The 2017 FWD North Pole Marathon, the world's coolest marathon, was operated precisely to schedule and succeeded in having all 55 competitors complete their respective events.

The race started at 2230 hrs (Norwegian time) on April 8th under sunny skies and a temperature of -31 degrees Celsius.

A great battle immediately ensued up front in the men's race with Piotr Suchenia (POL) sharing the lead with two Nepalese army athletes, Samir Tamang and Bhim Gurung. Just behind them, Ka Ho Chan (HKG), the 3,000m champion of Hong Kong, was in fourth position.

Meanwhile, Kit Ching Yiu (HKG), a 2:36 hr Olympic marathoner, led the women's race field and was closely followed by 2014 Antarctic Ice Marathon winner Frederique Laurent (FRA) in second place and Simona Dumitriscu (ROM) in third.

As condiitions got colder, dipping to -40C, and the course deteriorated underfoot, Suchenia, Tamang and Gurung ran in single file, exchanging lead position on occasion. Chan continued to hold fourth place with Marat Yusupov, a Russian paratrooper moving into fifth spot, and Philippe Richet (FRA) taking sixth place at three-quarters.

In a perfectly executed race, however, Suchenia (POL) prevailed n a time of 4:06.34 hrs and was followed home by Gurung (NEP) in 4:18.50 hrs, Tamang (NEP) in 4:31.23 hrs, Chan (HKG) in 4:57.47 hrs, and Pal Skyrud (NOR) in 5:06.18 hrs.

Frederique Laurent (FRA) managed to make it an Antarctic / North Pole double by taking a narrow victory in the women's marathon over Simona Dumitriscu (ROM) in a time of 6:21.03 hrs versus 6:25.41 hrs, with Kit Ching Yiu (HKG) a little further back in third in a time of 6:37.18 hrs.

Gurung, Tamang and Chan were all members of the FWD team that took first place in the team competition.

About FWD

FWD is a rapidly expanding pan-Asian company, a pioneer in the insurance industry, offering one-of-a-kind products that enable customers to pursue their goals with much greater confidence than before.

With businesses spanning Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, FWD offers a new kind of customer experience. Its products are easy to understand yet sophisticated in nature, supported by leading digital technologies.

Through this unique and challenging marathon -- the FWD North Pole Marathon -- FWD aspires to encourage everyone to enjoy life to the fullest and stay true to their passion.

Visit www.fwd.com

Contact

Richard Donovan, Race Director
rd@npmarathon.com    

Full results are posted on www.npmarathon.com.