 3 'Americas'.
Evan Lai
The North Pole Marathon will be Evan's 23rd marathon. He has run a marathon on every continent and received his seven-continent medal after running Antarctica in 2019. His goal is to run the London Marathon to be able to complete the 6 Abbott Major Marathons. Evan's first marathon was in New York in 2010, and his P.R. was a 3:55 in Boston in 2013. He loves the running community and believes there's nothing like physically and mentally pushing yourself toward a singular goal. He appreciates that everyone comes to the starting line with various goals in mind but with the shared objective of completing the race. Evan is thankful he can still run marathons and hopes to continue doing so for many more years. He looks forward to the incredible upcoming challenge with a great group of running friends.
Daqing Mao
Daqing is a scholar in demography, urban renewal, and regional economics, as well as a registered architect and columnist. He is the founder of Ucommune (NASDAQ: UK) and Uxwork, a co-working space brand. A marathon enthusiast, Daqing serves as the President of the 100-Marathon Runners Association of the China Exploration Association, the Vice President of the Beijing Triathlon Association, and the founder of the “Mao Yarn Group” charity running team. As of June 2024, he has completed 206 full marathons. He has received numerous honors, including nomination of the 2016 CCTV Sports Person of the Year for Sportsmanship, winner of the 2017 “Chinese Marathoner of the Year”, and he was a torchbearer for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Additionally, he completed the 7th Edition of the World Marathon Challenge in 2023 and won the title of the 10th “Contemporary Xu Xiake of China.”
Chen Meng
Chen, a 52-year-old from China, is new to running. Despite suffering from long-term meniscus wear in her knee, which initially made her hesitant to attempt long-distance running, she was inspired and motivated by her family and began running in 2018. She completed her first 10-kilometer run in 2019 and enjoyed the Fun Run at the New York City Marathon and the 8k race at the Vancouver Marathon. Apart from running, Chen started fitness training in 2020 and has been a regular practitioner of yoga. By learning running techniques and following a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, she gradually increased her distance and improved her overall health. Experiencing the benefits of running, both physically and mentally, Chen began promoting the activity and encouraging those around her to exercise. She has participated in three 100-day running challenges (completing 100 days of running within 120 days) and has signed up for the fourth. She has motivated her siblings, relatives, and friends to join the 100-day run, fostering mutual encouragement and collective exercise. Her goal is to complete a full marathon one day. Chen dreams of participating in the North Pole Marathon and she hopes to push her limits once again and meet like-minded friends.
Shannen Moen
Shannen is a vibrant social media enthusiast whose heart beats for fashion, sports, and entertainment. With a constant wanderlust and a thirst for adventure, Shannen has a love for traveling, soaking in diverse cultures and experiences. Hailing from the sunny shores of Tampa, Florida, she grew up as a competitive dancer for 16 years. After graduating from the University of Alabama in 2016, Shannen found her second home in the bustling streets of Boston, where she has resided for the past eight years. It's in this dynamic city that her passion for running blossomed into a remarkable journey. With over six Boston Marathon finishes under her belt, she embodies the spirit of endurance and determination. Shannen is about to conquer her 9th marathon, this time tackling the challenging North Pole. Beyond the pavement, Shannen's digital footprint shines brightly as she shares her adventures and insights with her online community. Whether she's strutting down the streets, cheering on her favorite sports teams, or indulging in a new excursion, Shannen infuses every moment with her contagious energy and enthusiasm.
John Mortimer III
Formerly a professional distance runner and NCAA track coach at Harvard University, Boston College, and the University of Kentucky, John is a 7-time All-American runner from the University of Michigan. He represented the United States on Team USA in 1997 and 1998. While primarily a track athlete, John has completed four marathons, achieving a personal best of 2:26:36 when he finished 36th at the Boston Marathon in 2007. He currently resides in Bedford, NH, and owns a running store and events company, Millennium Running.
Yusheng Ni
Yusheng has completed 430 marathon and ultra-marathon races, including twenty 100k races and four 100-mile races, with his footprints spanning seven continents and 78 countries and regions. These include 165 races in China, 144 in North America, 60 in Europe, 44 in Asia, 7 in Africa, 6 in South America, 3 in Oceania, and 1 in Antarctica. He has run 128 marathons under 3 hours, with his best time being 2:42. He has completed the World Marathon Majors over 5 times, totaling 31 races, with an average best time of 2:45 for the six majors. He has won 30 championships.He’s excited to run the North Pole Marathon in the summer of 2024, followed by the World Marathon Challenge in 2025. Yusheng is the Chairman of Shenzhen Yuanteng Investment and Development Company, specializing in real estate construction and financial investment.
Kenneth Ozkaptan
Ken is 55 years old and lives in Concord, Massachusetts with his wife Eva-Merete. Ken and Eva-Merete have three children and celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary last June. Ken likes to be outdoors and enjoys hiking, biking and skiing. You would find Ken in his younger years living in Germany and competing in bicycle criterium road races around Europe or skiing in the Alps. He also enjoyed bicycle touring. One of his most memorable rides was riding three consecutive centuries from Orlando to Miami, Florida in support of an AIDS charity foundation raising money for critical AIDS services and medical research. Shifting gears, Ken thoroughly enjoys a challenge and is new to the running scene. Ken’s first marathon was in Chicago in 2005. Most recently, he ran the 2024 Boston Marathon as a charity runner for Boston’s Spaulding Race for Rehab Team. Aside from running, Ken is passionate about hiking and did some of his most memorable hikes in Norway, New Zealand and some adventurous trails in Hawaii.
