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Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon race photo

Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon race photo
Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon race photo
Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon race photo
King George Island
AQ
Hannes Grobe · CC BY-SA 4.0Hannes Grobe / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0Hannes Grobe / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0amanderson2, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Race date in 153 days
Mar 8, 2027 Mon
City · Distance
King George Island · Ultra · 42.195km · 21.1km +1 more events
Entry fee
$275Varies by event and entry period
2027Date Mar 8, 2027 · Open
2026Date Mar 9, 2026
Official website ↗
InstagramYouTube
D-day as of Oct 6, 2026
Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon race photo
Hannes Grobe · CC BY-SA 4.0
Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon race photo
Hannes Grobe / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon race photo
Hannes Grobe / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon race photo
amanderson2, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About the raceRunner storiesHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

This marathon, half marathon and ultramarathon take place on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, north of the Antarctic Peninsula.

It is one of the few road races held in Antarctica, where there are no runways or scheduled commercial flights.

Participants travel by cruise ship from Ushuaia, Argentina, crossing the Drake Passage to reach the race site.

The inaugural event was held in January 1995, organised by Marathon Tours & Travel in the United States.

It takes place each year in the Southern Hemisphere summer, from late February to early March.

The field is limited to approximately 360 participants, split across two voyages, and the event is registered as a full member race of AIMS.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon runner reviews and race reports

Stories from those who ran it first.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 5
Marta PadillaRan in 2023
“I was lucky enough to finish as the first female runner of the day.”

The runner took part in the 2023 King George Island Antarctic Marathon half course. They ran the course between the Russian Bellingshausen Station and the Uruguayan Artigas Station, through strong winds, muddy trails and icy sections, and were the first woman to reach the finish among the female participants that day.

Read the original on The Running Ginger
Goal-Oriented RunnerRan in 2023
“I was in the third wave, which included the fastest 34 marathon runners.”

The runner took part in the 2023 Antarctic Marathon full course. The runner ran six laps on the dirt road linking the Russian and Uruguayan stations on King George Island, then returned to the ship after completing the final lap as the wind and snow intensified.

Read the original on Goal-Oriented Runner
Chau SmithRan in 2017
“The mitigating factor to the brutal weather (it began to snow and sleet) was the beauty of it all.”

In 2017, as the final leg of an 8-day streak of marathons on every continent, Chau Smith took part in the King George Island race. They described six out-and-back course legs through strong wind and hail, and said they even walked at times because of back pain.

Read the original on Runner's World
Keith GayhartRan in 2017 · Finish time 5:41:38
“I had a rough day, but I make no complaint.”

Keith Gayhart's 2017 race report from King George Island describes running six out-and-back legs on rough roads linking the Russian and Chinese research stations, covering hills, mud, and rocky sections, and finishing in 5:41:38.

Read the original on ArtisansPR
Andy BrettRan in 2015 · Finish time 03:29
“But I knew for certain that it was the best race I could have run, and a race fit for the last continent.”

The runner ran through strong winds, mud and cold while maintaining pace, finished in 3 hours 29 minutes, and looked back on it as the best race.

Read the original on Exercises in Character Building (Medium)

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Finisher vlog

Mid Pacific Road Runners · Finisher vlog

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to enter Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon — registration routes

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Official package reservation

Book a 2027 Voyage One or Voyage Two package online through Marathon Tours & Travel, the race organizer and its exclusive tour operator.

The package booking secures your spot, while the USD 275 race entry fee is processed separately through a registration platform.

Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon course map and elevation

The 42.195km I'll run

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 07:00
Time limitUltra 8 hours
Show more

Ultra 8 hours (midpoint within 3 hours 45 minutes) · Marathon 7 hours (midpoint within 3 hours 15 minutes) · half marathon 4 hours 30 minutes · 10K 2 hours (weather permitting)

City center · not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet. The map shows the host city.

START

King George Island, near Bellingshausen Russian research base

about 200m

FINISH

King George Island, near Bellingshausen Russian research base

about 200m

Show more

Runners start · local time — Two waves at approximately 07:00 and 07:30

The start and finish are in front of Russia’s Bellingshausen Station on King George Island.

