Antarctica Marathon - Race Reviews

The March 23, 2023 course was a 6 lap out-and-back between the Russian and Uruguayan scientific research bases. We basically ran the same 2.18 miles back and forth 12 times. Check out my YouTube trip recap: https://youtu.be/50x2ysVCAZU and course video: https://youtu.be/XDcnHMLXTeo to get a glimpse of what you will experience and see how the terrain looked like. It got a lot more muddy as the day went on which is not captured. We were advised normally it is a longer route with 3 laps but we were told the Chinese base was not responding to the organizers so we did not have access to their road. The conditions were brutal. There were constant strong headwinds blowing from the West, roller coaster hills, and uneven dirt roads that started the race as ankle twisting frozen ground and morphed into shoe sucking mud as the day went on. Temperature was 0°C/32°F not accounting for windchill. It turned out the cold was the least of our worries. Many runners finished with results one or two hours off their usual times while others dropped down to a half-marathon or did not finish. The field was originally 107 marathon participants. The wind created logistical issues and we had to spread the race over two days. There were 87 actual marathon finishers over two days (day two conditions were less windy but more muddy). There was consensus among the runners that this was the toughest marathon we competed in. There was a lot of camaraderie on the course that made up for the absence of spectators. Epic glacial views and a major accomplishment for all! The medal is funky with only the year on the ribbon and the race shirt looks like it was designed in the 90's by an amateur. I gave mine away. For a $10k package, there should be separate medals for Marathon and Half-Marathon with the year on the medal. The online pre-trip 'shop' was ok but the t-shirts were Craft brand that only fits the taller crowd. A mainstream brand like Nike or Adidas would be better. Our tour was the second of a back to back on the Ocean Victory. The on-board shop had a nice selection of items but very poor inventory of sizes. Very few M and L were left. Seems like they were unprepared for all the destination marathon shoppers. Race production was mixed. The course could have been better marked and some of the mile markers duplicates added to the confusion. Communications were muddled and sometimes Marathons Tours simply did not follow through on what they promised. They were generally disorganized. I think Jeff did a good job, but he needs help. Some finishers had to wait for three weeks to get their photos while others could see their pics on the ship. The Albatros photographer shared useless thumbnail sized photos of the polar plunge. We lost three days to the wind, why not simply share the hi-res images? I recommend you train on a lot of steep rolling hills and go out when it is muddy and windy. It's a once in a lifetime adventure for sure. Keep in mind the race is only half a day - there is so much more to see in Buenos Aires and Antarctica. Our group had bad luck with the wind and lost three days of excursions. The extra days stuck on the ship were painfully boring, but we had good company that made it tolerable. If the race is the top priority for you, go for it!

My wife and I have both run full and half marathon in Antarctica with Marathon Tours. Tom, Jeff and everybody else do an outstanding job to make this an exceptional experience. They are professional, extremely organized and at the same time fun to travel with. We were actually scheduled with another company this year (MA), but bailed out because of poor communication (they actually got stranded in Chile and never got to go to Antarctica). We switched to MTs , they had a few openings - I assume because of Covid cancellations, and had a great time. Would recommend any tour with MTs!

This is a tough marathon - mud, wind, hills, loose stones (in one section), cold (but above freezing) but it is antarctica. Where else can you have a fur seal show up as a spectator along the course? The race is in two waves, a day apart (due to restrictions on tour group sizes at any one time). The normal course is out and back to the Uruguay base, then out in back to the Chinese base land, repeated 3 times. Conditions forced the first wave to skip the Uruguay section - instead doing 6 out-and-backs to the Chinese 'Great Wall' base area. Hence the second wave did the same course. I ran in the second wave. They said to expect about an hour longer than normal time, which seemed right. Race also occurred several days into the tour, after you already got to know the others on your ship/wave, hence you knew everyone else in the race and could cheer each other on. The best part, though, was the excursions in the antarctic peninsula area post race. Fur seal showing up around mile 11 was great! (For future runners - be warned that GU does not flow in the cold. Try another gel.)

