Global Expedition Adventures, Inc. has announced that the world's first marathon race at the geographic North Pole will take place on April 9, 2003. Curtis Lieber, Vice President and North Pole Expedition Director, has confirmed that Richard Donovan of Galway City, Ireland, and Brent Weigner of Cheyenne, Wyoming, will direct the races. According to Lieber, "We are very fortunate to have acquired the services of Richard and Brent. Mr. Donovan won the first ever South Pole Marathon in January of 2002 and completed the world's first solo marathon run at the North Pole this past April. Dr. Weigner won the South Pole Ultramarathon and is the only person in the world to have run ultramarathons (any event longer than the standard 26.2 mile marathon) on all seven continents. Their combined experience ensures that we will have a quality event."

The marathon team will be flown from Longyearbyen, Spitzbergen (Svalbard), Norway, to Ice Base Borneo, a Russian camp situated on the drifting pack ice in the high Arctic Ocean region near the geographic North Pole. After landing on the fourteen-foot thick Blue Ice Runway, the adventurers will spend a day at Camp Borneo preparing for the race. When the weather is clear and all systems are go, the team will board their helicopter flight to the starting line located at the Geographic North Pole.

After being flown to 90 degrees north latitude, runners will warm up on the Arctic Ice Floe as they circle the world passing through all lines of longitude. Team members will have to decide on whether they will wear snowshoes or regular running shoes. A flagged route set up to avoid the leads (open water) and large pressure ridges will mark the runners' course. The athletes will be able to run a half marathon (13.1 miles), a marathon (26.2 miles), or an ultramarathon of 50 kilometres (31 miles). As runners set out on their adventure, they will acclimate to the rough terrain of snow, ice, small pressure ridges, and ice cracks and get used to the minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures. Experienced guides will patrol the quiet expanse of white ice, keeping their eyes open for new leads and the rare polar bear that might threaten the runners' safety. After a few miles the runners will find their pace and the athletes will be ready to make history as a new breed of Arctic explorer.

Mandatory checkpoints will be carefully placed along the course to help insure the runners' safety. Medical staff will be available with emergency supplies. As runners approach the Pole, they will see the finish line, which may have drifted during the race. The end of the Marathon will be followed by photo sessions before the runners return to Camp Borneo for a celebration and some rest and relaxation.

To learn more about the North Pole Marathon visit the following web site: www.northpolemarathon.com.