page_title: Polar Circle Marathon
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Polar Circle Marathon / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Polar Circle Marathon
context_page_description: The Polar Circle Marathon in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland is an annual marathon that has the distinction of being situated on 66 degrees northern latitude, also known as the Polar Circle.
  The Polar Circle Marathon is organized by Albatross Adventures and has been run every year since 2001. The race is far more demanding than usual marathons due to the cold weather and slippery surfaces on portions of the race that go over the actual ice cap. The temperatures generally hover around -10 to -15 degrees Celsius in October when the yearly race is held. The marathon course takes the runners over the permanent, 3 km thick ice cap and through tundras, moraine landscapes, glaciers, among other outstanding nature sceneries. Marathoners often encounter musk oxen, reindeer and other animals inhabiting the arctic desert.
context_section_description: The first Polar Circle Marathon was held in 2001 and has been held every year since in the month of October. It has been dubbed one of the most difficult and beautiful races on earth by a variety of magazines and blogs, including being ranked #3 in "Top 10 Insanely Hard Marathons" by TopTenz; the 2nd "Coolest Marathons in the World" by Healthy Living; and one of the "Coolest Marathon's You've Ever Heard of" by Men's Fitness.
caption: Polar Circle Marathon  Greenland
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