Moving nearly 100 runners to the bottom of the earth to run a marathon is no small deal, and congratulations to Thom and his team for doing it with minimal disruptions. The course was as brutal as one might wish for, save for no snow on the ground. The route involved 3 times around 2 out-and-back loops: not my preference, but totally understandable given the realities on the ground on King George Island. The support was small in number (mainly the group and crew), but as vocal and supportive as you could wish for.

This year's race course, due to a variety of political/environmental and other issues, did 4 x 1/4 marathon out-and-backs utilizing the first 2 miles of the original course (the map shown on this site). The last 1 mile-plus went inland and was mostly uphill. So, course-wise, this one was much tougher than what had been run previously. As the goal was a zero-impact event, runners could not have any food on the island except for unwrapped PowerBars or gels (fine, but nobody was told about this until it was too late to buy gel flasks). All energy fluids had to be pre-mixed before going to the island, and if you "had to go," it had to be at one of several designated tents in a trash bag-lined water cooler! We also had to be careful to run between the flagged markers to avoid stepping on moss! Any violation of the above meant immediate disqualification! Anyhow, temps were in the mid 30's with 30 knot-plus winds by the end. Wicked headwind on the out-bound portion, but nice tailwind on the way back in.

Thom and his Marathon Tours staff did a great job pulling this event off. Unfortunately his behavior and conduct following the event left a lot of us scratching our heads. For example, they should have had race medals for all finishers - not just the international folks. It would have been nice to have a formal awards ceremony to recognize all finishers (not that there is all that many) and present them with their medal. There were a lot more issues, but if you want to run a marathon in Antarctica (at a reasonable cost), you have to go through Marathon Tours. They could have done a better job with communication and some details, but all things considered, this is the trip to do! It is a unique, very epic running experience that you'll never forget. Antarctica is a very fragile and beautiful place, but very difficult to get to. It is a big adventure just surviving to race day! The Antarctica tour following the race is simply spectacular! Just remember to pack an open mind, a sense of humor, and an easy-going attitude and you'll be fine!

As our Zodiac hit the beach, we were greeted by a dozen penguins. The course had a few spectators from the research stations. But the real spectators were the other runners you had just spent a week with. And they were the best support you could ever hope for because they were in this challenging run with you.

The toughest thing I've ever done, by far. But a great experience. Good job by Marathon Tours !!!

I loved this event - the entire thing, the race, the cruise, and the people. Fantastic. Continent #6 is behind me. Australia, here I come.

This marathon is unique for 2 main reasons: first you run in Antarctica, and second, it comes with the cruise package that makes the marathon an adventure.

The marathon course is hard (as expected) and the 2 miles on the glacier make it more difficult but unique and exciting at the same time. This year the glacier has been tricky; the high temperature made it slippery, which has never happened before, so spikes were necessary unless you were really careful and slow. It was a very positive experience; the Quark expedition was fantastic, friendly and professional, which is a very rare combination. I have to agree with the negative comments regarding the Marathon Tour staff management; this would be the only reason not to go again.

What a fantastic experience all around! The course was hilly, well marked, and broken into easy sections (every time you finished a loop you were done with 1/4 of the race). The best part was the camaraderie developed amongst the runners (yeah Orlova!) as we embarked on this crazy adventure together. We were the best cheering section for each other. As we passed one another on the route, we shared Yak Tracks with those who did not have them, and we made new best friends at the great victory BBQ the next day on the Orlova. One guy even walked down the glacier hand-in-hand with a woman who was having difficulty - a true gentleman, as he sacrificed his race time even if she did not bother to thank him. The Quark Expeditions staff and the ship's crew was magnificent. I learned so much beyond the marathon that it was really only one small piece of the journey. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for something a little different for their next marathon!

Now for the negative, because there was some: Marathon Tours management, specifically Thom (Bill and Jane on our boat, as well as many of the staff on the other boat, were great and very accommodating). I felt, as did other runners, that we were treated as though we should be thankful with whatever services and amenities were given to us. Services that were promised at the time of sign up that were not delivered (i.e. kayaking and camping), which would not have been a big deal if we had been informed of this before arriving in Buenos Aires. The biggest letdown was that we were given poor information that caused a few injuries (i.e. we were told not to bring Yak Tracks to climb up the icy glacier). Frankly, I paid for a service and I was dissatisfied with it.

Originally I signed on to this marathon just to knock off another continent in my goal to run all 7. But a funny thing about this one... it's an absolutely unforgettable, life-changing experience from the get-go. And a lot of that has to do with the fact that to run this you have to go through a tour, which means weeks mingling with other runners, something I don't normally do.

