A BANBURY boss has completed one of the most gruelling marathons on the planet by running 26 miles through ankle-deep snow.

Carlton Hide ran through a remote Arctic desert in Greenland in sub-zero temperatures in order to complete the Polar Circle Marathon.

The father-of-two had to balance keeping warm with saving enough energy to complete the race.

In the first two miles he had to climb up a snow-covered mountain, wade through ankle to knee-deep snow and negotiate an ice cap ridge.

An armed marshal was on standby just in case an unwanted polar bear strayed into the runners’ path.

Mr Hide, 47, a sales and marketing director for portable building firm Portal, which is based in Noral Way, Banbury, raised about £250 for Helen and Douglas House Hospice.

He said: “I had done three marathons - London, New York and Berlin - each in under three hours.

“They were a fantastic experience but given my age and diminishing return to get any quicker, the Polar Circle ticked my boxes.

“The race itself was most certainly the toughest I’ve ever faced, particularly the mountains and snow, which were particularly energy-sapping, but the scenery and general camaraderie of all the competitors made up for the pain.”

Mr Hide, of People’s Place, Banbury, completed the event in five hours 15 minutes.