Simply saying the phrases “I’m operating a marathon in Antarctica” begins to conjur up some loopy pictures 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 data which 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 loads of people utilizing them to achieve entry to a few of the Marathon Majors.
Not like the majors, it is a SMALL scale scenario. Solely 100 individuals or much less can take part every year to maintain the environmental affect to a minimal. A part of the race’s proceeds are additionally donated to Oceanites, a nonprofit that research the human affect on local weather and wildlife.
As a result of climate, security, base operations and different components, the precise race course sometimes 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 especially 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 type 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 listing of so many is just not solely the distinctive mixture of journey and climate, however the alternative of a lifetime to see a part of the world most individuals gained’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 all the time thought that operating a marathon in Antarctica could be completely epic!
Quick ahead years later, I randomly turned to my husband someday and stated, “Hey would you wish to run a marathon in Antarctica?” Thoughts you he has by no means run a marathon in his life and has all the time 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 will be our huge present to have a good time us each turning 40!”
Despite the fact that this marathon primarily takes place on gravel paths, there may be all the time the climate to cope with in an atmosphere as excessive as this one.
- Largely gravel paths
- 6 hour lower off
- Extensive number of gear must be packed for altering circumstances (particularly for wind)
- Plan to hold a hydration pack – there are not any assist stations
- Plan to put on street to path trainers
Climate can change shortly, each on the crossing from Argentina and on King George Island. There’s the potential for storms, delays, tough water, fog, and snow, that means some days you is perhaps restricted on how a lot will be achieved open air.
Although the altitude on King George Island isn’t terribly excessive, the altitude mixed with chilly and windchill, rougher, generally muddy terrain, means you need to take your conditioning beforehand severely.
“I feel that folks know have to know that operating a marathon in Antarctica is just not like operating a street marathon. It is vitally very similar to operating a path marathon!
To start, we’re referred to 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 all your new buddies that you simply met alongside this expedition.
As one may anticipate this race is self-supported as we’re friends on this land and we needed to be extremely thorough and considerate about all the things 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 will 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 will be left behind.
You can not grasp across the end line, however as a substitute, have to be zodiaced again to the boat instantly.
The main focus 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 (data being 2:53:33 for males and three:29:16 for girls), the typical 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 correct to tug you from the race if you’re not on tempo and different components, like climate, should 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 fascinated 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 all the logistics for you, together with all journey, meals, excursions, race info and stage, and many others.
The corporate can also 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 test off the listing.
- 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 (definitely will 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 atmosphere and sealife, and to possibility excursions through the a number of days voyage.
In keeping with what Web page informed 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 supply.
We needed to sail from Ushuaia to our docking level simply exterior of King George Island which implies that we needed to sail by means of Drake’s Passage.
Fortunately, on the way in which there we obtained what they name Drake the lake and it was a easy expertise.
I can’t say the identical for the way in which again although as we obtained what they name Drake the shake and I undoubtedly 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 have been imagined to run the marathon a day later, however resulting from climate circumstances 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 experience is unquestionably the half that has Coach Amanda saying she’s unlikely to ever take pleasure in this journey.
What’s the Value of the Antarctica Marathon?
The value of the tour by means of Marathon Excursions & Journey begins at simply over $10,000 and goes as much as over $20,000.
The associated fee will depend on 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 the next price ticket that will let you take a personal airplane which avoids the Drake Passage. So it comes all the way down to what you’re keen to spend and should you suppose lacking that specific 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 is just not solely a marathon, however a full-on polar expedition.
You’ll see animals like penguins (generally massive colonies), humpback, minke, and orca whales, many sorts of seal, and distinctive seabirds that don’t inhabit massive components of the planet.
Aspect expeditions on zodiac boats are supplied twice a day, giving members an opportunity to be up shut with icebergs, to land on distant islands, to go to analysis stations, and to soak up 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 truly 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 have been on the mercy of nature so what we have been in a position to do modified day by day however I used to be in a position to hike up glaciers, see extra penguins than I ever thought was humanly doable and thoughts you penguins within the wild are infinitely cooler than penguins within the zoo.
We obtained to see seals within the wild find out how to shield ourself from them and even one seal tried to go after one of many friends.
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 workforce was unimaginable and came upon that there was a UTMB race taking place in Ushuai once we docked and we have been in a position to then join on the spot to do a path race within the epic mountains!
How the Marathon Excursions workforce pulled that off, I’ll by no means know, however their workforce went above and past to maximise the 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 listing???
What to learn subsequent?
