Race to the North Pole

The first-ever mountain bike competition at the geographic North Pole will take place on April 7. Racers will cover a 26.2 mile marathon distance in extreme sub-zero temperatures on the Arctic Ocean while negotiating small hillocks of ice and pressure ridges. In general six to 12 feet of ice will separate racers from the 12,000 foot deep ocean below. Racers will have to carry their bikes for sections to negotiate the challenging terrain.

Confirmed participants for this year include the following: Juan Antonio Alegre (Spain), Peter Bell (Northern Ireland), Bobby Bostic (USA), Miguel Caselles (Spain), Francesco Galanzino (Italy), Robert Greaves (Wales), David Horsley (England), Kym McConnell (New Zealand), Karen Michelsen (Canada), Finbarr Murphy (Ireland), Andrew Murray (Scotland), Johan Soderstrom and Peder Stenson (Sweden), and Jukka Viljanen (Finland).

Besides being one of the coldest mountain bike races, the North Pole race may be one of the most expensive, with an entry fee of €12,000. However, the entry comes with a Crescent NPBE bike, some hotel accommodations on the way, helicopter transportation in the polar region, and heated tents while at the Pole.