The North Pole Marathon is run over the classic 42.195km (26.2 miles ) marathon distance. The race encompasses an individual competiton, with male and female divisions, and a team competition for teams of three or more.
SUMMARY FACTS ABOUT THE UVU NORTH POLE MARATHON
- Member of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races
- Only certified marathon that is run entirely ‘on’ water, the frozen water of the Arctic Ocean
- Recognised 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 occured on 5th April 2002 when Richard Donovan (IRL) ran the distance alone
- There have been 11 North Pole Marathons to date
- Approximately 300 people from 40 nations have sucessfully completed the event
- 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 4:53:10 was set by Fiona Oakes (GBR) in 2013
- Two guided blind athletes, Mark Pollock and Jamie Cuthbertson, completed the race in 2004 and 2010, respectively
- In 2007, William Tan – a wheelchair competitor – completed a marathon distance on the aircraft runway
- 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
