Simply saying the phrases “I’m working a marathon in Antarctica” begins to conjur up some loopy photos and an entire lot of questions! When our good friend 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 doubtless heard of due to a whole lot of people utilizing them to achieve entry to a number of the Marathon Majors.
In contrast to the majors, this can be a SMALL scale state of affairs. Solely 100 folks or much less can take part annually to maintain the environmental impression to a minimal. A part of the race’s proceeds are additionally donated to Oceanites, a nonprofit that research the human impression on local weather and wildlife.
Because of climate, security, base operations and different elements, the precise race course sometimes modifications a bit from 12 months to 12 months.
Listed here 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 move 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 working on a glacier with penguins chasing you. That’s form of the dream anyhow, however the precise course is a bit totally 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 good friend Alyssa ran it years again. Since then I’ve at all times thought that working 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 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 will be our massive reward to rejoice us each turning 40!”
Regardless that this marathon primarily takes place on gravel paths, there may be at all times the climate to take care of in an setting as excessive as this one.
- Largely gravel paths
- 6 hour minimize off
- Extensive number of gear needs to be packed for altering circumstances (particularly for wind)
- Plan to hold a hydration pack – there are not any help 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 may be restricted on how a lot will be achieved outside.
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 significantly.
“I feel that individuals know must know that working a marathon in Antarctica is just not like working a street marathon. It is rather very similar to working a path marathon!
To start, we’re referred to as down from the ship in waves, from there, we should move 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 working up and down the hills, within the mud, seeing penguins, and cheering on your entire new mates that you just met alongside this expedition.
As one may count on this race is self-supported as we’re visitors on this land and we needed to be extremely thorough and considerate about every little 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 guarantee 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 dangle 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 finest, however to benefit from the sights, the camaraderie, and the distinctive expertise.
Whereas there have been some fairly respectable recorded instances (data being 2:53:33 for males and three:29:16 for ladies), the typical end instances are over 5 hours for each women and men.
There’s a cutoff time of 6 hours, although the tour organizers have the suitable to tug you from the race if you’re not on tempo and different elements, like climate, must be managed.
How Do You Get To Antarctica?
The race itself is daunting, however the considered getting from the place you might be all the best way 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, they usually completely have your again. They deal with all the logistics for you, together with all journey, meals, excursions, race info and stage, and so on.
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
- Bounce on a well-fitted ship to take you south to Antarctica (actually will be the roughest half as a result of waves)
On the ship, runners might be handled to sights just like the Drake Passage, Shetland Islands, to lectures on the setting and sealife, and to choice excursions throughout the a number of days voyage.
Based on what Web page informed us, getting there was greater than half the battle (but in addition 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 signifies that we needed to sail by means of Drake’s Passage.
Fortunately, on the best way there we obtained what they name Drake the lake and it was a easy expertise.
I can’t say the identical for the best way again although as we obtained what they name Drake the shake and I positively spent two days in mattress making an attempt to handle seasickness and watching a copious quantity of home hunters to remain occupied and never barfing.
It’s price noting that we have been speculated to run the marathon a day later, however as a consequence of 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 trip is certainly 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 means of Marathon Excursions & Journey begins at simply over $10,000 and goes as much as over $20,000.
The fee depends upon the diploma of luxurious you need in your journey lodging, whether or not or not you share a room, what extras you add, and so on.
Different suppliers have a better price ticket that permit you to take a non-public aircraft which avoids the Drake Passage. So it comes right down to what you’re keen to spend and in the event you assume lacking that exact a part of the journey is price 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 giant colonies), humpback, minke, and orca whales, many sorts of seal, and distinctive seabirds that don’t inhabit giant components of the planet.
Aspect expeditions on zodiac boats are provided 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’ll be able to 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 great thing about all of it.
In fact, we have been on the mercy of nature so what we have 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 doable and thoughts you penguins within the wild are infinitely cooler than penguins within the zoo.
We obtained to see seals within the wild shield ourself from them and even one seal tried to go after one of many visitors.
We determined to be daring and did a Polar Plunge which was insane!
Sadly as a result of upcoming storms we needed to flip again a day early however the marathon excursions staff was unbelievable and came upon that there was a UTMB race occurring in Ushuai after we docked and we have been capable of then enroll 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 assume? Is the Antarctica Marathon in your bucket listing???
