Located on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica, the 25th Antarctica Marathon® took place on Monday March 11, 2024, with the new addition of a 50KM ultra marathon race distance.
Organised by Marathon Tours & Travel (MTT), the Antarctica Marathon® is a bucket list challenge for runners around the world. Founded in 1995, the course changes each year based on event operations as well as road and weather conditions.
Jeff Adams, Race Director and President of MTT, said, “We were very fortunate this year to use one of our original routes on King George Island, with its permanent research bases and terrain originally carved by the tidewater glaciers of Antarctica. There is nowhere else on earth where you can literally run between China, Chile, Russia, and Uruguay, all of which have bases that are connected by our course. Building on the legacy of the past 29 years, the 25th running took a big step forward with the inaugural Ultra 50KM race with 10 participants.”
Winner of the inaugural Ultra 50KM Peter Nelson II said, “To run an ultra marathon on such a remote destination was such a privilege, as few have even had the opportunity to visit this pristine continent.”
A qualifier for the coveted Seven Continents Club®(SCC), 31 completed a race on their seventh and final continent this year, earning their Seven Continents Club®(SCC) Finisher Medal and Certificate. They join 1,115 SCC Members who have already completed this monumental feat of running a marathon or half-marathon on all seven continents. To date, one athlete has completed the seven continents in the ultra marathon distance, with the expectation for many to follow.
Michelle and George Marut, first time ultra runners, added, “We had the best time. The race was an incredible journey that passed in a blink of an eye, we were in the moment every step of the way. This was the furthest we ran, the furthest we travelled for a race, and we did it together. It was an experience of a lifetime.”
The top three winners of the marathon included Katherine Shank from Harrisburg, PA with a time of 4:07:32, Joseph Perry of Ontario, Canada with a time of 4:15:11 and Hamid Rostamian from Culver City, Ca with a time of 4:25.36.
“The Antarctica Marathon® was the perfect race to both challenge myself and at the same time find my joy in running. I am so grateful for this experience,” said Katherine Shank, the overall winner of the marathon distance.
In the half-marathon distance the top three finishers included Guillaume de Remacle with a time of 1:55:01, Daniel Gonzalez with a time of 1:56:16 and Kate Green coming in strong with a time of 2:07:21 tied with Mark Marshall.
