Ireland’s Gary Thornton wins Antarctic Ice Marathon

Race held just a few hundred kilometres from the South Pole

Irishman Gary Thornton conquered both poles after winning the 2016 Antarctic Ice Marathon having previously won the 2013 North Pole Marathon. Video: Reuters

Ireland's Gary Thornton has won one of the most unique runs in the world – the Antarctic Ice Marathon.

Fifty runners from around the world took part in the event, taking on a marked course of 42.2km (26.2 miles) at Union Glacier, Antarctica for what organisers bill as "the southern-most marathon on earth".

The South Pole was only a few hundred kilometres away from the course.

Thornton won the men's race with a time of 3 hours, 37 minutes, 13 seconds, while Poland's Joanna Medras triumphed amongst the women runners with a time of 6:01.45.

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“It was really tough. Well, it shouldn’t have been but I don’t know why, it just was,” Thornton said after the race. “I maybe over-heated a bit on the first lap. But it’s good.”

He previously won a marathon at the North Pole.

– Reuters