The 7th annual Polar Bear Marathon happens this Saturday in Churchill and once again a man from Steinbach has been organizing the race.

Albert Martens says he has 17 runners registered for this race. Runners have the option of either a full or half marathon. Martens says competitors will have a beautiful view of Hudson's Bay, but the conditions will likely be cold and windy, the course icy and the threat of bears lies around every corner.

"I actually read that there's quite a few bears, lots of bears," says Martens. "I heard again from somebody in Churchill that there's activity at mile five."

Martens says though he has never spotted a polar bear during the previous six marathons, some runners have. He says mile five is known for polar bears as that is the spot where huskies are fed and often bears will come by to eat the dog food. In an effort to improve the safety of runners, this year's race will see five rangers stationed with guns at spots along the course.

The 17 runners registered for Saturday's race come from across North America. Manitobans taking part include Martin Peters of Steinbach, Bridget Robinson of Winnipeg, Deva Andrechuk of Darlingford as well as Shannon Anderson, Lawrence Flett, Yves Arthur Pages, Don James Knezarcek, Beth Hampson and Elijah Zimmerman of Churchill and Lennox Buzzidor and Simon Cutlip of Tadoule Lake. Also running are Beverly Sedore of Windsor, Ontario, Dave Colley from Nornby BC, Ravi Sundararajan of North Carolina and Caron Della Cioppa from Alaska. And finally, Vickie McDonald from Arkansas who has run more than 250 marathons and Dr. Janet Green of Courtenay, BC, who has more than 380 marathons under her belt will also be part of the field.

The race is run through Athletes In Action. Martens says more than 100 runners have taken part in the Polar Bear Marathon over the years. He notes they have come from all corners of the world to learn from one another. These competitors have run many races in cities or through mountains, but Martens says racers on Saturday will be running against the elements; the wind and the cold.

Meanwhile, Martens says the cost of living increased in Churchill when the railway shut down. This has created challenging times for families, with some young couples moving away to find work. As a result, this weekend's participants will be bringing gifts for children in order to bring some Christmas joy to the children of Churchill.