Marathon runners tee up for icy challenge at the North Pole
Twenty‑three athletes – representing Norway, Denmark, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – tackled a 1 055‑metre lap of drifting sea ice near the geographic North Pole. The race, dubbed the “world’s coolest marathon”, took place on a thin sheet of ice that swiped across the Arctic sea like an ice‑covering manta ray.
The runners boarded the French polar research vessel Le Commandant Charcot in Norway, disembarked onto the ice and sprinted in thermal gear and life vests. Participants’ safety was a priority as they jostled through the floating platform in freezing conditions.
Denmark’s Rikke Dam captured the women’s title in 6:54:02, while Wang Shengxian of China won the men’s race in 3:52:22. The event gathered footage edited by Ian Aikman, illustrating both the grueling endurance required and the surreal setting of the polar ice.
Video edited by Ian Aikman.
