Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Polar Circle Marathon

Just by the name, you can guess that the Polar Circle Marathon is definitely a little bit chilly. In fact, in many cases, runners have to make their trek in 14 °F temperatures. The race is held in Greenland every year, in October. Runners have the option to run the half marathon or run the entire length, but no matter which race one chooses, it is most definitely not an easy one. Those who opt for the full race must finish within 7 hours and those with only half should finish in no more than 4 hours. Not only is the temperature enough to slow someone down, there is plenty of tough terrain to go over including tundras, glaciers, and of course the ice cap which really makes the course slippery. While gravel and snow often cover the ice cap, the committee that hosts the marathon warns runners to be careful. Along with a very slippery surface, runners will also come across a few slippery slopes as the ice cap has varying levels of height throughout the race and is said to be very hilly.

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