Polar Circle Marathon & Running of the Muskox
Polar Circle Marathon
- Official website: Polar Circle Marathon
- Annually around the end of October
Often referred to as “the coolest marathon on Earth” – the Polar Circle Marathon is organized by Albatros Adventure Marathons in Kangerlussuaq at the end of each October. It is one of the toughest marathons in the world thanks to the hilly, slippery terrain and the potential for extreme weather conditions.
Part of the marathon is raced on the Greenland Ice Sheet using crampons for traction. Then, once runners descend from this icy world, they race along the Ice Road through a landscape of glacial moraines, glacier tongues, and the soundless arctic desert.
There are full-marathon and half-marathon options or, if you are really keen, you can tackle the “Polar Bear Challenge” and complete both the full- and half-marathons on consecutive days. Only around 120 competitors take on the race each year, with about a third of them opting to do the ultimate challenge.
Running of the Muskox
- Official Website: Running of the Moskus
- Annually around August
The Running of the Muskox is a 5K fun run and a half-marathon rolled into one. It was first held in 2023 and was the brainchild of some of the employees of the original race host – Polar Field Services.
In recent years, it has become one of Kangerlussuaq’s biggest community events with many local businesses and organizations helping to organize and host the running. In 2023, it was hosted as a live and virtual event with ~230 sign-ups and ~125 in-person participants. Not bad for a town of only ~500 people!
All money raised by the event goes towards supporting the Kangerlussuaq school.