Antarctica Ice Marathon

The Antarctic Ice Marathon was completed on the original planned date December 13, 2023. With the flight and running plans being so dependent on the weather systems to and from the most southern Continent, the fact that the race and travel dates went as planned was miraculous. This was also my biggest fear.. if a bad weather system came through and I would either be forced to miss the race or (worse) have gotten stuck in Antarctica and was racing to get home. If you know me and my Christmas obsession, the fear of missing Christmas is very real. Don’t worry… I made sure to bring some Christmas spirit with me.

Location Location Location

We landed in Union Glacier, Antarctica on December 12th. As we landed, the view was mesmerizing. It looked like something Elsa came up with. The beauty of looming snow-covered mountains coming out of a vast ice land was indescribable. Remember, most of the continent is covered in glaciers, so we literally land on a “runway” made of ice. If it wasn’t the most beautiful landing in the world I would have been terrified.

After a short ride over to base and a tour of the coolest place to stay ever (I’ll be doing a whole post on that later) we geared up for a practice run. The marathon coordinators had us do this for several reasons… having a chance to test our gear in race conditions, getting some awesome photos, and testing out the terrain. It turned out to actually be very HOT (yes I said hot) as the winds were near 0 mph. When the sun is beating down 24 hours a day and there is no wind, it’s actually fairly warm. I ran in just a single layer on top with fleece leggings, no gloves, single socks and was SWEATING in the short run we ran.

This test run ended up giving us no indication for what we should wear as the winds shifted greatly overnight, dropping the temps and creating much more difficult footing as the winds swept loose snow and ice over the course…

The Race

We awoke to fairly heavy winds gusting against our tents (-30 degrees C). With hopes of them dying down, we planned to start mid day. The race went off but without the relief of calmer winds. It was a little guess work on what to wear. The prior nights conditions were so different and we knew how hot it could get if the winds died down. I think most people took on the layering approach so we had options to remove clothing as we went. I started with my prior night race gear and added: a jacket, a second set of thick gloves, a neck cover and goggles. It turned out to be a little warm depending on which direction we turned, but overall the right call. I never overheated or froze. 

This gear lasted 3+ miles to the first rest area, where I was able to drop the thicker gloves and neck cover once I warmed up. The race was 4 large loops with a check point halfway. There was electrolyte (WARMED- amazing), water, soft drinks, gels, cookies, pretzels and so much more at both the start and mid-point. So every 3+ miles you could drop and pickup gear (or change your clothes) as well as get anything you needed. With the chill, carrying drinks could freeze. 

Let me just say… The race coordinators really thought of absolutely everything. I’ve run 98 marathons and countless races, and I’ve never seen any race carried out with so much precision, thought, and support… the natural complexities of running a race in Antarctica are far more challenging than any I’ve seen, and they really thought of absolutely everything to ensure the runners were SAFE, supported, and ready to finish this race. 

The Course

This course is tough, I won’t lie. But isn’t that why we went there? For the challenge? YES. The course was less loop and more hard turns taking you in and out of wind. There were amazing stretches that had great foot traction.. and there were sections that put you head on into the wind or that had rough footing with loose snow and ice blowing over it constantly. 

It was also extremely flat. There were minor grades up and down but nothing compared to most road races. Flat is good for such an ice course but using the same muscle group over and over becomes tough after a while. 

Loop 1: I’d be lying if I said the voice in my head was kind after loop one. The frustration from Footing struggles was real. Seeing your pace drop as you pushed hard against the wind was demoralizing. And 3 more to go was daunting. I also fell into third place for women at this point and felt a little defeated. 

Loop 2: rounding into loop 2 I made a conscious decision to run my best race. I had done a lap and knew what to expect. I accepted the tough parts and decided to really push in the easier areas. If there was good footing and/or low winds I PUSHED. In the tougher traction areas, I started doing 1/2 mile pushes and 30 second walks to try and break them up nd give my muscles a break. At the halfway point I was in 3rd for women but I was catching quite a few men with my strategy

Loop 3: winds had started picking up in the back part of this loop and more and more footing was blowing away. I came into the start and found out that I had made more progress than I thought… my strategy had brought my very close to first place. Despite the soreness, exhaustion, and frustration, I took off. 

