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Dec 13, 2026
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The Antarctic Ice Marathon is a marathon run at Union Glacier in the interior of Antarctica, around 80 degrees south, billed by its organisers as the world's southernmost marathon. It is held in December and run by the events company Runbuk; the 21st edition is on 13 December 2026. Runners fly round-trip from Punta Arenas, Chile, to the Union Glacier camp, and the three-day trip is included in the entry fee. A half marathon, the Frozen Continent Half Marathon, is run on the same day. According to the organisers the conditions underfoot are snow and ice throughout, at an altitude of 700 metres, with an average windchill of -20 °C, steady winds of 10-25 knots and the possibility of strong katabatic winds. The first Antarctic Ice Marathon was held in January 2006 in the Ellsworth Mountains foothills, and the race moved from Patriot Hills to Union Glacier in 2010. The event records are 2:53:33 for men, set by Sean Tobin in 2022, and 3:29:16 for women, set by Liesl Muehlhauser in 2024.
Typical climate for the race month — an estimate, not a forecast or a race-day record
Union Glacier in December is polar summer: the organisers cite an average windchill of -20 °C and steady winds of 10-25 knots from the Pole, with the sun above the horizon around the clock.
The Race
Union Glacier
The first Antarctic Ice Marathon was held on 7 January 2006 in the foothills of the Ellsworth Mountains at 80 degrees south, with katabatic wind gusts up to 45 knots. Evgeniy Gorkov of Russia won the marathon in 5:09:38 and Wendy MacKinnon of Great Britain was first woman in 6:33:30. The next day Ireland's Richard Donovan completed the frozen continent's first 100 km run in 15:43:55.
In 2022 Ireland's Sean Tobin ran 2:53:33 in challenging underfoot conditions, a new Antarctica continental record. It was his debut marathon, and Spain's Joan Pierre Carbonell Alberti was second in about 3:29. Two years later Liesl Muehlhauser of the USA set the women's event record of 3:29:16.
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02:53:33
Sean Tobin (2022)
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