I was in Antartica on March 10, 2014, on an excursion from a Princess Cruise ship. We saw many participants in this marathon, but VERY few were actually running the course. Most were simply walking the track. Aren't marathons 'run'? I wonder how many people listed as completing the marathon actually admit that, in reality, they walked it.

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.

I thought this was an amazing trip. I had a few minor organizational issues leading up to the event, but once the trip actually commenced everything went very smoothly. I thought Marathon Tours did a good job with arranging flights. Some people complained about delayed flights on Aerolineas Argentinas... they've obviously never flown American or United Airlines. Hotel accommodation in Buenos Aires was good. The marathon course was very well marked, again a credit to the organizers, as I imagine it's tough to mark a course in Antarctic conditions. The run itself is very tough. The glacier this year had very little snow on it, and hence you were basically running on ice - very tricky, but a great experience. The rest of the course consisted or a rocky beach and dirt/mud roads. In addition to the glacier, there are lots of minor hills, so it´s a tough course. I thought support from other runners and base staff was great. The rest of the trip after the run was brilliant - Quark Expeditions did a great job and their staff are excellent. Great scenery, andclose encounters with whales, seals and penguins made this a great experience. Thanks to the Marathon Tours and Quark staff and all the runners on the Orlova.

You get to tell your friends that you ran a marathon on a glacier. Try to top that one. This race is a must-do for 7-continent wannabes. Marathon Tours puts on a great and challenging race. Thanks to my shipmates on the Orlova for the trip of a lifetime.

I completely agree with Benjamin R. Brown's comments regarding the course, expedition teams, and Marathon Tours management. I just returned from the 2008 trip and it was amazing. Quark Expeditions put together a great itinerary and made each excursion interesting and relevant. The course was fun, challenging, and in a strange way, beautiful (mud and all). The real shame in this race is the manager. If you can get on a boat without him, do it! His on-the-ground staff are excellent but have no control over anything. The office staff are completely unorganized (when flying 200 people from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, charter a plane; don't make them get up at 2 a.m. for a commercial flight) and difficult to work with (just how many times do I need to ask you to change my ticket to what I originally requested? - by the way, this was never accomplished). The staff should try harder to obtain bulk fares to BA on a carrier other than Aerolinas. There are plenty of US-based carriers that provide world-wide reliable service at competitive rates. Those that flew Aerolinas in 2008 were delayed over 8 hours returning to the states from BA and some were left in NY when their original connection city was Miami. I've heard that there is a German company that will hold a new Antarctica Marathon in 2009 about 4 days after Thom's race. Hopefully the competition will force up the level of service.

You will have an outstanding time if you go to Antarctica. The course will be hard but doable, and worth it. The Antarctica tour company (Peregrine) that is hired by Marathon Tours will overwhelm you with professionalism, fun, kindness, knowledge, experience, and personal catering to the marathoner mindset. You will meet fellow runners who will change your concept of "good people," and you will feel completely at home in the most spectacular place on the planet. All your other vacations will pale in comparison. Almost everyone at Marathon Tours is professional and fun, and will help make this trip for you. The trip (everything considered, including the time in Buenos Aires and the optional extension to run the Fin del Mundo in Ushuaia) is an EXCELLENT value. You will never regret this trip. BUT... The management behind Marathon Tours is unpleasant and disorganized. Unfortunately, you may have to interact with the manager at some point in the process of getting ready for this trip, getting some materials sent to you after this trip... or you may be stuck on a boat with the manager (thankfully I was not). Expect inefficiency, calousness, and some ridiculously bad social skills in all these interactions. Find one of his staff to talk to instead. Ignore claims of service made by the manager. If you have a problem, do not expect help from the manager (luckily others will jump to help you because marathoners and explorers are great take-action people... so you will be okay). Maybe you'll get lucky and the manager will realize that he's hired excellent people for a reason and he will stay home where he belongs (cashing the checks). I would say, don't give any money to this person, but it wouldn't be fair for me to say since I've already gotten to go on the trip of a lifetime. It's just unfortunate that another company doesn't offer the same service, or that the manager doesn't hire a PR person to think and speak for him. If you are thinking of trying to find another way to have this experience aside from a tour company based on what I said, I have to reiterate that 1 idiot cannot spoil an experience this good, and the great runners, Peregrine, and Marathon Tours people I met really made this trip. Course - 5 stars. Organization - 1 star just to send a message to the manager (all the annoying stuff happened before or after the trip... not during it thankfully). Spectators - 5 stars (those penguins, skuas, and fur seals had a lot of spirit!).