Loop 4: I haven’t been a competitive runner since before kids. I had semi given up on it being a possibility but had hoped that the tough conditions would land in my favor. With the potential to  prove something to myself (I can still do hard things even though I’m a mom) I set out to leave everything on the table…. And IT HURT. The conditions were deteriorating as was our footing. But I had a chance to prove so much to myself. The last 5-6 miles of marathons has been a struggle since I came out of retirement. To win this race, that wasn’t an option. I pushed my pace on the good terrain and leaned into the wind in the tough spots…

Pulling through with a very emotional win 🏅 I can honestly say that this is one of my most proud races. Was it my fastest? Not by a long shot! But I found a new level of grit in my post-baby body. 

The Racers (and crew)

The race, the scenery, the crew, the grit, the challenge- all amazing parts of this race. But what made this experience next level were the people. I should have expected some pretty amazing people when 80 individuals from across the globe said ✅ YES ✅ to 26.2, to an adventure and to a TOUGH course… but this crew  set a new bar for me. Such an amazing group of inspiring, resilient, supportive,  adventurous souls. Just to share a FEW: 

Becca Pizzi: Race Director and international world record holder in some of the toughest endurance challenges. She knows what it means for a race to be GREAT and she (and the rest of the crew) have gone above and beyond to make it happen. You can follow Becca on the next world marathon challenge, where she was the first US woman to complete and the current record holder. 

Sagi Rotem: Sagi is from Israel & with the current conflict going on, Sagi made a point to use the marathon as a platform to remind people that the conflict is just that... current. He ran with a photo of an Israeli prisoner to remind us all that there are still people being held. 

Sarah Hoyt: US Army officer, West Point grad, ultra endurance athlete, and overall badass... also the tent-mate to one Stephanie Estridge during this Antarctic Ice Marathon

Kunal Bhardwaj: As of the Ice Marathon, Kunal became the first gay to complete a marathon on all 7 continents.... and using this experience as a platform to remind people that in India, same-sex marriage is not recognized. Aside from this, Kunal is one of my most favorite people from the trip. He's sweet, interesting, worldly, FUN... and willing to split a 1,000 layer cake with me :) I cannot wait to plan a future marathon adventure with Kunal.

Michael Higgins: WINNER of the Antarctic Ice Marathon!! Also a parent of 3 little guys at home. We took home the gold for the US in the mens and womens divisions. 

The Texas Guys - Rick, Peter, Judson, and Chip (not picture) are #friendshipgoals. All in their 60's, they rope each other into these crazy ideas and apparently have been doing it for a while. At the dinner before we left for the race, they were already discussing an idea to go swimming with great white sharks. I need to find friends like them STAT. 

(below) Left to Right: Myself, Kavitha Reddy (Competitive marathoner in India), Mike, Kunal, Scot Buell (in his 60's and was SECOND overall. Marathon majors & 7 continents club finisher, adventure seeker and overall SERIOUS bad ass), Sagi, and Daniel Beck (became a 7 continents finisher 2 days later at the marathon in South America, mountain climber, and overall adventure seeker!). 

Ted Jackson: Ted has had more endurance accomplishments than I could imagine completing in a lifetime. As part of our race crew he brought an exceptional level of: inspiration, entertainment, and LIFE. There are quite a few articles and videos on him, but definitely check out this one: 

https://vimeo.com/176409763

Overall Results:

So much more to write about... not the least of all being ANOTHER MARATHON... yes, a surprise marathon #98 and completion of South America. More on that, Union Glacier, and more in upcoming posts. 

Also... what's next? Hopefully an even bigger adventure!

Keep Running

Stephanie 

Day 2: Debrief, Dinners and Jet lag!

Day 2 in Punta Arenas is in the books as we get closer to race day. Fun facts: Sunday is considered a holiday to Chileans and everything is completely shut down- EVERYTHING. Except of course the magical Christmas Chocolate shop that I want to kidnap. 

I still managed to find some wonderful places to eat and found 2 other very nice runner friends to share a dinner with. Sagi from Israel and Daniel from Denmark. I’m always in awe at how friendly runners are both in the race and outside. 

