Running with the bears…Polar Bear Marathon on tap

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/11/2019 (2328 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One of the most unique marathons in the world, the eighth edition of the Polar Bear Marathon, is set for this Saturday in Churchill.

It was an event started by Steinbach’s Albert Martens in 2012 and eight years later he is taking yet another group of runners up to Churchill this week for Saturday’s event.

Martens himself is no stranger to unique running events. In fact he has competed in, participated in and completed some of the most of the gruelling ultramarathons known to man, in all parts of the globe.

He has run more 60 marathons and ultramarathons worldwide including the Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley, California, and has been a four-time participant in the famed Marathon Des Sables in the Sahara Desert.

When he organized the first Polar Bear Marathon in 2012 he thought he at the time this might be a one shot deal, possibly see how it goes, and then move on to the next project.

Martens is known in international running circles and as such each year the Churchill run has attracted runners from around world wanting to give the unique event a try. The Polar Bear Marathon has also received notoriety as it is listed on international running calendars.

The weather for Saturday’s marathon in Churchill is forecasted to be around -5 Celsius, which is a little warm for some of these adventure seekers, who will run on the road outside of Churchill, along with escorts in vehicles, in case they encounter polar bears.

It has been held each year around this time, which is the end of the polar bear season in Churchill as the bears leave the area and head off to Hudson Bay. A late freeze-up means there may still be bears in the area and an early freeze-up means there may be fewer.

Martens, who says they have seen bears during five of the seven past marathons, says he has been told there are still about four bears in the area, which they will be on the lookout for.

This year there will be 17 runners participating, including two from Steinbach – Martin Peters and Brent Manke. There will also be runners coming Arizona, Quebec, Ottawa, Winnipeg and four from B.C. One of the Indigenous runners, Lorne Flett, has run every year and will be back again this year.

The route of the marathon leaves Churchill and goes towards the Study Centre (about 24K) and then back to town. There are half marathon, full marathon and ultra-marathon distances included.

The coldest temperatures they have experienced over the years has been -29 Celsius and this year’s mild forecast will be among the warmest they have experienced. But frequently they also run in blizzard-like conditions as the wind howls in off the bay.

This has also become a well-known event in the community of Churchill as the townspeople have embraced it and volunteered to help out, including as escorts. This is also a community that was hit hard during the last couple of years as they lost their rail line for more than a year.

On Saturday evening, following the run, there is an awards banquet at a local hotel. Martens says it was quite amazing at last year’s banquet. Just as longtime Churchill mayor Mike Spence was speaking to the group, they could hear a train whistle blow, it was the whistle of the first train to arrive in Churchill in more than a year following the repair of the rail line. 

In past years, some of the top international extreme runners have made the trek to Churchill. This year blind runner Jason Romero from Denver, Colorado, was going to run, but had to cancel unexpectedly last week. So the subsequent dessert evening which was to be held with Romero on Nov. 26 at the Whitetail Meadow Event Centre near Niverville, also had to be cancelled.

An extreme runner, Romero previously ran across the United States in 60 days, running 50 miles a day and was hoping to add the Polar Bear Marathon to his list of achievements.

Martens says he has already had enquiries from runners interested in adding the event to their calendars for next year.