But as the other entries from fellow Orlovians below attest, the ship was filled with great, great people. And those people were not only fellow marathoners, but the support team for other runners of the marathon; sharing yak-tracks for the glacier, clapping for everyone who passed coming and going on the double-loop layout of the course, yelling encouragement to each and every one doing this incredible thing.

For me, one thing I'll never forget is when I fell hard and slid on the glacier. I was sliding straight toward the rocks and another runner preparing to go up the glacier and I was trying to roll to avoid both. And instead of jumping out of the way, the other runner stepped into my path and reached out to stop me from hitting the rocks.

Great trip, great people, great marathon. Highly recommended.

I'm writing this primarily because of a couple of "whiny" comments from the current year's race. I've run three marathons through Marathon Tours (Antarctica, Iceland, and Easter Island). I would do any of them over, and would look to MT first when planning a marathon to an exotic or foreign location.

One of the reasons I booked the trip in the first place was that I looked into the cost of other tours going to Antarctica, and the MT trip was better in price by about $2,000 than the next lowest alternative. On top of that, of course, one is able to go ashore, kayak, run a marathon, etc. That, obviously, is not always possible on other tours.

The trip generally stages (for U.S. travelers) in Miami. I did look into alternatives (Delta, United) and could not find a price better than that offered by MT. Once in Buenos Aires, we took advantage of a couple of days layover to travel to Ecuador across the widest river in the world (La Plata,) visit a couple of local museums, take in a couple of training runs, get in a couple of swims, and dine in the best Argentinian traditions. By the time, we flew out, I felt as though the price I paid for the trip had already been satisfied.

Ushuaia was the next stop - the southern-most city in the world. Again, there are so many logistics in front of the organizers, that to arrange anything other than a scheduled flight would be problematic. Frankly, I am not certain whether I would completely trust a South American charter service over scheduled airline service on a major world carrier.

The services provided once on ship are actually split among at least three entities - the boat's crew, the tour operator through which MT contracts the expedition, and MT itself. Each executed their roles flawlessly. On the trip back, we encountered two hurricane force storms in the Drake Passage. Never (I think) was anyone in doubt of our safety. The Russian ships and crew were exceptionally competent. The net result, however, was that we missed our connections back to BA. Thom Gilligan worked tirelessly to arrange alternative transportation back home. I was one who was rerouted to New York, but MT made certain (of course) that I made it home in a timely manner.

I can't say enough about the quality of the experience on this trip (and others with MT). One note I might add is that when I signed up, it was with three months notice. If I wished to go again, I would have to sign up a year and a half in advance. If nothing else speaks to the quality and price of this trip and marathon, that certainly does.

Keep it up, Thom - you and your team do a great, great job.

Found the marathon course very tough. I was reasonably prepared for the cool weather and hills, but the most challenging part for me was the varying surfaces. Struggling up the ice on the glacier and trying to keep a footing on the rocky sections was tough and contributed to a slow time. This is what makes it Antarctica though, so I wouldn't change anything.

I give 5\5 for fans... obviously there weren't any, but other runners and base staff gave great support.

Like some of the other people below, I had a few organizational problems before the trip, but in the scheme of things these were minor. I would happily go on the same trip again - the Marathon Tours staff on my ship was great. I also recommend Quark Expeditions, who were fantastic. By the end of the trip the marathon was forgotten - polar swimming, meeting penguin chicks and cruising with whales were the highlights, along with the chance to meet some very interesting people (thanks to everyone on the Orlova).

I would recommend this trip to anyone; the whole experience (not just the marathon) was very cool. Don`t be put off by some of the negative comments - this really was a wonderful experience and I thought it was well worth the time and cost.

The race itself is the most challenging I've run. Where else do you get to run three miles up and down a glacier? Bring your Yak Trax; you'll definitely need them.

I share many of the opinions about the tour manager. I think there are little things that could be done to make participants feel better given the cost incurred (e.g., build the race fee into the cost, and offer a discount to those who do not participate; build the fuel surcharge into the cost as well; provide door-to-door service).

I also agree about chartering a flight from BA to Ushuaia. The numbers were there to make it cost effective.

Quark Expeditions (the ship operator) was excellent. The staff aboard the Orlova was second to none (except for one anonymous dining room server from Michigan).

Despite the annoyances, though, this truly is a remarkable experience and to spend two weeks with like-minded adventurous runners (or Sunday joggers) is awesome. The group on the Orlova was the best! We rock and rolled to and from and the entire time between - not to mention taking 8 of the top 9 spots in the Marathon 'ORLOVA!!'

I highly recommend the trip and race to anyone and everyone.