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Furry Competitor Makes Unexpected Race Appearance - Videos from The Weather Channel
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Furry Competitor Makes Unexpected Race Appearance

February 8, 2026

During the annual Polar Bear Marathon in Churchill, Manitoba, runners faced an unexpected course modification when an actual polar bear approached the race route and removed a 10-kilometer marker sign. Runner Tarrant Cross Child captured the remarkable footage as temperatures dipped below 24°F along the Hudson Bay shoreline. The aptly named marathon lived up to its moniker when the curious bear approached the sign bearing the race's name and carried it away, likely attracted by the unfamiliar object in its territory. Churchill is known as the "Polar Bear Capital of the World," where these powerful arctic predators are frequently spotted, especially as changing climate conditions alter their traditional hunting grounds. Marathon staff were prepared for potential wildlife encounters during the event, which takes participants through this unique northern Canadian landscape famous for its polar bear population.