Running to Extremes
Miles Cudmore recently took Marathon running to new extremes, by taking part in the North Pole Marathon, raising ?15,000 for CARE. Read how he did it?
?It is 3:40 am, -25˚C, and I am stood at the start line of the North Pole Marathon with 41 other competitors feeling apprehensive. Many of my fellow runners have amazing achievements under their belt including climb the highest summits of every continent, rowing the Atlantic, completing the fabled Marathon de Sables and finishing in the top 12 at the ultra running 100 km World Championships. If they consider this to be a suitable challenge, what I am doing here is a very good question! But I have learnt to have great faith in training, and with 180 miles and two marathons under the belt over the last ten months, plus recent snowshoe training in Oslo and in the Swedish Arctic, I know I am as prepared as I can be.
I landed three hours ago after flying through the night from Spitsbergen, and have not slept for a long time. It is a unique way to prepare for a marathon start! But I do not feel tired in the bright light. Conditions are perfect with only a slight breeze, and the sun is low in the sky cast long shadows. Chunks of broken ice covered with wind hardened snow stretch into the distance. The horizon is level in all directions, and I can see more than a couple of miles due to the curvature of the earth. Floating on the ice cap, we have 12,000 feet of Arctic Ocean beneath our feet. The air tastes crisp, and the snow and ice squeaks underfoot and feels sticky in the cold. It feels like another planet, and not the mother earth I am familiar with.
03:45 am and we are off on the first of 10 laps. The initial third of each lap is on even ice, and includes the runway so we can join William, the first wheelchair athlete to attempt a marathon at the North Pole. After running through the camp ? to enable us to collect refreshments and get out of the cold during the race ? we head into an uneven mix of soft snow and lumpy hard ice?difficult conditions, as the race director kindly put it! On the first laps we cannot differentiate between hard and soft ground ? and the soft areas frequently cover uneven ice lumps. Snowshoes really help in these early stages. As the race progresses, a clear trail is established ? but this is still hard going as the ground remains uneven. The route is marked by small red flags, and meanders through the ice giving a wonderful sense of isolation, yet allowing views of other runners from time to time. I adopt a steady, low intensity pace early on, partly to conserve energy and partly to avoid perspiring too much as this would chill significantly later. The snowshoe training really pays off as I am able to adopt a relaxed gait and am mentally prepared.
Dealing with the cold is a unique part of the race and I have taken great care to avoid frostbite. I am running in oversized trainers with multiple socks and a thin neoprene liner inside the shoe, and a second neoprene liner round the outside. On the legs, I have two layers ? a merino wool base layer, and a pair of windproof insulated hiking trousers. For the torso I settled on a wool base layer, thin running top and a mid weight wool insulating layer covered by a lightweight Gortex cagoule to block any wind. My extremities are protected by thin liner gloves, mittens, neoprene face mask, balaclava, neck gaiter, insulated hat and a set of goggles. The system works well, and I stay pleasantly chilled through the race.
After four laps, the effort is beginning to tell and I look forward to the water, energy drinks and fruit/chocolate at the camp. These give a real boost just before I enter the difficult part of each lap. After six laps I step into the mess tent for a fast bowl of porridge, coffee, water and an energy gel plus balaclava change and goggle clean?.you can?t clear goggles outside as they are frozen. The final laps are hard. As I tire, the snowshoes catch on uneven ice and I fall three times and often stumble heavily?.but many of the others fall more often. Many people take their snowshoes off in the second half and find it easier now the trail is established, but I do not realise this until afterwards, and am happy keeping mine on. The trick is to keep moving.
During the final lap, I pick up my Union Jack and savour the experience of running through the ice field with it, reflecting on the amazing support people have provided. The level of sponsorship is outstanding. My wife Sarah has been incredibly patient with my training, and my running friends have given fantastic support during the numerous training runs and races.
All too soon, the finish line approaches ? it is a journey I feel I want to continue much longer and have lost track of time. I finish in 5hr 29 min and came 14th out of the 41 runners. Completing the race is an amazing experience, and I am lost for words when the film crew try and interview me.
The worst part is changing afterwards. All my clothing, apart from the base layers next to the skin, is frozen solid. The sleeping tent is only warmed to -5˚C, making changing a very cold and shivery experience. But some hot food quickly restores spirits, and I walk back round the course to absorb the unique atmosphere of the North Pole and enjoy the stunning scenery.
This has been a unique adventure on many levels. Completing this extreme marathon, spending 44 hours at the North Pole and managing the preparation are experiences I will treasure forever.
But most the important part is raising over ?15,000 to support CARE International in their work to tackle the underlying causes of poverty around the world. A very big thank you.?
For the full account, links and pictures, visit www.cudmores.net
From snow shoes to running shoes, and slightly nearer home; while many people were basking in the latest weekend heatwave, this made what is a terrifically difficult challenge of running 26.2 miles round London even harder for the 13 runners who chose CARE as their charity for the Flora London Marathon on Sunday 22nd April.
Nevertheless, their fundraising efforts over the last 6 months in the build-up to the race have paid off; collectively, they will have raised over ?18,000 for CARE ? a fantastic achievement! A huge thank you to all of our Marathon runners and the many supporters that helped them, in both their training and fundraising.
Finally, if you didn?t get a place on the London Marathon, but would still like to run for CARE this year, we still have a couple of places left on the Edinburgh Marathon and British 10K, and less than 20 places left for the Great North Run. If you?d like a place then please click here to find out more.
