Polar Air sponsors Polar Marathon Success

• Tuesday, 03 November 2009

Nottingham, 3rd November, 2009, Air Conditioning & Building Services specialist Polar Air was proud to sponsor Carlton Hide, Director of Client Relationships at occupier solutions specialist Port@l, who recently completed the gruelling Polar Circle Marathon, to raise money for children’s hospice charity Helen & Douglas House.

Coined ‘The coolest marathon on Earth’ the Polar Circle Marathon took place on the 24th October in the remote arctic desert of Greenland and involved over 60 athletes who had to endure 26 miles of sub-zero temperatures, mountain climbs and navigating their way over the snow covered polar ice cap.

Polar Air’s Managing Director Andrew Fitch commented, “This is a terrific achievement and we are delighted to have been able to offer our support for what is such a unique, incredible event and a worthy cause. I have immense admiration and respect for anyone that can tackle this type of challenge, not to mention the strenuous pre-race training schedule.” The last four months saw Carlton clocking up the distance with an average of 35 miles run every week as well as cross-training and other body strengthening activities such as swimming.

Andrew Fitch added, “Obviously there was a close synergy between our own brand and the location of the race but it’s also good to have the chance to give something back and help one of our most loyal customers raise money for charity. I can also appreciate the appeal of such a daring adventure. Maybe in a few years I’ll be tempted to do the same!”

Carlton Hide, aged 47 is already an experienced long-distance runner who has completed marathons in London, Berlin and New York. He explains what attracted him to enter and what it was like, “The whole idea of running on the polar ice cap was irresistible and to visit such a remote and beautiful place as Greenland had always been a lifetime’s ambition of mine. I was not disappointed. This is an amazing country and the sheer beauty was breath-taking. On the first night we witnessed one of the World’s rarest and most spectacular sights, The Northern Lights. This and other memories such as the 100 feet ice glaciers will stay with me forever.”

“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. If you want to achieve something special as well as experience a place that is like no other, then I would certainly recommend the Polar Circle Marathon.”

At the start of the race competitors were immediately faced with a 2 mile climb up a snow covered mountain, followed by wading through ankle to knee-deep snow and then straddling the polar ice cap ridge. Still on snow and ice with minus 9 degree temperatures, the remaining 22 miles could thankfully be run in normal training shoes but with clip on spikes. Of the 62 competitors, nearly a third were from the UK. Other nationalities represented included Danes, Americans, Australians, Spanish, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Austrian, Brazilian, Italian, French and native Greenlanders.
Polar Air provided funding for the whole trip as well as providing branded running jackets and hats.

Helen and Douglas House provides respite and end of life care for children and young adults with life-shortening conditions. Carlton added, “I’m fit and healthy enough to do marathons in my late forties which I’m hugely thankful for. This seemed the perfect opportunity for me to be able to show my gratitude and do something tangible to improve the quality of their lives.”

For further information on the Polar Air Marathon and to view the video diary of the event visit www.polarair.co.uk

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Editor’s Note:
About Polar Air:
Established in 1997, Polar Air Building Services originally operated predominantly in the air conditioning sector. The company soon grew and diversified into a multi-talented organisation providing a comprehensive range of building services and maintenance all under one roof.

The company’s open minded philosophy, knowledge and overriding enthusiasm means it is not afraid to take on even the most challenging and complex projects.

Polar Air holds various industry accreditations including:NICEIC Approved Contractor, SSAIB CCTV, Intruder & Door Access, Stanley PAC dealership, Connectix Cabling Approved Installer, Daikin D1 Approved Installer, Mitsubishi Electrics Approved Installer, Environmental Agency Controlled Waste Carriers, Consumer Credit License & F GAS – REFCOM.

The company is based in Nottingham and employs around 25 staff.


About Port@l:
Established in 2000 Port@l is part of a unique amalgamation of three ‘best-of-breed’ specialist companies (Cannock, Port@l and Direct Dialogue) that share similar ownership. This commonality is a critical point because it overcomes many of the difficulties and discontinuities encountered by partnerships. The core offering of this amalgam is space and infrastructure (environment, IT and telephony) on a managed service basis. Port@l term this organisational hosting or simply hosting and it allows their clients to retain ownership of their “crown jewels” such as brand custodianship, culture, people, processes, intellectual capital, business applications and, in the case of call centres, the actual interaction with customers.

Port@l have worked with a number of prestigious clients, including: HfS Loans, Barclays Bank, E.ON (Powergen) and Vanquis Bank.

Port@l’s head office is in Birmingham and they have operational centres in Glasgow, Rotherham, Nottingham, Manchester, Chatham, Coventry and Leeds.

Press Contact: Call Steve Shergold or Sally Minchin on 0845 658 0120.
E-mail: Steve.Shergold@ttauk.com or sally.Minchin@ttauk.com

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