Run The Polar Circle Marathon
Still to do
Start a marathon on the Greenland ice cap and finish in the tundra, in temperatures well below freezing.
The adventure
The race starts at a point where the road gives out and the ice sheet begins, the white of the ice cap stretching to the horizon. The first few kilometres are on the ice itself, slippery and hard, with the wind coming straight off the frozen interior.
Then the course drops onto gravel roads through the Arctic tundra and moraine, past lakes, rocky hills and land carved by glaciers. You might see musk oxen, reindeer or Arctic foxes along the way, and temperatures can be well below freezing. The finish is in Kangerlussuaq, a former US airbase town just north of the Arctic Circle. Having run in Ilulissat already, this one adds the ice sheet itself.
Why it’s epic
- Running on the Greenland ice sheet.
- Arctic tundra with musk oxen and reindeer.
- A half marathon and shorter races alongside.
What it is
A marathon that starts on the Greenland ice sheet and finishes in Kangerlussuaq, just north of the Arctic Circle, through tundra and moraine. It's run each October.
How to do it
Enter through the organisers, Albatros Adventure Marathons, as a package with flights from Copenhagen and accommodation.
Top tip
Use trail shoes with screw-in spikes or microspikes for the ice section.
Need to know
- Temperatures can be minus 15°C or colder, with wind chill.
- Places are limited and usually sold as a package from Copenhagen.
- Insurance must cover Arctic running and remote evacuation.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £5,000 or more per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- About a week's trip
- Best time to go
- October
- Fly into
- SFJ airport
Flights to Greenland are the big cost.
Make it happen
Why it’s on my list
Not done yet. If you’ve done it and have tips, tell me about it.
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