Nunavut Midnight Sun Marathon

What a treat to be able to run a Midnight Sun Marathon in the High Arctic. I always wanted to go to the North Pole and do a marathon. This was the best of both out of this world experience. The road was invisible as it lay beneath rocks, stones, pebbles that were just waiting to turn your ankles. The pounding on this gravel jarred each bone and muscle as you followed the undulating terrain to the Nunavut Mining community. In the end I had to drag my left leg behind me as my knee sized up over the last few miles. The crowning moments were the next day when I chartered a plane to go north to the pole and on the way back landed in Griese Fjord. The most northernly community in Canada that was populated with a hand full of Eskimos. There I was able to buy 2 back packs of orginal Eskimos carvings from the artist. A most memorable experience that reminds me of that weekend in 1988 whenever I look at these carvings.

I ran in Nanisivik in 1983 and 1986, when the trips were organized by "Arctic Joe" Womersley. In 1983 I ran the marathon. The last uphill, from the loading dock back to the mine was a killer! I wound up walking most of the uphill. In 1986 I brought my blushing bride to Nanisivik for our honeymoon. Believing that discretion is a better part of valor, I opted for the 20-mile race in which I finished second. My bride ran the 10K. Both years it was amazing to watch the "iron" men and women running the Double Marathon, with the winner coming in at about 7:45. After having run in Nanisivik, my wife and I have not found any other race to be really challenging. I tried to enter the above as "General Comments" but the form insisted I enter a year, so I used 2002.

This is the most spectacular course - with the most family-like atmosphere of runners and organizers - anyone is ever likely to encounter. This is the one you will remember over all others at the end of your running career. Priceless!