Run A Marathon In Antarctica
Still to do
Run 26.2 miles on the seventh continent, on gravel tracks between research stations or on snow deep in the Antarctic interior.
The adventure
There are two very different ways to do it. The Antarctica Marathon, first held in 1995, takes place on King George Island, where the course follows rough gravel and mud tracks between research stations run by different countries. Gentoo penguins and elephant seals are often close by, and the weather can switch from bright sun to sleet within an hour.
The Antarctic Ice Marathon is wilder still. You fly from Punta Arenas in a large jet that lands on a blue-ice runway at Union Glacier, then run loops on packed snow with the Ellsworth Mountains all around and temperatures that can feel like minus 20°C in the wind. Either way, finishing times are often an hour or more slower than on the road, and nobody cares. You have run a marathon in Antarctica, which very few people on Earth can say.
Why it’s epic
- The Antarctic Ice Marathon is run at around 80 degrees south, roughly 1,000 kilometres from the South Pole.
- The King George Island course passes research stations run by countries including Chile, Russia, Uruguay and China.
- At Union Glacier the race is run under 24-hour daylight, with the sun circling the sky instead of setting.
- Either race counts as your Antarctica marathon for the Seven Continents Club.
What it is
There are two main ways to run 42.2 km on the seventh continent. The Antarctica Marathon is run around the research stations on King George Island in the South Shetlands, reached by ship or plane from South America. The Antarctic Ice Marathon is run on the snow at Union Glacier, deep in the interior, with temperatures well below freezing.
How to do it
Book with the race organiser well in advance, as fields are limited to a few hundred runners and often sell out years ahead. Trips leave from Punta Arenas in Chile or Ushuaia in Argentina, and the price covers flights or the ship, camp and the race.
Top tip
Expect to be much slower than on the road. On snow, ice and mud, finishing times can be an hour or more outside your usual marathon time.
Need to know
- Fields are a few hundred runners at most and places can sell out years ahead, so register early.
- Weather decides everything; flights and landings are often delayed, so build spare days into your plans.
- Insurance must cover emergency evacuation from Antarctica, and you'll need proper cold-weather running kit.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £5,000 or more per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- 10 to 14 days including travel
- Best time to go
- November to March, the Antarctic summer
- Fly into
- PUQ airport
The package covers the ship or flights to the ice, the camp and the race, which makes it one of the most expensive marathons in the world.
Make it happen
Some of these are affiliate links: if you book through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More about this.
Why it’s on my list
I’ve already been to Antarctica, on the cruise in December 2024, so I know how special it is down there. Running a marathon there is the hardest piece of my goal to run a marathon on every continent.
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