International defence and security company Qinetiq has teamed up with TV presenter Ben Fogle and Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell in a bid to win a race to the South Pole.

The partnership, named Team Qinetiq, will be competing with teams from around the world in the Amundsen Omega 3 event later this year.

Team Qinetiq is preparing for the gruelling 400-mile race to the geographical pole at state-of-the-art facilities in Qinetiq’s headquarters at Farnborough.

The race, expected to take place in December, will be the first event of its kind in more than a century.

It will mark the 100th anniversary of the rival expeditions of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and British naval officer Captain Robert Scott in their bids to be the first to get to the South Pole.

The Amundsen Omega 3 teams will be pulling 200lb sledges as they follow similar routes to the pole from the same start line.

Team Qinetiq is drawing on the company’s expertise in human sciences and its emerging capability in energy and environmental sciences.

Qinetiq will also be ensuring that television personality Ben and rowing champion James maximise their own physical and mental endurance in the run-up to the gruelling challenge.

Qinetiq’s rigorous preparation plans include monitoring sleep patterns, devising special diets, preparing their bodies for the effects of extreme cold in climate chambers and analysing their personalities in order to maximise teamwork.

Qinetiq’s Simon Wickes said: “Using our climate chambers, Ben and James will be exposed to extremes of temperature, physical endurance and solitude.

“With the right preparation we can go a long way to giving them the edge they need to succeed."

Ben Fogle shot to fame in 2000 when he starred in a series of Castaway. He has since become a household favourite, presenting television shows such as Animal Park and Extreme Dreams.

James Cracknell is one of Britain’s most successful and inspirational athletes as a double Olympic champion and world record holder in competitive rowing.

James said: “To get ahead in the race to the South Pole, you need world-beating science and technology behind you.

“Qinetiq was the obvious choice when we were looking for a partner to help prepare us for one of the most dangerous and inhospitable places on earth.”