First Vietnamese to attend world’s coldest marathon in North Pole
Leaving the seasonal extreme heat in Ho Chi Minh City behind, a woman will travel a long way to the Arctic this April to become the first Vietnamese to run the North Pole Marathon.
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| A still image of Tang Nguyet Minh captured from a promotional video for her participation in the North Pole Marathon 2018 made by FDW, title sponsor of the race. |
Tang Nguyet Minh, a mother of two, will join competitors from 22 other countries in the race on April 9.
Dubbed the “world's coldest marathon” by Runner's World magazine, the North Pole Marathon has been held annually since 2002 to see competitors racing on a trail of 42 km (26.2 miles) on frozen water covered by snow of the Arctic Ocean, when the temperature usually stays at minus 30 degrees Celcius (-22F).
Recognized by Guinness World Records as the Northernmost Marathon on Earth, the race will have competitors gathered in Svalbard of Norway on April 6 before flying to their camps in the North Pole on April 8 for the race the following day.
Racers are encouraged to use their participation to raise funds for a charity or cause that they feel passionate about.
Previous entrants have raised millions of dollars for charity, according to information posted on the website of North Pole Marathon.
Polish runner Piotr Suchenia won the race last year after 4 hours, 6 minutes and 34 seconds of running.
This year's race includes runners from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Moldova, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Vietnam, Russia, and the US.
