Nicola Wearne is a Tauranga nurse stricken with rheumatoid arthritis – but she's defying her crippling pain and fatigue to tackle one of the world's most challenging long distance running events.

The Polar Circle Marathon takes entrants across the ice and arctic tundra of Greenland, but that's not enough to put the 38-year-old off, who will become the first Kiwi woman to compete at the event.

Tauranga's Nicola Wearne is taking on the Polar Circle Marathon despite suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Photo: Supplied.

The working mother of two and keen runner says: 'Arthritis meant that, at one point, I was on so much medication I rattled.”

After two years battling unexplained joint pain and fatigue, she knew something wasn't right.

'I had to sleep sitting up,” she explains. 'I wasn't able to lift the jug off the bench or hold my arm up to put my make-up on.”

After being referred to a specialist, Nicola was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis – one of 578,000 New Zealanders living with the condition.

Now on medication that she injects every fortnight, the treatment has given her back her life, her health and her running.

And to celebrate she will head off to Greenland next month to run in the Polar Circle Marathon.

'I can't believe I am well enough to run,” says Nicola.

She will wear crampons for around eight kilometres due to the ice scape and there'll be no straying from the course because of the crevasse hazard.

Arthritis New Zealand is holding a street day appeal this Friday, and they're asking for a gold coin donation to help raise $1 million nationwide.

The money will help continue the organisation's support services in the Bay of Plenty.