Runners Don Life Vests for 2026 North Pole Marathon on Drifting Sea Ice

Twenty-three runners from seven countries finished the 2026 North Pole Marathon on July 19, completing laps on a 1,055-metre loop cut into drifting pack ice above Arctic waters over 12,000 feet deep. Safety rules mandated life vests and thermal gear, reflecting the risks of running on a shifting surface with no land below.