" I left Paris on April 1st to Oslo, and then on Monday, I flew from Oslo to Longyearbyen (Spitzberg/Svalbard/Norway).

I spent 4 days stuck in Longyearbyen, from Tuesday to Friday, waiting for the “Barnéo temporary camp” to be prepared.

There is no continent in the North Pole and the marathon is taking place on an ice block hung on the see.

The staff had to check out a block long enough for a marathon of 42 kms and thick enough to welcome a landing place.

The ice block could not stay more than 3 weeks because of the ice thawing.

Marathon took place on Friday, between 9PM and 8.30 AM

At this period, sun never sets and it was day during the entire event.

On average, the temperature was about -26°c.

A part of the course was packed down but another one was not, it was 10 to 20 cm deep.

Best time was 04:17. It was reached by a competitor who runs usually the marathon in 02:30 (which is an international time and which gives us an idea how hard the course was)… slowest time was 11.40. I ran in 06:40

After the end of the course, we flew by helicopter to the geographic Pole.

Then, we flew back to Longyearbyen, then Oslo and then Paris. "

Others Partnerships :  

-  Auricoste

-  Lafuma Group

-  Millet

- Polaar

Alexandre Gouyon Matignon