Mighty Marathon at the North Pole: Runners Race on Drifting Ice

In a daring Arctic spectacle, 23 elite runners from seven different countries took part in a marathon on the North Pole’s drifting sea ice, an event the organisers called the “world’s coolest marathon.”

The competitors boarded the French polar vessel Le Commandant Charcot and disembarked at the geographic North Pole to run laps around a 1,055‑metre loop carved out on the snow‑covered ice field. All runners wore thermal gear and life vests to meet the safety requirements of the frigid, unstable terrain.

Denmark’s Rikke Dam emerged victorious in the women’s race, finishing in 6 minutes 54 seconds and 2 seconds, while China’s Wang Shengxian took the men’s title with a time of 3 minutes 52 seconds and 22 seconds.

Video edited by Ian Aikman