90 North

In April 2012 forty competitors made

their way to the North Pole, 90 north,
for the UVU North Pole Marathon.
Here we document the training needed
to run 42 kilometres on the frozen Arctic
Ocean and the experience of travelling
to the worlds most northerly point. This
is where all the worlds lines of longitude
converge and where we meet the people
willing to put themselves through the
agony and ecstasy of competing in one
of the toughest races.
Train, Travel, Race and Recover.

Training

The North Pole Marathon is a unique race.

The temperature, environment, time frame
and conditions all combine to create a
marathon like no other. The demands
on the athlete are such that endurance,
conditioning, fitness and resolve are all
required in equal measure.

Training

Phase 1.
Endurance:
October to December

The marathon is 42 kilometres. The key to training for

such a distance is to get the muscles used to the miles
without compromising the joints. There is a multitude
of ways to train for it and each athlete has their own
schedule and techniques. This is how one athlete
approached the task.
From a standing start the athlete needed a minimum of
three months training to run 42 kilometres comfortably.
Running three times a week over thirteen weeks the
runner aimed to cover the following distances:

Distance Goal

Runs Per Week

Wk 1.

2k

1k then 1k then last run 2k

Wk 2.

3k

2k then 2k then last run 3k

Wk 3.

4k

3k then 3k then last run 4k

Wk 4.

5k

4k then 4k then last run 5k

Wk 5.

7k

5k then 5k then last run 7k

Wk 6.

10k

7k then 7k then last run 10k

Wk 7.

13k

10k then 10k then last run 13k

Wk 8.

15k

13k then 13k then last run 15k

Wk 9.

20k

15k then 10k then last run 20k

Wk 10.

25k

21k then 10k then last run 25k

Wk 11.

30k

21k then 10k then last run 30k

Wk 12.

35k

21k then 10k then last run 35k

Wk 13.

42k

21k then 10k then last run 42k

Just before the turn of the New Year the athlete had
the endurance capacity to tackle 42 kilometers.

Training

Phase 2.
Conditioning:
January and February

January and February can then be used to help the

runner condition their body for the North Pole. In order
to do this the mileage was reduced per week to:

Run 1. 21k
Run 2. 10k
Run 3. 30k
On the final run of January and February it steps back
up to 42k.

The unique conditions of the North Pole are:

The Cold
The Snow and Ice
The Sleep Deprivation
Cold
The North Pole Marathon can be run in temperatures
fluctuating between -25C and -40C. The effect on
feet, toes, fingers, nose and ears cannot be underestimated. The athlete used every opportunity to run
in the early hours of the cold winter, as this is when sub
zero temperatures were more likely.
Snow and Ice
The conditions under foot on a polar ice cap have
been variously described as like running in mud, in
sugar or in sand. The conclusive effect is that unlike
road running where the strike path and stride pattern
generally remain the same, on an ice cap there is no
identical stride patterns or foot strikes. The athlete
therefore took every opportunity to run off-road to get
the ankle, knee and hip joints used to the strain of the
snow and ice. In simple terms if it is frosty, snowing or
icy the runner needs to be out there.
Sleep Deprivation
It is common for the athletes to have a 2-day stop over
in Longyearbyen, followed by a day on the polar ice
cap before the actual race. This is effectively 72 hours
of daylight with disturbed sleeping patterns. The race
can start at 10pm or midnight, running through to early
hours of the morning. To condition for this the athlete
attempted the 42k runs in January and February after
midnight preceded by as little sleep as possible. It was
a gesture of defiance.

Training

Phase 3.
Fitness:
March

Having completed the condition and endurance

training, the month of March is where the athlete
can work on fitness and speed.
The following schedule for March will enhance the
athletes performance and time during the race.
Fast
Steady
Easy

= 12 kph
= 10.5 kph
= 9.5 kph

03 / 0 3
10k Steady
07 / 0 3 Rest
08 / 0 3 Rest
09 / 0 3
16k Fast
1 0 / 03 Rest
1 1 / 03
50k Easy
1 2 / 03 Rest
1 3 / 03
10k Easy
1 4 / 03 Rest
1 5 / 03
16k Steady
1 6 / 03
10k Easy
1 7 / 03 Rest
1 8 / 03
35k Easy
1 9 / 03 Rest
20 / 0 3
10k Easy
2 1 / 03 Rest
22 / 0 3
15k Fast
23 / 0 3
6k Easy
24 / 0 3 Rest
25 / 0 3
25k Easy
26 / 0 3 Rest
27 / 0 3
5k Fast
28 / 0 3 Rest
29 / 0 3
8k Easy
30 / 0 3 Rest
3 1 / 03
8k Easy
01 / 0 3
10k Steady
02 / 0 3
Rest / Travel
03 / 0 3
Pre-Race Briefings
04 / 0 3
Travel to Pole
05 / 0 3
NORTH POLE MARATHON

Training

Phase 4.
Resolve:
The North Pole like no other race is an internal
battle. The athlete will be faced with total physical
exhaustion and it will be their mental resolve that will
carry them home. Having successfully completed
the endurance, conditioning and fitness phases the
athlete gains confidence to know that they are ready.
In early March by running 50k, they entered the Ultra
Running club and proved their resolve to tackle the
coolest marathon on earth.

