Marathon Runners Dash Across Drifting Ice at the North Pole

Twenty-three athletes from seven countries converged on the geographic North Pole to run a 1,055‑metre loop over fragile sea ice.

They boarded the French polar vessel Le Commandant Charcot, stepped onto the frozen sea, and completed several laps in thermal gear and life vests.

Denmark’s Rikke Dam crossed the finish line in 6:54:02, winning the women’s race, while Wang Shengxian from China finished the men’s event in 3:52:22.

In what organisers described as the “world’s coolest marathon”, the competition tested endurance against extreme cold and shifting ice.