First South Pole marathon planned for January

A team of adventure runners is being assembled to compete in the world's first marathon to the South Pole.

The 26.2 mile (42.195 km) race, to be held in January through snow drifts and across slippery ice fields in freezing temperatures, is being organised by Canadian firm Adventure Network International (ANI).

"We wanted to offer something to those who had thought they had tried everything in the book," ANI managing director Anne Kershaw said. "No-one has ever run a marathon to the South Pole."

ANI operates a private base on the southern continent and has been taking tourists there for over 15 years.

Runners will have to contend with the South Pole's summer weather, which can still bring temperatures as low as minus-25 degrees Celsius (minus-13 degrees Fahrenheit), and wind-chill factors of minus-40 degrees C.

Up to 75 competitors, each paying $25,000, will go through assessments of their health and running ability, with entry applications to be vetted by Antarctica field guides.

Entrants should have run at least four marathons and have experience of mountain running and high-altitude, cold temperature endurance events, the company said.

Those accepted for the race will spend a few days acclimatising to the polar plateau's 9,000-foot (2,743-metre) altitude at the company's base before beginning the race.

Running in the polar snow was similar to running through a muddy ploughed field, although contestants would benefit from 24 hours of daylight in the southern summer, ANI said.

"A fit runner might only be able to make half or less his normal speed," it added.

Staff will be positioned along the route, from Ellsworth Land to the South Pole, in case of injury or a weather change.

Kershaw said the company was ready for any emergencies on the ice, and should not have to rely on the U.S. government's Amundsen-Scott Base at the South Pole for assistance.

"The belief is we're self-sufficient -- we have two Twin Otters, a Cessna, and a turbine DC3, we have our own rescue people, we have our own medical backup," she said.