Emma Louise Thompson A Yorkshire businessman has plans to face plummeting temperatures as he tackles the Polar Circle Marathon in October this year in a bid to raise money for amputee ex-servicemen and women.
Robert Kaiser, who runs a body armour company based in Knaresborough, will face unpredictable weather conditions, with temperatures expecting to be around minus 20 degrees.
With the marathon taking place on uneven gravel road and ice, how is Robert preparing?
According to reports, Robert’s training regime includes going for walks at dawn while carrying a 50lb backpack and 12 mile runs at the weekend.
Robert will have a mere 7 hours to complete the grueling 26 mile race, beginning at 9.30 in the morning. All runners who complete the marathon within the time limit will receive a medal, and in the evening a complete result list is expected to be ready.
Apart from all the dangers of the Polar Circle Marathon, it is first and foremost an adventure. Running past enormous glacier tongues and moraine plains, Robert can expect to go through tundra and arctic dessert. He may even be lucky enough to see reindeer and musk oxen grazing along the route. Although the terrain will be hilly and he will be far from the homely comforts of his Yorkshire home.
Robert can rest assured that he will experience the incredible beauty of the landscape.
The idea of a Polar Circle Marathon began in September 2001, when a large group of Danish athletes flew to Greenland to compete in the first marathon north of the polar circle. Since then the race has grown into an international and world renowned event, with runners taking part from almost 20 different countries.
Robert is set to take part in one of the most exclusive races in the world, whilst raising money at the same time for Pilgrim Bandits, a charity which takes ex-forces amputees on challenging expeditions.
If you would like to know more about the suitably nicknamed ‘the coolest marathon on earth’, visit the website here.
