Race won by Ireland's Gary Thornton and Great Britain's Fiona Oakes

(TRAVPR.COM) UK - April 16th, 2013 - Marathon enthusiasts battled extreme weather conditions at the Geographic North Pole on 9th April at 00:30 hrs CET to complete the 42km 2013 UVU Marathon.

Notably the world’s coolest marathon and the only one to be completely on water, 48 competitors from 20 different countries raced the 42.2 kilometres through sub-zero temperatures.  The marathon is literally at the top of the world, the geographic North Pole, and runners faced the challenge of trekking on top of Arctic ice floes, some of which only separate racers from the Arctic Ocean by six to twelve feet.

In addition to the marathon on top of the ice, the 2013 UVU North Pole Marathon also featured a team challenge that was open to all participants.  The title was decided based on the combined time of the first three members to finish.

Organised by founder Richard Donovan in 2002 when he completed the marathon alone, there have been ten UVU North Pole Marathons to date.  It is now an annual fixture on the race circuit and 255 runners have completed the event.

The UVU North Pole Marathon is certified through the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races.  Completion of this race allows eligibility for racers to join the exclusive North Pole Marathon Grand Slam Club by completing a marathon on all seven continents.

Participants paid €11,900 to enter the race, which covers the cost of accommodation for two days before the event in Spitsbergen, Norway; flights to and from the marathon site; accommodation for two days after the event at the North Pole and one day afterwards; plus helicopter flights, t-shirts, medals, and other souvenirs.

For more information about the 2013 UVU North Pole Marathon, visit the official event website at http://www.npmarathon.com/html/200310.html.

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This Arctic event news update is courtesy of The White Circle, leaders in winter adventure holidays above the Arctic Circle.

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