Greek runner Argyrios Papathanasopoulos has won the North Pole Marathon.

Held annually at Camp Barneo, also known as the North Pole Camp, as the northernmost race on Earth it is considered to be the coldest marathon, with competitors donning warm protective gear from head to toe.

But this didn’t get in the way of Papathanasopoulos taking out the top spot in the men’s race, managing to beat his 46 opponents in temperatures of minus 33°C.

With a winning time of four hours, 34 minutes and 36 seconds, when he reached the finish line, the runner dropped to his knees in exhaustion while proudly holding onto a Greek flag.

“Almost unbelievable,” Papathanasopoulos said of the win.

“You know I’m a Greek guy so this is not the right place for me; it’s like an Eskimo running a race in the desert.”

Meanwhile in the women’s category, China’s Guoping Xie won the event.