WORLD RECORD
FASTEST TIME NORTHERN MOST MARATHON
First Marathon, Wearing Snowshoes: 3 hours, 43 min, 17 sec
FIRST AND LAST MARATHON IN WORLD RECORD TIME
North Pole
Burch won the North Pole Marathon in a world record time of 3 hours 43 minutes wearing snowshoes. Burch’s effort bettered the previous winning time by nearly 1 ½ hours, and was his first attempt at a marathon. The race included some of the most accomplished endurance athletes in the world, and began at midnight after competitors endured a daylong travel to the North Pole from Norway via a Russian cargo carrier. Considered to be the most extreme marathon on earth, racers battled severe winds, sub-zero temperatures, frostbite and hypothermia, while finishing the 26.2-mile course, which was characterized by rough, unbalanced and hilly terrain, with pressure ridges and heavy snow.
When asked why he chose this particular marathon as his first competitive event, Burch responded, “I never enter races because I generally prefer to test my skills on adventures which are more explorer and endurance oriented. However, this is the type of challenge I thrive on.”