Practical information for runners
The Polar Circle Marathon will be held October 18th 2008. The marathon starts at
9 am and the time taking will stop 4 pm for both the half and full marathon.
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The marathon takes place on uneven unpaved roads and ice! While running on the Ice
Cap (about 4 km) one should be very attentive and careful. Even though a road has
been made on the ice cap it can be very slippery.
Because of the danger of falling into a crevasse, it is strictly forbidden to leave
the road on the inland ice. The run starts 5 km from the turning point of the course,
which is found 2 km onto the Ice Cap. After the turning point you run the same way
back and when passing the original starting point you have appr. 32 km left to Kangerlussuaq.
Kilometer signs can be found along the entire route. Owing to the conditions, however,
they may be placed +/- some metres from the exact point. The kilometre signs are
therefore only for orientation. Note that there won’t be any toilets along the course,
which means that there are toilets everywhere!
There will be water supplies approx. every 4 kilometres. Since the air is extremely
dry, it is important to drink plenty of water as the body may not automatically
tell you that you are thirsty. All drink stations serve tempered glacier water and
at selected stations you will also receive energy drinks and bars.
Please note that drinks and food supplies during the race are only for runners,
assistants and officials.
You are allowed to bring personal supplies and these will be handed out at stations
3 and 6. Personal supplies has to be delivered at the starting area in a bag, which
clearly marks the runner’s number and whether the provisions are to be handed out
at drink stations 3 or 6.
It will also be possible to change clothes at the starting post and station 3. The
deposited clothes will be put in bags marked with the runner’s number, and will
be handed out in the finishl area or later on during the banquet in the evening.
Remember that we are running in wild and unspoiled nature. Therefore, please do
not throw empty packaging on the ground; instead deposit it in rubbish bags situated
along the route.
Runners who wish to drop out of the marathon should go to the nearest drink station
where sleeping bags will be available to keep you warm. Home transport will be arranged
for all runners, but please notice that there will be a waiting time.
In the finish area all runners who complete the marathon and 1/2 marathon within
7 hours will receive a medal. At the evening banquet a complete result list is expected
to be ready.
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We recommend normal running clothes which you would wear for a autumn or early winter
run in Europe including a hat and gloves. It is also recommended to bring light
windproof leggings and jacket as the weather can change rapidly. The temperature
can change from 3-5 degrees Celsius down to -10!
The Polar Cirlce Marathon can be run in a pair of normal running shoes, but we recommend
that runners bring a pair of ‘Spiky Plus’ running spikes. ‘Spiky Plus’ are anti
slip soles with carbon steel points that can be fitted to your running shoes, a
definite plus when running on the ice cap. See:
www.spiky.com
Do not forget that this is formostly an adventure. We are far away from the homely
comforts and this makes it impossible to offer services at the same high level as
usually provided in city marathons.
Kangerlussuaq & Excursions
The nature is the area’s biggest attraction with a wealth of opportunities,
especially walking and biking, combined with angling in the fjord and lakes, photography,
searching for fossils and semi-precious stones and similar outdoor activities. Regardless
of where you are staying, an ‘excursion’ awaits a few hundred metres away and many
can be reached by foot. It is recommended you stick to one of the many walking paths,
as you could easily loose you direction in the undulated landscape. Alternaltively
you can bring a compass or GPS.
We offer a number of different excursions and activities, i.e.:
Sightseeing Bus Tour
This tour visits among other places, the habour, the terriorty around Kelly Ville,
the area around the old American Base ‘Bluie West 8’ and sled dog kennels. During
the tour you will hear about the Kangerlussuaq and the bases special history. There
is a possibility to see mountain hare and arctic fox during the tour. And if you
are very lucky peregrine falcon, gerfalcon and eagle.
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Duration: 2 hours
Price: DKK 250,-
Musk Oxen Safari
There are around 4000 musk oxen residing in the territory around around Kangerlussuaq.
The tour offers the opportunity to see these fine animal up close. This tour also
offeres the possibility to see reindeer, hare and artic fox.
Duration: 1½ hours
Price: DKK 180.