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Travel to the
North pole
A stop over in
spitsbergen
A photographic essay of a stop over on the
arctic island of Spitsbergen, the largest and
only permanently populated island of the
Svalbard archipelago in Norway.

Travel to the North pole A stop over in Spitsbergen

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Travel to the North pole A stop over in Spitsbergen

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Travel to the North pole A stop over in Spitsbergen

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Travel to the North pole A stop over in Spitsbergen

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Travel To the
north pole

Via Oslo, Tromso, Longyearbyen, Camp

Barneo then on to the North Pole.

The North Pole is 90 north. The ice

is three metres thick. The sea is three
miles deep. The nearest landmass is
600 kilometres away and the nearest
human settlement 700 kilometres. It is
one of the most remote places on earth,
an unspoiled wilderness where nature
can simply take you out. You are in a
predators territory and as dangerous as
it is, it is overwhelmingly beautiful.
To get there an overnight stop in Oslo is
required. A flight will then take you up
the spine of Norway to the Northern tip
at Tromso. Upon landing at Tromso you
have the first impression of the arctic
white fullness. It is then a quick transfer
to another plane for Longyearbyen.
At Longyearbyen the cold hits you. It is
-20C. This temperature requires, base
layers, mid layers, two pairs of socks,
gloves, mittens, balaclava, hat, arctic
down jackets and arctic pants. The
constant checking begins, have I got
this? Have I got that?
From Longyearbyen you are now in the
hands of the Russians. The Russians
create a camp near to the North Pole
called Camp Barneo. The whole camp
will be in place for a matter of weeks.
To build the camp, the Russians first
parachute Special Forces onto the
polar ice cap. They immediately begin
to work building a runway on the ice.
This has to be strong enough to land a
specially adapted Jet. This jet takes you
from Longyearbyen to Barneo.
The Russian jet is a rhapsody of utilitarian
design. No windows, no In-flight movie
or magazine and no hostess. It is simply
engineered to get humans to one of the
most inhospitable places on earth and it
does this in a muscular fashion.

On landing at Barneo you will be struck

by the cold, the clarity of the light, the
beauty of the ice, the bark of the dogs,
the noise from the skidoos and the size
and hospitality of the Russians.
From Camp Barneo it is then a helicopter
ride to the Pole. This takes place at an
altitude of no more than 30ft and takes
approximately 30 minutes. Barneo floats
on an ice cap and is subject to arctic
currents. On some days it can float to
or away from the pole by as much as 15
kilometres.
Finally at the Pole you will be awestruck,
first by the silence, then by the stillness
and then by the sense that from here
everything points south and the worlds
compasses are all pointing at you.

Travel to the North pole

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Travel to the North pole

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Travel to the North pole

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Travel to the North pole

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Before the
pain before
the elation
Portraits pre
26 miles
Photographic portraits of some of the 2012
UVU North Pole Marathon entrants.

Before the Pain Before the Elation Portraits pre 26 miles

Nasos Ktoridis (CYP)

Graham Gillespie (AUS)

6:34:38

6:37:54

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Before the Pain Before the Elation Portraits pre 26 miles

Marianna Melanie Zaikova (FIN)

Andrew Murray (SCO)

7:03:36

4:17:08

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Before the Pain Before the Elation Portraits pre 26 miles

Vlado Staresinic (CRO)

Lars Samo Tobiassen (GRL)

6:11:22

6:20:28

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Before the Pain Before the Elation Portraits pre 26 miles

Peter Jensen (DEN)

Carl Philips (USA)

6:36:02

8:47:34

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The UVU
North Pole
Marathon 2012
26 miles / -30C

This is it.

The North Pole Marathon is run on

the polar ice cap. It is 10 laps of 4.2k
circuits of Camp Barneo. The lap will
include the runway and the camp itself.
The temperature will be between -25C
and -40C. The terrain degrades as the
race progresses. Hard ice will become
a sanctuary and deep snow will be the
enemy.
The emotional state of the runner has
many stages; fear, curiosity, concern,
exhaustion, disorientation, agony and
elation. The physical state of the runner
is a slow and linear degradation.
Lap One. Trepidation.
Lap one is all about exploring the
route and gaining an understanding of
the environment, the conditions, the
weather and the potential physical toll.
Lap Two. Technique.
Lap two becomes an exploration to find
the right range of techniques to tackle
the hard ice and soft snow.
Lap Three: Timing
Lap three represents two splits
meaning you can work out your pace. A
thirty-minute lap for example means a
6-hour race.
Lap Four. Doubt.
By lap four runners will start to make pit
stops and as a result you will lose sense
of your position in the race. With over a
third of the race gone you will now be
acutely aware of the physical toll. Doubt
about completion and race position will
now set in and begin to sap your energy.
Lap Five. Grind.
Completing lap five is a boost; you are
half way there and you know that the
rest of the race will be a mental exercise
in grinding out a result.

