Simply saying the phrases “I’m operating a marathon in Antarctica” begins to conjur up some loopy photos and a complete lot of questions! When our buddy Web page Williams took on the expertise in 2025, we knew we needed to share her story and information that may assist others!
What Is The Antarctica Marathon
It sounds apparent, however there are literally 3 marathons on the continent!! This one was based by Thom Gilligan of Marathon Excursions & Journey in 1995, which you’ve possible heard of because of a whole lot of people utilizing them to achieve entry to among the Marathon Majors.
Not like the majors, this can be a SMALL scale scenario. Solely 100 individuals or much less can take part annually to maintain the environmental influence to a minimal. A part of the race’s proceeds are additionally donated to Oceanites, a nonprofit that research the human influence on local weather and wildlife.
As a result of climate, security, base operations and different components, the precise race course usually modifications a bit from yr to yr.
Listed below are another particulars:
- The place: King George Island (a South Shetland Island off the Antarctic Peninsula).
- When: Late February or Early March
- Begin/End: Bellingshausen Station (Russian Base)
- Course: The course is principally on gravel paths that join the bases within the space. Along with Bellingshausen, runners additionally cross the Artigas base (Uruguayan), the Frei Base (Chilean), and the Nice Wall Base (Chinese language) on their route.
Antarctica Marathon Course
Admit it, you’re imaging operating on a glacier with penguins chasing you. That’s form of the dream anyhow, however the precise course is a bit completely different, although your connection to the penguins will completely occur as a part of this journey.
What makes this course so difficult and an entry on the bucket record of so many isn’t solely the distinctive mixture of journey and climate, however the alternative of a lifetime to see a part of the world most individuals received’t.
We requested runner Web page Williams what actually put this one on her radar.
“I initially heard about this race when my buddy Alyssa ran it years again. Since then I’ve at all times thought that operating a marathon in Antarctica could be completely epic!
Quick ahead years later, I randomly turned to my husband sooner or later and stated, “Hey would you need to run a marathon in Antarctica?” Thoughts you he has by no means run a marathon in his life and has at all times put up with my ridiculous antics!
To my shock he checked out me and stated sure!
So with that I researched Marathon Excursions and figured it might be our large present to rejoice us each turning 40!”
Despite the fact that this marathon primarily takes place on gravel paths, there’s at all times the climate to take care of in an surroundings as excessive as this one.
- Largely gravel paths
- 6 hour reduce off
- Vast number of gear needs to be packed for altering situations (particularly for wind)
- Plan to hold a hydration pack – there are not any support stations
- Plan to put on street to path trainers
Climate can change rapidly, each on the crossing from Argentina and on King George Island. There’s the potential for storms, delays, tough water, fog, and snow, which means some days you could be restricted on how a lot could be completed outdoor.
Although the altitude on King George Island isn’t terribly excessive, the altitude mixed with chilly and windchill, rougher, generally muddy terrain, means it is best to take your conditioning beforehand severely.
“I believe that folks know have to know that operating a marathon in Antarctica isn’t like operating a street marathon. It is extremely very similar to operating a path marathon!
To start, we’re known as down from the ship in waves, from there, we should cross the inspection after which we’re zodiaced from the boat out to the island.
Due to the quickly-changing climate, they really needed to change the course day of and made it a 5 loops course.
In order that was 5 Loops operating up and down the hills, within the mud, seeing penguins, and cheering on your whole new mates that you just met alongside this expedition.
As one would possibly count on this race is self-supported as we’re company on this land and we needed to be extremely thorough and considerate about every thing that we introduced on to the island and ensuring that we left no hint.
There’s a very in-depth briefing, program, and inspection that we needed to watch and cling to earlier than we are able to even set foot on the island to be sure that we’re sustaining its very fragile pure habitat and ecosystem. no wrappers are allowed, we needed to scrub our boots earlier than and after, there’s just one porta potty on the end line, and completely no trash could be left behind.
You can’t hold across the end line, however as an alternative, should be zodiaced again to the boat instantly.
The main target of the day is to not run a private greatest, however to benefit from the sights, the camaraderie, and the distinctive expertise.
Whereas there have been some fairly respectable recorded occasions (information being 2:53:33 for males and three:29:16 for ladies), the common end occasions are over 5 hours for each women and men.
There’s a cutoff time of 6 hours, although the tour organizers have the best to tug you from the race in case you are not on tempo and different components, like climate, must be managed.
