He did it. Quebecer Patrick Charlebois became the first Canadian on Wednesday to win the North Pole Marathon, a discipline event taking place at the northernmost point of the globe.

To get to the North Pole, Mr. Charlebois first had to travel to Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, to board a passenger ship, Commandant Charcot. From there, the navigation to the North Pole took five days.

The Trifluvien was one of 12 athletes to take part in the competition. To triumph, he ran nearly 43 one-mile loops over an ice cap about 6 to 12 feet thick, separating the runners from the Arctic Ocean.

Obviously, he had to deal with an unstable surface and unpredictable weather conditions; as it was only 3 degrees Celsius, the racers had to wear life jackets in case the ice broke.

“With the soft snow and the life jacket, it was a very difficult race,” said the Quebecer in a press release. On the other hand, the suffering of a runner is nothing compared to the suffering of a person with cancer. »

At the same time, Mr. Charlebois becomes the second Canadian to join the select international Grand Slam Marathon club, reserved for athletes who have run at least 42 km on the seven continents of the planet as well as on the Arctic Ocean. Five years ago, he completed seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. Only the Arctic Ocean remained.

“Being part of this club is a significant step in my career, it’s a source of great pride,” said the principal.