Lap Six. Recovery.

Energy will now be low. You will experience
pain in your knees, ankles and lower back.
Cramps may start, usually in the quads. It
will be time to consider a pit stop to take
on fuel and maybe a quick massage.
Lap Seven. Resolve.
Not quite at the beginning of the end
yet, lap seven will test your resolve. If
you get through it unscathed you know
you will be on the home straight.
Lap Eight. Energy.
Now in the last third of the race, energy
levels will need to be constantly topped
up. Encouragement from the other
competitors is vital. At this point it is
now you versus you and any inspiration
or encouragement should be devoured,
should it be a cheer or something as
simple or beautiful as an ice crystal or
sunbeam.
Lap Nine. Pain.
It will feel like your tendons and ligaments
have been stripped of useable muscle.
Every stride is agony. When you fall, and
you will fall, the strength that you summon
to rise again is plundered from a deep as
yet undiscovered recess. Every sinew
says, Stop every thought, says Go!
Lap Ten. Elation.
The pain is deeper and more acute
than ever, but it now has the bedfellow
of certainty. You know you will make
it. Six months of training, conditioning
and sacrifice come down to this last
torturous lap.
The elation you feel comes from sense of
reaching out for your potential and with
the lightest, briefest of moments you
touch it. It is palpable and real and then
it is gone. For one brief moment you and
your potential are the same.

The UVU North Pole Marathon 2012

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The UVU North Pole Marathon 2012

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The UVU North Pole Marathon 2012

To complete the North Pole Marathon the mind has to

be Captain over the body. The body will want to shut
down. The mind will need to keep it going.
The mind during the race will be in perpetual state of
recovery and renewal.

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This is one of the few times in life when seeing the

big picture is a hindrance. The mind must set the
body small achievable goals, the next lap, the next ice
form, and the next pit stop. When the body achieves
these small steps this in turn nourishes the mind and
continues the cycle.

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The UVU North Pole Marathon 2012

The body during the race is in a perpetual state

degradation. In-race recovery it can slow down
the rate of decay by taking on board fuel and deep
penetration massages. Every athlete has their own
favoured form of fuel and their own strategy for
in-race pit stops and massages.

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The UVU North Pole Marathon 2012

Weather at the North Pole can change in minutes.

This years race saw periods of oppressive snow and
cloud cover, but also the heavenly calm of the arctic
sunlight, challenging and inspiring to the will power of
all competitors.

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When running in extreme environments attention to detail can be the difference

between finishing and not finishing, between first and fourth. UVUs range is
exceptional in its attention to detail. An example is during the North Pole Marathon
2012, other competitors stopped several times to change garments, look at
watches etc, whilst features such as multiple venting seams, and external watch
housing meant I didnt have to. This allowed me to win by the tightest of margins.
These are crafted by athletes, for athletes.
Dr. Andrew Murray
Winner 2012 UVU North Pole Marathon
4:17:08 - Bib No. 25

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Recovering
from...
Having just completed the most extreme
exercise in self-fulfillment. You will be
physically exhausted and emotionally wrought.
The urge for home comforts and warmth
will be profound. The desire to share your
experiences will be overpowering. The need
for kith and kin will be overwhelming.
A huge dose of all of the above will enable a
speedy recovery, ready for the next challenge.

Recovering from 4.19.38

Luis Alonso Marcos (ESP)

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Recovering from 6.55.10

Jamie Harris (CAN)

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Recovering from 6.06.38

James Alderson (AUS)

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Recovering from 6.06.36

Demelza Farr (AUS)

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Recovering from 6.46.06

Enrique Gomez Pamies (ESP)

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Recovering from 6.36.22

Frank Rohde (GER)

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the Cold
Weather Race
collection

UVU have spent two and a half years

developing the Cold Weather Race collection
that helped Andrew Murray to succeed at the
North Pole. This collection is now available at
UVUperformance.com

the Cold
Weather Race
collection

COLD RACE
SOFT SHElL

COLD RACE
TROUSERS 01

01

COLD RACE
MERINO
BASELAYER

COLD RACE
MERINO
LEGGINgS 01

01

COLD RACE
JACKET 01

Train

Race

Travel

Recover

From September 2012 a comprehensive collection of

performance apparel will be available from UVU to
enable the North Pole Marathon runner to;
Train, Travel, Race and Recover.

Design and Art Direction by FreshBritain

All Photography by Sammy Green
Except pages 58, 59, 64, 65, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 courtesy of Mike King

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