How Do You Get To Antarctica?
The race itself is daunting, however the considered getting from the place you’re all the way in which to a ship in South America – then onward to Antarctica – is unquestionably scary for many individuals serious about taking the leap.
Fortunately, Marathon Excursions & Journey has been doing this for many years, and so they completely have your again. They deal with the entire logistics for you, together with all journey, meals, excursions, race info and stage, and many others.
The corporate can be behind the Seven Continents Membership, which is for runners aiming to finish a marathon on all seven continents.
Antarctica is clearly a giant one to examine off the record.
- Fly out of your hometown airport to Buenos Aires
- Runners spend about three nights that features a welcome tour, metropolis tour, and race briefing.
- Fly to Ushuaia, on the southernmost tip of Argentina
- Leap on a well-fitted ship to take you south to Antarctica (actually could be the roughest half because of the waves)
On the ship, runners will probably be handled to sights just like the Drake Passage, Shetland Islands, to lectures on the surroundings and sealife, and to choice excursions throughout the a number of days voyage.
Based on what Web page instructed us, getting there was greater than half the battle (but additionally greater than half the enjoyable).
“Touring to the race was an journey itself!
That is the place we discovered what Journey cruising was as I’ve by no means skilled this in my life. We discovered that we’re on the mercy of Mom Nature and all that she needed to provide.
We needed to sail from Ushuaia to our docking level simply outdoors of King George Island which signifies that we needed to sail by way of Drake’s Passage.
Fortunately, on the way in which there we received what they name Drake the lake and it was a clean expertise.
I can’t say the identical for the way in which again although as we received what they name Drake the shake and I positively spent two days in mattress attempting to handle seasickness and watching a copious quantity of home hunters to remain occupied and never barfing.
It’s value noting that we had been speculated to run the marathon a day later, however as a result of climate situations and wanting to make sure the protection for all passengers and Runners we bumped up the race to a day earlier.
Everybody was keen and excited to tackle this journey!
The boat journey is unquestionably the half that has Coach Amanda saying she’s unlikely to ever get pleasure from this journey.
What’s the Value of the Antarctica Marathon?
The worth of the tour by way of Marathon Excursions & Journey begins at simply over $10,000 and goes as much as over $20,000.
The fee is dependent upon the diploma of luxurious you want in your journey lodging, whether or not or not you share a room, what extras you add, and many others.
Different suppliers have a better price ticket that assist you to take a non-public aircraft which avoids the Drake Passage. So it comes all the way down to what you’re prepared to spend and for those who suppose lacking that individual a part of the journey is value it (completely saves time on the entire tour).
What Will You See in Antarctica Across the Race?
The race isn’t solely a marathon, however a full-on polar expedition.
You’ll see animals like penguins (generally giant colonies), humpback, minke, and orca whales, many sorts of seal, and distinctive seabirds that don’t inhabit giant components of the planet.
Facet expeditions on zodiac boats are provided twice a day, giving individuals an opportunity to be up shut with icebergs, to land on distant islands, to go to analysis stations, and to absorb the general “ice silence.”
There’s virtually nowhere else on Earth the place you possibly can expertise the deep stillness of a spot the place no people interrupt the silence.
Web page agrees that it was a once-in-a-lifetime expertise that she wouldn’t commerce for something.
“The race itself is just one small a part of the journey.
Waking up the morning we reached Antarctica was not like something I’ve ever seen.
Plus, we really had a number of different excursions to sail to different components of Antarctica and expertise the fantastic thing about all of it.
In fact, we had been on the mercy of nature so what we had been capable of do modified each day however I used to be capable of hike up glaciers, see extra penguins than I ever thought was humanly attainable and thoughts you penguins within the wild are infinitely cooler than penguins within the zoo.
We received to see seals within the wild defend ourself from them and even one seal tried to go after one of many company.
We determined to be daring and did a Polar Plunge which was insane!
Sadly because of the upcoming storms we needed to flip again a day early however the marathon excursions staff was unbelievable and discovered that there was a UTMB race occurring in Ushuai after we docked and we had been capable of then join on the spot to do a path race within the epic mountains!
How the Marathon Excursions staff pulled that off, I’ll by no means know, however their staff went above and past to maximise your complete expertise.
If touring the world and experiencing distinctive environments is a part of your objectives on this life, this journey ought to fall in your radar.
What do you suppose? Is the Antarctica Marathon in your bucket record???
What to learn subsequent?