Yong Pang
Yong, a 54-year-old from Shanghai, China, has been in the automobile industry for decades and has been running long distances for 10 years. He has participated in over 10 marathons, including those in Shanghai, Chicago, and London, and completed a 100-kilometer ultramarathon in 2018. Since 2019, Yong has wanted to run the North Pole Marathon and even traveled to Longyearbyen, Svalbard, in April 2019, where he made new friends with runners from around the world. However, due to geopolitical reasons, he was unable to achieve his dream that year, so Yong is particularly excited for the upcoming North Pole Marathon 2024 Summer Edition. He hopes to call for attention to climate change from both the global and individual prospectives, gather entrepreneurial spirit, and promote clear water and blue skies. Even the smallest efforts are meaningful. Let us look forward to a more sustainable and better blue planet where we all live together.
Susan Ragon
At age 73, 90° North is Susan Ragon's 50th marathon and will secure her place in The Marathon Grand Slam Club of runners who have completed marathons on all seven continents and on the Arctic Ocean at the North Pole Marathon. Susan's marathon journey began as a "bandit" runner in the 1993 Boston Marathon and has since become a global journey. Her marathon list includes 25 Boston, several New York City, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Chicago, Disney World, London, Paris, Sydney, and Tokyo. Susan achieved a personal record of 3:52:05 at age 58, just a year after undergoing open-heart surgery. In 2019, she defied the odds again by becoming the oldest woman to finish the Antarctic Ice Marathon following a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, earning her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Professionally, Susan serves as the Vice President of Finance, Administration, and Recruitment at InterSystems Corporation. Outside of her career and running achievements, she is a dedicated philanthropist. Her greatest joy comes from her eight grandchildren—Gavin, Sophia, Chloe, Nolan, Mason, Cecilia, Adrian, and Liliana. Susan lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband, Terry.
Brian Sennett
Brian is a career USAF veteran and private pilot. During his time in the military, and subsequently managing corporate flight departments, he traveled to nearly every country in the world. This will be his first marathon. He hopes to finish in the prescribed 8-hour time and outrun any hungry polar bears. He enjoys many fitness activities including shorter distance runs, boxing, and cycling. His biggest endurance event thus far is cycle trekking the Swiss Alps, with climbs at the Matterhorn, Zinalrothorn, and two alpine passes.
Chunyu Shao
Shaochun is the director of an investment and real estate development company in Shenzhen, China, engaged in real estate construction and financial investment. In 7 months, she completed 11 half marathons and an 8-day, 8-state, 8-5k event in the United States.
Lee Statham
To be added.
Derek Stefureac
Derek is a 52-year old engineer living in Las Vegas. Derek is a big fan of things that are challenging, extreme, interesting, far away and exotic. He has run at least one marathon on each continent and would like to celebrate by running the North Pole Marathon and joining The Marathon Grand Slam Club! Some of his favorite adventure marathons have been the Everest Marathon in Nepal, the Volcano Marathons in Chile and the Antarctic Ice Marathon in Antarctica. Derek took up running in 2011 to help him quit smoking and get healthier and totally fell in love with distance running. He has run 36 marathons including the Revel Mt Charleston Marathon in Nevada where he qualified for Boston.
Joseph Sullivan
Joe is a very experienced marathon runner, having completed 33 marathons before heading to the North Pole. His impressive resume includes races in 16 of the 50 states in the USA, 12 consecutive Boston Marathons, and international marathons in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Athens, Greece, and Auckland, New Zealand. Joe and his wife hope to continue traveling throughout the USA to finish races in all the remaining states, as well as participate in more international races.
Nolan Wang
Having run the North Pole 10 Miler last year, Nolan has now finished his first year of high school and is excited to return to the top of the world to run around the planet again.
Duane Wesemann
Duane embraces endurance running as an expression of devotion and connection. Devotion to a fundamental, natural form of human movement and fitness he finds intrinsically fulfilling; and connection to nature and humanity through the deeply embedded evolutionary history of endurance running in humankind. For Duane, running marathons in diverse parts of the world with other runners provides a unique type of education and inspiration otherwise inaccessible. He dedicates this run to his family, the creative and empowering friends who make it possible for him to participate, and to whoever came up with the idea to hold a marathon at Earth’s North Pole. As an amateur in every sense of the word, he feels a profound sense of inspiration and gratitude to run alongside the amazing athletes confronting the challenge of completing a marathon on a sheet of ice at the northernmost spot on this planet.
Hong Zhang
Hong began running marathons around 2010 and has since completed over 50 marathons, three half marathons, and a 100k race. She achieved the World Marathon Majors 6-star goal at the 2014 Chicago Marathon, becoming the first female runner in China to do so. Hong completed the 2022 Antarctic Ice Marathon and is now looking forward to running the North Pole Marathon on top of the world, followed by the World Marathon Challenge in 2025.
Yixin Zhang
Yixin is from Shanghai, China. As a news professional, she has long been focusing on environmental protection and public welfare, and has a deep love for nature.
Pierre d’Hemecourt
Pierre began running almost daily at the end of his first year at Georgetown Medical School in 1977. Although he kept his runs under 10k, his move to Boston in 1996 for a sports medicine fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital marked a turning point. The fellowship involved preparing for and covering the Boston Marathon, and in 1997, Pierre ran his first marathon as a Boston Marathon bandit. From 1997 to 2004, he ran the Boston Marathon annually as part of Children’s Hospital fundraising, achieving his best time of 3:42 in 2004. In 2005, he was asked to serve as one of the medical directors for the Boston Marathon, which ended his participation as a runner but opened up opportunities to run many other marathons, including all the World Marathon Majors and the Antarctic Ice Marathon in 2019. His upcoming 21st marathon will be at the North Pole. Pierre has a great passion for running health across all age groups.