Course follows unpaved gravel and dirt roads linking Uruguay’s Artigas Base, Chile’s Frei Base and China’s Great Wall Station.

The marathon completes three laps of an approximately 14.2km loop, while half marathon runners complete half that distance.

Each lap gains about 109m and loses about 98m, for approximately 327m of total ascent over the marathon.

The surface combines gravel, mud and puddles, with snow and ice also possible depending on the temperature that year.

Road conditions change annually according to base operations and the weather,

so the exact course is confirmed after a final measurement on the day before the race.

Typical race-season temperature: around 0°C (33°F)
Long sleeves + a throwaway layer for the start

Participant benefits

Medical support

Marathon · Half

Water stations

Marathon · Half

Aid stations

Marathon · Half

Finisher medal

Event T-shirt

Finisher certificate

10K · Marathon · Half · Ultra

Where and when to collect your Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon race bib

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

Stations & transport near the venue

There is no public transit to pay for — movement on King George Island happens entirely via pre-arranged expedition cruise zodiacs/land excursions or via individual research-station logistics, not a fare system.

Getting to the start

Ushuaia (Malvinas Argentinas International Airport/port), Tierra del Fuego, Argentina — staging/embarkation point, not a normal transit station

SPECIAL CASE: race is run entirely on King George Island, Antarctica, reachable only by sea.

In Ushuaia, runners board the expedition ship M/V Ocean Victory at the port;

the ship sails that evening down the Beagle Channel and across the Drake Passage toward King George Island,

where the marathon itself is run (no roads/public transit on the island).

Getting to the finish

King George Island, Antarctica (race finish) → return by ship to Ushuaia port

After the race, runners return to the ship via Zodiac boat transfers (no road infrastructure exists on the island).

The ship sails back across the Drake Passage/Beagle Channel to Ushuaia, where runners disembark and fly back to Buenos Aires to conclude the trip.

Road closures

Official package arrival date 08:00~13:00 Airport pick-up shuttle provided (package including Buenos Aires-Ushuaia flight)

More details

Airport transfers included by Marathon Tours & Travel from Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) to the Buenos Aires hotel;

round-trip charter flight Buenos Aires-Ushuaia included;

Zodiac (small boat) ship-to-shore transfers used at King George Island in place of any land shuttle.

Independent travel to the start is not possible — participation requires the official Marathon Tours & Travel program.

More details

No formal public transport system exists on the island.

Getting around is handled by your expedition cruise operator (zodiac transfers, guided excursions) or by the research station hosting you,

with prior arrangement.

The island is reached via charter flights from Punta Arenas, Chile, connecting to Antarctic cruise ship departures.

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026Source · checked Aug 17, 2026
READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The race takes place from late February to early March, during the Southern Hemisphere summer.

Temperatures generally range from -9°C to 1°C, with wind chill making it feel colder.

That is relatively mild by Antarctic standards, but strong gusts and sleet are common.

There are no scheduled flights to the race venue;

the only access is by cruise ship from Ushuaia.

Participants cross the Drake Passage, land by Zodiac boat, run the race and return to the ship.

In some years, bad weather has prevented landing altogether, forcing an alternative course on board.

Expedition-level equipment is required, including insulated waterproof trail shoes, layered clothing and goggles.

Entry is available only by booking the cruise package operated by Marathon Tours & Travel, not through an individual race application.

Times are local to King George Island. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Hotels that make race morning easyDistances are straight-line from the start.View on mapEating well is part of the tripA meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.View on mapSeeing King George Island with the medal onThe city you ran — this time, a little slower.View on map

Total cost and budget for Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · YesimFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

King George Island runners' room

Frequently asked questions about Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon

FAQ
When does Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon 2027 take place?

It takes place on Mon, March 8, 2027 in King George Island, Antarctica.

How do I register for Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon 2027?

Entry routes: Official package reservation.

Registration is handled on the official website.

How much is the Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon 2027 entry fee?

The main event costs $275.

What distances does Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon 2027 offer?

Ultra · Marathon · Half · 10K.

Where does Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon 2027 start?

King George Island, near Bellingshausen Russian research base.

Where does Antarctica Marathon®, Half-Marathon and Ultra-Marathon 2027 finish?

King George Island, near Bellingshausen Russian research base (about 200m).

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