Britons take on polar challenge

Billed as the world's toughest race, competitors in the Polar Challenge will brave some of the harshest conditions imaginable.

They will travel 320 miles across the Arctic while battling sub-zero temperatures, dodging polar bears and fighting off altitude sickness while pulling their supplies behind them on a sled.

About 20 teams of three will take part in this year's challenge, including a trio of Evening Standard employees who are aiming to raise thousands for cancer charity Maggie's.

Co-founder of the Polar Challenge, Chris McLeod, 35, who has won the race with his team for the last two years, said: "The people who take part are ordinary individuals with a thirst for adventure and a challenge. Most of the people have never thought of doing anything like this before but when they heard about it, it appealed to them.

"I know from my experience that you become a changed person after and it gives you another perspective on life."

The competitors, who are aged from 22 to nearly 60, will begin their trek in mid-April and take up to four weeks to finish. They will set off from Resolute Bay in Canada before making their way on skis to the Magnetic North Pole. Mr McLeod, a former marine, said each competitor will undergo training to ensure they are up to the demands of the trek, including how to react if they are confronted by a polar bear.

"The chances of an attack are low but the threat is real. Everybody is apprehensive about polar bears, but each team will be issued with a shotgun and flares. The shotgun is used as a deterrent and the flares are used to scare them away."

The entrants, who have each raised ?10,000 to take part, will also receive navigation and fitness training. "Some have been pulling tyres to get them prepared," said Mr McLeod. "One, who is a shelf stacker at Tesco, is wearing ankle weights to get fit."