On Fridays we feature the World's 10 Interesting & Unusual Marathons:
Our goal is to travel the world with you in search of the most unusual, fun, and interesting races from Peoria to Peking.
Today we travel to the North Pole for the North Pole Marathon.
Do you have about 12,000 Euros and a desire to run on water where few have run before? If so, this is the marathon for you.
From the Marathon's web site:
On 7th April 2009 athletes like you will have the opportunity to make history as a continuing new breed of Arctic adventurer. By competing in the world’s coolest marathon, the North Pole Marathon, you will become one of a truly select few to race at the top of the world - at the Geographic North Pole. And you will feel on top of the world when you manage to overcome the extreme sub-zero temperatures to finish 26.2 miles in one of the remotest parts of the planet.
But first you must ask yourself if you have got the nerve and drive to travel to the North Pole and run on Arctic ice floes, with 6 to 12 feet separating you from 12,000 feet of Arctic Ocean? Can you handle the extreme cold? Are you fit enough? Do you want to push yourself to the edge? If the answer is yes, then you are ready for the North Pole Marathon. Join race director Richard Donovan, the first marathoner at both the North and South Poles, in a trip of a lifetime. Remember, this marathon is not run on land - it is run 'on' water, frozen water, in the high Arctic Ocean. You will never have a greater adventure marathon story.
The North Pole Marathon will also feature an exciting team challenge, with the title decided by the cumulative time of a team’s first three finishers. Whether comprised from an army division, company, athletics club or charity, your team can enter this contest. This amazing race will additionally offer athletes who have completed a marathon on all seven continents the opportunity of joining the exclusive North Pole Marathon Grand Slam Club by also completing this marathon on the Arctic Ocean. Check out the Grand Slam section of this site for recommended associated races on each of the seven continents, and for current members of the club.
Don’t let this experience of a lifetime pass you by. For the entry fee of €11,900, Polar Running Adventures will provide athletes with accommodation in Spitsbergen on April 5th; return flights from Spitsbergen to the North Pole camp; accommodation while at the Pole from April 6th to 8th; entry to the official North Pole Marathon; helicopter flights in the polar region; t-shirts, medals and souvenirs; professional photos of each competitor in action; a DVD of the race; and hotel accommodation on April 8th on return from the Pole.
* Click HERE to explore and travel to the rest of the World's 10 most Interesting & Unusual races.