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Women's winner: Marathon at 78°N a tough act to follow

Lori Osmundsen approaches the 2-km mark during the Spitsbergen Marathon on June 6. She won the women's category with a time of 4:30:08. (Main race article)

By LORI OSMUNDSEN

There are some of us in America who have heard of Spitsbergen and can actually find it on a map.

I did not know, however, that Spitsbergen hosts the world's (nearly) northernmost marathon until last September, when a Norwegian journalist in Maldal suggested that I consider Svalbard for my next race. I thought he was joking. I said I would think about putting it on my list, along with the marathon on the moon.

Two days later the local newspaper, Lindesnes, printed an article stating that my next marathon project after running in Mandal would be the Spitsbergen Marathon. So it is real, I learned.

Eight months later I am running all over Longyearbyen with a handful of other marathoners attracted by the exotic.

The race preview from Svalbard Turn classified the marathon here as "tough." What does that mean? All marathons are tough. Otherwise everyone would do it.

But those who ran 42.2 km on Saturday, June 6, found the going plenty challenging: some snow, some hills and very brisk air for those of us not used to -1C in June.

My favorite part of the race was meeting reindeer at about 4 km – my first wildlife sighting in Svalbard. The worst part of the race was meeting some headwind at around 24 km, when you suddenly felt cold and irritated that nature is slapping you in the face at the point you most needed a boost with 18 km yet to go.

One feature that the Spitsbergen Marathon shared with every other marathon I've run was outstanding volunteer support at the aid stations. I would like to hug every one of the volunteers who cheerfully gave out drinks, food and smiles every 5 km or so. Those ladies were my heroes during the race and they should be given free annual passes at Svalbardhallen for being tremendous goodwill ambassadors of Longyearbyen.

Spitsbergen has made it hard for me to think about what's the next marathon – how do you get more unique than that? Start one on the moon, I guess.

• Lori Osmundsen is an attorney, freelance writer and marathon runner from Portland, Ore. She wishes to thank her home Sons Of Norway chapter, Grieg Lodge 2-14 in Portland, for their encouragement and support of her running adventure in Spitsbergen.

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