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☰
Antarctica Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Antarctica Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.6 
Organization 3.9 
Spectators 3.7
Number of comments: 27 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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T. L. from Carmel, California
(4/12/2008)
"Incredible and unforgettable" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Antarctica Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 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. | |
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David Malone from Ogden, UT
(3/30/2008)
"The best marathon there is..." (about: 2003)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Antarctica Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 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. | |
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R. S. from Sydney, Australia
(3/28/2008)
"Fabulous" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Antarctica Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 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. | |
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S. H. from Minneapolis, MN, USA
(3/19/2008)
"Words cannot describe" (about: 2008)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Antarctica Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 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. | |
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R. S. from NYC
(3/18/2008)
"Amazing Trip" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Antarctica Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 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. | |
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J. C. from NYC
(3/15/2008)
"race of a lifetime" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Antarctica Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 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. | |
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L. R. from United States
(3/14/2008)
"Totally worth it, despite the manager..." (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Antarctica Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 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. | |
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Benjamin R. Brown from Winter Park, FL USA
(4/9/2007)
"Absolutely wonderful... except..." (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Antarctica Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 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!). | |
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a. c. from texas
(3/16/2007)
"Best Marathon Ever" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Antarctica Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 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. | |
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John Wall from New Orleans, LA, USA
(4/4/2005)
"You don't run this to get applause" (about: 2005)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Antarctica Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 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. |
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