Teams are already entering for the EWR Centenary Race to the South Pole beginning in December 2011.

And one of the first teams to state their intention to race and to stake their claim to victory is Norwegian all woman trio Girl Power. They’re determined to see a Norwegian victory over the British in a race to the South Pole for what would be an historic third time.

The EWR Centenary Race to the South Pole is to commemorate the race of 1911, in which Amundsen beat Scott by 33 days. A second defeat for the British came in 2009. The South Pole Race became only the second race ever to the pole and it was filmed for BBC’s “On Thin Ice” documentary series. History repeat itself when TV celebrity Ben Fogle and Olympian Jamie Cracknell were narrowly beaten by the Norwegians.

Three Women Aiming For Three In A Row

The members of the Girl Power team of three are:

• ‘energetic’ project manager Anneli Nesteng, 31
• experienced climber Marte Gallis, 31
• outdoor fanatic (and mother of three) Trine Alsgaardand, 41.

They believe their task is to win the race outright – ‘beating the guys’ is a only a secondary issue. Anneli Nesteng says:

‘We’re racing to win and to defend Norwegian Polar History but we’re also going to have fun with the experience. We aim to share our experiences with as many as possible, through film and our own blog’

Extreme World Races MD and race organiser Tony Martin says:

‘The Norwegian men won the 2008/2009 South Pole Race and I think the Girl Power team has every chance to be first to the South Pole in this. It may be the world’s toughest race but women in general – and these women in particular – are well up to the task’

On December 14th 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole. He had beaten the British team led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott by 33 days.

One hundred years later – to the day – the EWR Centenary Race to the South Pole will begin.

Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of that epic Antarctic race between Scott and Amundsen, the EWR Centenary Race to the South Pole is organised by Extreme World Races and will see teams from Britain and Norway joined by competitors from around the world. Competitors will have the chance to battle to the Pole and lay claim to the winners’ trophy in the latest incarnation of the toughest endurance race on the planet.

Antarctic Conditions To Test The Toughest Competitor

Between December 2011 and mid February 2012, the competitors will negotiate multiple crevasses, cross snow bridges, and climb to 3000m on the high polar plateau. To make it just a little more arduous, they’ll do all this as they face winds up to 80mph and temperatures as low as -40C in their battle for survival along the 704km route. This is the ultimate extreme endurance race and it’s set in the stunning landscape of one of the coldest, driest, and highest deserts on the planet.

Follow From The Safety Of Your Own Base Hut

Obviously, the next best thing to being there yourself is following closely the competitors who are tackling the challenge first hand.

Each competitor is fitted with a tracking device and they will check in via regular live satellite phone calls. The progress of all participating teams will be updated hourly on the EWR website.

After the race is run (and won), a documentary will be aired on TV. (The  actual transmission date is yet to be confirmed, so keep checking back. We hope to announce dates for transmission in early 2011.)

Our Consultant Group Psychologist here at EWR – Dr Robert Owen – has a theory. To put it simply, he believes that women are better at men when it comes to epic challenges.

Dr Owen spent over a year examining historical epic endurance challenges similar to the upcoming EWR Centenary Race to the South Pole. And the evidence shows that women have historically proved to win out when the going is tougher and longer.

From the Great Trek of the Boer women that opened up the South African Veldt to the pioneers crossing the American West in their covered wagons, it has been women who have proved to be the last ones left standing. And the reasons may be as much physiological as psychological.

Men Are Now The Weaker Sex

Sports studies have shown that women can sometimes finish ultra-marathons in times similar to those of men, even when those same men can beat them in “short” (that’s the standard 26.2 mile version to you and me!) marathons. When men and women with equivalent marathon times are matched against each other in ultras, it’s the women who tend to win.

Women generally also have a higher gradient of temperature from the skin to the body core (that’s why women often have cold hands, for instance) and so it seems they’re more able to maintain a constant body core temperature in cold conditions. On top of this, women appear to burn more fat and less carbohydrate than men during endurance training.

Dr Robert Owen says studies of observed gender behaviours also suggest that many of the perceived differences between men and women might reflect social learning rather than inherent gender traits. For instance, women tend to be more selfless and exhibit more empathy than men. More importantly, they tend to more readily accept and give support to others, which leads to a high degree of group cohesion. Perfect for building successful teams.

Tony Martin Expects The Women To Win

Extreme World Races MD and organiser of the 100th Anniversary Centenary Race to the South Pole Race in 2011/2012, Tony Martin, believes that women are not just equal to their male counterparts when it comes to extreme environments: he thinks they have the potential to outperform the men.

I’ve been racing in extreme environments for 20 years and, in general, women are better racers than men in these unique conditions. Not only is their team work usually superior, but they also look after themselves better and have a crucial edge when it comes to the mental strength needed for this type of epic undertaking. These are all critical and positive traits for facing the conditions they will meet in Antarctica.

Although the first woman stepped onto the Antarctic mainland as early as 1935, it wasn’t until 1989 that the first women made an expedition to the South Pole by land. And in 2009, an eight-strong team of women from five continents trekked to the South Pole to mark the Commonwealth’s 60th anniversary.