The Northwest Passage Marathon is the Canada’s northernmost marathon and Nunavut’s only marathon! The race course covers 42 kilometres over the tundra of the high Arctic, and with the possibility of seeing muskoxen, polar bears, arctic foxes and more, the Northwest Passage Marathon is unlike any other. As part of …
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The Northwest Passage Marathon is the Canada’s northernmost marathon and Nunavut’s only marathon! The race course covers 42 kilometres over the tundra of the high Arctic, and with the possibility of seeing muskoxen, polar bears, arctic foxes and more, the Northwest Passage Marathon is unlike any other. As part of a week-long adventure at Arctic Watch, this adventure welcomes runners from across the globe to experience the best of the High Arctic while completing a truly unique marathon. At 74° north, Arctic Watch is not only an incredible location for wildlife viewing but is also a unique and stunning landscape to enjoy on foot.
The Northwest Passage marathon provides the unique opportunity to be self-propelled and cover long distances over land, allowing our guests to experience parts of the island that are otherwise inaccessible. Above the arctic circle, the rolling tundra is vast and barren of trees. Running along the open expanse, the land spills out in front of you, small plants carve out an existence at your feet and curious Arctic wildlife often make an appearance. In our first year hosting the marathon, we had seven runners and fourteen polar bear sightings along the 42km route. Leaving from the lodge, the course heads north following Cunningham Inlet to Polar Bear Point where it then turns west and hugs the Northwest Passage all the way to Cape Marie. Along the way, runners can expect to see belugas as they begin to congregate in the inlet and polar bears and seals are often seen on the ice of the Northwest Passage. Returning inland the marathon continues through the Red Valley and a mobile aid station will support runners along the way. Already this year we have seen muskoxen, arctic fox and snowy owls on our inland excursions.
The Northwest Passage Marathon is truly unlike any marathon in the world and we can’t wait to host this year’s runners for an experience of a lifetime.
All marathon runners will travel from Arctic Watch to Polar Bear Point by Unimog truck. Marathon race starts at 10:00 a.m. from Polar Bear Point. The course profiles the shores of the Northwest Passage, before turning inland over the tundra back to Arctic Watch. All runners will be accompanied by an ATV support vehicle carrying food and clothing.
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