Hi All,
 
All those planning to go to NICOP (9th International Conference on Permafrost) in Fairbanks Alaska, and are up for a challenge - this is for you! 

I know this is fairly far in advance but there is a reason ... Myself and some of the Anchorage/Fairbanks University/ PYRN/APECS Representatives have a bit of a novel (or some might say crazy!!  ) idea to run in the Mayor's Anchorage Marathon (the weekend before the conference), under the NICOP banner to raise awareness of the importance of permafrost/polar sciences.  T-shirts, caps, social events, media coverage etc ... We have only just started playing round with the idea - and are trying to think of ways of getting the media involved, community outreach and engagement - getting our science out there.
 
Does anyone have any outreach ideas .... or wants to run!?? the more the merrier  and a good bunch of support crew are most welcome too.    
 
There is the full option (42 km, 26.2 mile), half (21 km, 13.1 mile), or team (10.5 km) options - Great chance for those who have never run one before (hence the months in advance for a bit of training), and want to challenge themselves, running for a good cause (incentive ALWAYS helps!!). The Marathon website:   http://www.mayorsmarathon.com/  
 
The NICOP conference is sure to be a great one.  Abstracts for paper presentations have already closed but there is still the option of a poster (abstracts due between 15th Jan, and 15th Feb 2008).  There are some great pre-and post- conference fieldtrips, and for those keen to stay on and tiki-tour a bit under their own steam, anyone whose done a geology paper or two knows that the "Katmai Valley of 10,000 Smokes" (major 1912 eruption) is not far away!   There are a few short educational courses pre-conference that also look good and are very affordable (i'm keen to do one), some giving academic credits: Introduction to Permafrost and Frozen Ground Engineering; Permafrost History, Distribution and Construction in Fairbanks, Alaska; Understanding the Role of Permafrost in a Rapidly Warming Climate. 

Check the website out for more details:  http://www.nicop.org/ 

There is also a fantastic UAF summer field study course on "Permafrost affected soils" - a 12-day fieldtrip running from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay (dip your toes in the Arctic Ocean!)  (see http://www.uaf.edu/summer/index.html)

SO HANDS UP!!  This is a fantastic opportunity to get fit, challenge yourself, and accomplish something you possibly never thought you could.  And the incentive is there for all those passionate about getting their science into the public arena!    
 
Please feel free to get in contact and discuss ideas - your thoughts will be appreciated.  
 
Cheers  
Tanya

"The race is not always to the swift but to those who keep on running”

~ author unknown ~