Polar Challenge

Not to be confused with Polar Race.

The Polar Challenge was a competitive, 350 nautical mile (650 kilometer) team race taking place in the Arctic, to the 1996 location of the Magnetic North Pole. The race ran between mid-April and mid-May each year, taking teams approximately 4 weeks to complete, including the training time. This event should not be confused with the Polar Race, which was a different event taking a different route, and run by a different organisation.

Background

Competitors race in teams of 3, many joining as individuals and forming teams when they meet other individuals during the training that leads up to the race. The competitors are from different walks of life (not necessarily explorers or people with mountaineering experience), sharing a quest for adventure and to achieve something that only a few others have done. The race takes place in one of the world's most extreme and hostile environments, with temperatures dropping as low as -35 °C, and where 80% of the world’s population of polar bears live. Competitors race on skis, pulling their supplies in 120 lb pulkas, stopping on route at 3 manned checkpoints to re-supply.

Race history

In 2003, Chris McLeod and Tony Martin captained the first and second place teams, respectively, in the first ever Polar Race. On their return to England, they decided to set up and run an alternative challenge themselves, and formed Polar Challenge Limited. Since then, they have organised and run the Polar Challenge every year. In 2004 the race was filmed for a BBC documentary series called ‘The Challenge’ which aired on worldwide television. Paul “Seamus” Hogan, a sales manager from London, England, with no experience of the outdoors whatsoever, was asked to enter the Challenge for the program. His team, Team Fujitsu led by Chris McLeod went on to win the race. In 2007, at the same time as the Challenge, the BBC's Top Gear programme presenters became the first people to drive to the 1996 location of the magnetic north pole in the Hilux Arctic Challenge. It was later broadcast as the Top Gear: Polar Special.

The current race record holders are Team Hardware.com, consisting of Henry Cookson, Rupert Longsdon & Rory Sweet who won the challenge in 2005, they then went on to enter the Guinness Book of Records by being the first people to reach the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility by foot & kite ski in 2007. They were guided here by veteran guide Paul Landry whom they met during training in Resolute Bay prior to the race starting.

Route map

The Polar Challenge route covers 320 nautical miles (see route map). Competitors begin by participating in a 4-day, 65-mile (105 km) training expedition in which they set off from Resolute, Nunavut in northern Canada to Polaris Mine on Little Cornwallis Island, the Polar Challenge starting point. The race itself is from Polaris Mine to Isachsen on Ellef Ringnes Island through 3 checkpoints. The first two checkpoints are re-supply points where competitors rest for 12–24 hours and take on new food and fuel supplies, and the third is the 1996 position of the Magnetic North Pole. The finish line is a further 25 miles beyond the third checkpoint, near a disused airstrip where planes are able to land.

Previous polar challenges

2007 Polar Challenge teams

The 2007 challenge took place in April/May 2007 and was won by team Bearing 360 North and saw the following teams compete:

In 2007 but not part of the main event; the route was filmed by a BBC Television crew for Top Gear: Polar Special, undertaking the same journey with modified Toyota Hilux pickup trucks and a dog sled.

Polar Challenge 2008 teams

The Polar Challenge 2008 took place in April/May 2008 and saw the following teams compete:

Polar Challenge 2010

The 2010 Polar Challenge was won by Team Avilton (formerly Team Dark Horse) who completed the race in 9 days 14 hours and 15 minutes, missing out on the race record by just 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Race standings

The 2010 polar challenge was the first time all competitors and teams successfully completed the entire race.

External links

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