Ram Gopal Kothari Completes Marathon at the Geographic North Pole

Time of India

2 days ago

At 90 degrees North, where every direction is south and the frozen Arctic Ocean forms the ground beneath, the Indian tricolour was hoisted — not on a pole, but in the hands of a man running into history.
On July 13, 2025, Kolkata-born entrepreneur and adventurer Ram Gopal Kothari became the first Indian to complete a full marathon at the Geographic North Pole, an achievement that places him among an elite group of endurance athletes who have braved one of the most challenging racecourses on Earth.
The North Pole Marathon, run on drifting sea ice over water three metres deep, is held only once a year under extreme polar conditions.
With temperatures dipping to –8°C, fierce winds cutting through layered gear, and polar bears occasionally sighted near the course, it is regarded as one of the toughest endurance events in the world.
The race's logistical demands include an icebreaker vessel to reach the site, polar bear patrol teams, and a fully equipped medical unit. In 2025, amid this environment, Kothari — running his first full marathon — joined athletes from across the globe for the rare event.
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The expedition began in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (Norway), where participants boarded the French icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot. Navigating through solid sea ice from 78°N to 90°N, the ship's voyage itself was a feat of endurance, offering sightings of polar bears, walruses, seals, and blue whales.
Kothari covered the first half of the marathon in 2 hours 45 minutes. But from kilometre 28 onwards, melting snow caused his legs to sink into slush, soaking his shoes and triggering severe cramps.
'I had every reason to stop,' he said, recalling the nine muscle cramps and an injury to his toe. 'But I wasn't just running on ice — I was running on a promise and a belief that India belongs everywhere, even at the top of the world.
' He completed the race in just over eight hours.
Kothari's achievement is underscored by his personal journey. Raised in a modest two-room home in Kolkata's Burrabazar, he grew up in a joint family sharing a single toilet with the building's residents.
An average student by his own admission, his formative years were marked by financial limitations but enriched by the resilience instilled by his parents.
The turning point came during a personal and professional crisis in 2012. Facing financial ruin and mental exhaustion, he contemplated ending his life. A phone call from his wife Shipra, urging him to 'come back' for the sake of their two children, became the catalyst for his recovery.
Starting from scratch, he built his career in the insurance sector through persistent outreach and hard work, eventually earning recognition and international travel opportunities.
Travel soon became a passion and a personal mission. By November 2022, Kothari had set foot on all seven continents, reaching Antarctica via the treacherous Drake Passage. His adventures extended to Greenland's ice fjords, the polar night in Svalbard, and summiting Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro.
Even a fall of nearly 100 metres during an attempt on Europe's Mount Elbrus did not deter him.
With the North Pole marathon completed, Kothari now aims to finish seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, scale the Seven Summits (the highest peaks on each continent), and visit 100 countries by 2027 — having already reached 70.
Kothari's feat has been covered in multiple Indian publications, including Rajasthan Patrika, Sanmarg, and Janpath Samachar.
But for him, the greater reward lies in the inspiration it may spark.
'I come from Burrabazar, not from an Olympic camp or a mountaineering base. If I can run my first full marathon on the most unforgiving terrain on Earth, anyone can take that first step towards their dream,' he said.
For Kothari, history is not made in comfort but in conviction — and sometimes, it begins on a sheet of ice at the very top of the world.
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