Perfect Antarctic weather... ice, snow, mud and 14-knot wind. I met great people. The only bad thing was the presenting sponsor, Capella University. Runners don't need them. The made a DVD for runners to keep, but with a donation of $20. The DVD was ok, except that they mostly showed people with a Capella University shirt.

An extraordinary adventure with an extraordinary marathon to boot. Marathon Tours created a way for marathon adventurers to run a marathon on all 7 continents. By creating The Last Marathon (run on King George Is. off the Antarctic peninsula), one is able to complete a marathon on all seven continents. It's a cross-country marathon run on dirt roads, gravel, rocks, a 600M run up an icy, snowy glacier - something for everyone.

This is not just a marathon but an unbelievable adventure. What can I say but, WOW!!!! This was the most rewarding marathon of the 65 marathons I have finished to date. Everything exceeded my expectations and I have high standards. Thom Gilligan, John Bingham (my running muse), Jennifer, and the rest of Marathon Tours delivered Nordstrom level customer service, a wonderfully planned race and trip, solved all problems that arose (which were few) and all at a bargain price considering what you received. Thom and Marathon Tours have me as a customer for life. My only regret was that my wife could not come along. However I promised to take her on the Safari Com and Great Wall Marathons in the future and of course to Antarctica again. This is the grand daddy of adventure marathons. Do not miss this one and do the Fin del Mundo Marathon add on option (two continents for the price of one)!!! Plus, having penguins for spectators and climbing a huge glacier is a five star all around rating in my hard-to-impress opinion!!!

Armed with the spirit of adventure and expectations of a trip of a lifetime, this is a trip and marathon beyond all others. I expect excellence, a challenge, and the appreciation of seeing wildlife; and Tom delivers. There was never a day on the trip that I didn't appreciate the fact that I had this opportunity to experience Antarctica. The marathon was challenging but I totally enjoyed the experience. Tom and his staff outdid themselves in delivering a quality race. It wasn't about time but the sense of accomplishment for each runner. Don't miss out... it's a wonderful experience.

As everybody else who has run this marathon will tell you, this race is so not about the marathon. Everybody on the boat went down there thinking just the opposite, but after we all returned, we all agreed that the marathon was secondary. It's a tough course and you may have to dodge a few penguines or seals, but that adds to the adventure. At the start the wind was blowing at what seemed like gale force, but it soon let up after we got over the first hills. If you have the money, then go! If you don't have the money, then save up and go! You will not regret a single moment.

When I planned this trip, the purpose was almost 100% to run the marathon. However, after the experience, I have to say 10% of the trip was about the marathon: 90% was about meeting new lifelong friends from 14 different countries, visiting the homes of whales, seals, skuas, penguins, and other indigenous creatures, shooting icebergs and sunsets with cameras, capturing the moonlit Drake channel on film, swimming in natural hotsprings on a volcanic beach surrounded by snowcovered peaks and dotted with seals and penguins, sleeping under the stars on Antarctic continent, and rounding Cape Horn. Although there were fewer spectators than for any other marathon I have run, they were the most supportive ever: standing still in the cold to register our completion at the half point and our conquering of the glacier, taking pictures, and making sure we kept on course! Thanks Thom, Cliff et al.! Yeah Babie!

It was a fantastic trip and a great experience with a top team of organization and very engaged members of team peregrine. Antarctic weather condition could not disturb the pleasure of all participants. I celebrated this big event and finished as a member into the seventh continents club. Big hands also to all participants. It was truly a big and memorable adventure and always I say what I mean.