The Antarctica Marathon

There are only 2 Marathons in Antarctica.  One that takes place at the end of November and you actually fly to the continent.  The trip is fewer days and it's more expensive.  So, Camille and I opted on the more affordable Option 2....a 15-day trip with Marathon Tours to the South Pole via Ship.  After a few days in Buenos Aires, we will make our way down to Ushuaia - the Capital city of the Teirra Del Fuego Province.  The very southern tip of Argentina.  Once there, we will hop on this boat with OneOcean Expeditions....

And "cruise" on down to Antarctica.  I've read that as you pass over Drake Passage, the waters can get pretty rough.  So, I'll be bringing some Dramamine with me and hope I don't get sea sick.  Not really sure if I'm prone to that or not.... I guess I'll find out soon enough.

It will take about a day and half or 2 days to get to King George Island, one of the South Shetland Islands (A group of Antarctic Islands off the coast of the mainland).  This is where we will be running the race.  The only other people (besides us) that will be there will be the researchers from various countries that are stationed at their respective research base.  Them and the penguins.  Not your typical marathon where there are usually lots of crowds to cheer and support you on.

The race is different every year depending on the weather and conditions.  And on where the researchers say we can and can't go.  So, the race organizers will go and set up the day before we race.  They used to run on a glacier - but apparently it become unstable a couple of years ago.  So, unfortunately, I don't think we'll be doing that.

These are some things we've been told:

1. Be ready for 0F to 30F degrees.  [I don't know what you think...but running in 30F degrees is a lot different than running in 0F degrees.  So I've been trying to figure out what to bring to be prepared for either extreme and somewhere in between.  Hard task when you have 50-60 degree weather to run in every day here in Cali.]
2. The wind can drop it another 10 degrees.  [Awesome].
3. "Be prepared for mud. If the weather is warm there is a high possibility of a lot of mud.  Shoe gaiters or other type gear may be a good idea." [Got the shoe gaiters.  I'd much rather run on snow than in ankle deep mud...which they experienced one year on this race]
4. We have to bring our own H20.  [They'll drop it for us at 4 locations along the course..but we have to provide our own water bottles and fill up water on the boat before the race.]
5. GU, ShotBlocks, ect... : "you will not be allowed to bring the individual gels packets to shore. We suggest that you purchase the larger bottle of gel liquid and put it in plastic gel flask(s) for use in the race.   Solid carbohydrate blocks, such as shot blocks and energy bars must also be removed from the wrappers and put in permanent type containers. Items containing nuts or egg products may not be allowed on shore."  [Seriously?  Yep. Seriously.  It's a serious infraction if you don't follow the rules.  So I'm thinking I might go buy some Altoids, empty the container and fill it with my GU Chomps.  Any better ideas??]
6. Hills, Hills, and more Hills [I already mentioned this in a post below...Not looking forward to this part. But I will survive!]
7. Bathrooms? Portable toilets will be available in tents at the start/finish area and two remote parts of the course. There is no indoor facilities for changing clothes or to stay warm.  [And you know how a lot of marathons you see people on the side of the road doing their business...No can do in Antarctica.  This would result in immediate disqualification.]
8. Time Limit - 6.5 hours [Seems like plenty...unless you are running against 40mph winds as one girl that ran the marathon said she experienced]



A picture from MarathonTours.com

Marathon Tours website says this about the marathon....

"The course on King George Island located off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula has marked gravel roads that connect the scientific research bases of Uruguay, Chile, China and Russia. Great care is taken to leave behind zero impact on the environment in this sensitive ecosystem. We are now restricted to having a maximum of 100 passengers ashore for the event at any one time. We guarantee that you will experience a most challenging running experience as well as an experience of a lifetime."

I can't believe this is all just 2 weeks away!  I'm excited, nervous, scared, anxious.  Almost 4 years after signing up for this thing...it is finally here.  I don't think it will really hit me until I'm getting off the boat and stepping on to The Last Continent.