He has braved marathons in the desert and scaled mountains, but it seems Julian Evans's thirst for the extreme never dries up.

The 36-year-old, who last year ran six marathons in five days, now plans to conquer the Arctic in the Polar Race 2009.

During his journey, his body will have to contend with temperatures as low as -50C, as he and his two teammates pull a toboggan weighing 120lbs – about 54kgs – across 360 miles.

Julian said: "It is going to be testing and quite frightening, I am sure, but that appeals to my sense of adventure.

"I enjoy the risks involved and seeing just how far I can push my body.

"I see it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness an environment that few people will ever have the chance to see."

To prepare for the challenge, which begins on April 6, Julian spent months training by running over ploughed fields and sand dunes. He has also had to take a psychometric test to ensure he is mentally capable of surviving the conditions.

Julian, of Market Harborough, is no stranger to extreme racing.

In 2008, he took part in the Marathon des Sables, or marathon of the sands, completing six marathons in five days in the Sahara Desert.

During his Arctic trip, he will raise money for the Myeloma UK charity, which helps people with a type of cancer that develops from cells in the bone marrow called plasma cells.

Julian's race begins in Resolute Bay, on the southern side of Cornwallis Island, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut.

He and his two race partners will then set off on their quest to reach the 1996 magnetic north pole, as achieved by race organisers and explorers Jock Wishart and David Hempleman-Adams.

In 2007, Dan Byles, 34, formerly of Stoneygate, Leicester, completed the trek with his mother, Jan Meek, and friend, Richard Profit.

Dan wished Julian luck. He said: "He has to remember to take it one day at a time and to look after himself and his team.

"It gets so cold that you can't slack. You just have to keep going forward. The whole thing is relentless.

"It is more a mental challenge than physical. No matter how tired you are, it is the mental side of it that is hardest, but if you can handle that, you can make it."

The magnetic north pole was first discovered in 1831.

It marks the point on the Earth's surface at which the planet's magnetic field is at a 90 degree angle.

Sponsors for Julian's expedition include his employers, London property consultancy firm Knight Frank, Oakham School and Tigers Events.