Hardy Irish Arctic warriors go to extremes

What’s the toughest part of running 350 miles into the Arctic Circle?

The minus-50 cold? The 70-mile treks to the next meal? Or the mountain climbs in the teeth of vicious 80mph crosswinds?

No, the unscheduled appearances of Mickey Mouse brought on by the chill, hunger and fatigue, according to Paddy Craig from Ballyfermot in Dublin. “The hallucinations are frighteningly real and can range from Walt Disney characters to complete strangers holding conversations with you for many miles – until you either run away from them or daylight saves you.”