De-Brief

We had our debrief tonight, which is the first time (near) all of the runners got together. I say “near” because there are people living at the base camp that will be participating this year! We will not meet them until we get to camp. During the debrief race director Becca Pizzi shared tons of logistical and race info for us. Becca is not only the reigning winner of the women’s race, but she has won the world marathon challenge (7 marathons, in 7 continents in 7 days) several times! Crazy right?

 

Next steps for the race:

• Monday 12/11 we are to check our checked luggage in and get our boarding passes for the private plane that is waiting on standby
• Monday evening there will be a review of the weather by the pilots to determine if and when we will leave on Wednesday! 

Trying to pack all of the things, but keep enough behind in case the plane isn’t leaving on Wednesday was a bit of a stressful situation but I grabbed a brownie from the hotel kitchen and muddled through. 
There is a logistics group here that organizes these types of expeditions regularly (flight included). They know the right safety precautions and prepare us for waiting if need be. 
Jet LagIt is BRIGHT out until near 11pm and the sun is back up before 5am. It is throwing my entire body off. I cannot sleep but I’m so tired. It will only get worse when we are in Antarctica and there is 24 hours of sunlight 😬 so today I’m determined to get a long nap in! Maybe I need to back off on the kick-you-in-your-soul coffee I’ve been sucking down. One of the biggest challenges to long distance running is sleep deprivation. I can feel when my body hasn’t had enough rest- it results in a much greater exertion level for the same speed. Given the underfoot conditions of the race, I’ll need all the energy I can get 

Fun Facts RE Punta Arenas and Antarctica 

Everything is named after Ferdinand Magellan in this area due to being right on the Strait of Magellan which is a natural passage between the Atlantic and pacific oceans. Why am I kissing the toe of this statue (which by the way is NOT Magellans toe- he is at the top- but is the toe of an aborigine who is hanging out)? It is supposed to be good luck for a safe return. I would very much like to return from Antarctica safely, so I stuck my lips on this very coppery (likely) germ infested toe.

ANTARCTICA IS A DESERTFor those in the back, I repeat louder- Antarctica is, in fact, a polar dessert. Let’s break this down. It has such little actualy precipitation that it is considered a dessert. It is also extremely DRY (very little moisture in the air). 
But wait “it has snow!” Is what you’re saying… yes it does but it rarely actually snows (even in winter). The snow BLOWS from extreme winds, but it’s so cold year round that it’s not like the summer months can even make a dent in the ice/snow that is there. It is made up of ice sheets that develop over years and years. No snow melts.. no snowfall is needed. Mind literally blown by this today! 
That’s it for day 2. Day 3 is all about hurrying to wait. Getting all the luggage delivered and then RESTING while we wait to hear the weather report tonight! 
Stephanie 

Arrived and Eating My Way Through Punta Arenas

16 flight hours, 3 planes, 2 layerovers, 1 customs stop and a partridge in a pear tree… and we are here in Punta Arenas, Chile!

When I arrived at the hotel the rooms had not turned over yet so I sought out some kick-you-in-your-soul coffee ☕️and went exploring the city. 24 hours of traveling with very little sleep left much to be appreciate in my ability to summon up any Spanish. I repeatedly told people “thank you in Greek and French. The whole of Patagonia probably thinks I’m a little loco. I found comfort in a dessert restaurant. Yes, people go to these places to get full desserts and coffee and I may move here forever. 

In fact, I’ve used my recent baking exploits as a reason to “sample” many desserts already… for “research purposes”. The FOOD in this small city is an out of body experience. Even the simple foods are BEYOND anything you can find in the states. The chocolate tiramisu is from an amazing restaurant called Specechless Patagonia. If you ever visit, make this a stop and absolutely order the traditional Milcaos! They are these little potato bread things and I can’t explain why they are so good… just trust me 🤯

About Punta Arenas

Besides the food, this city is known as the gateway to Antarctica as it sits at the southern tip of South America and Chile. Many expeditions run through here and the city thrives in their summer months on tourists making their way down to the southern continent. It is summer here and in the high 40s / low 50s

The primary language is Spanish… not Greek or French 🤦‍♀️ It seems to be a very quiet area with little traffic (car or foot) and about 18 hours of daylight right now. 

What’s Next?

• Gear check - tomorrow morning 
• Runner Debrief: travel and race info, bibs given out, etc Tomorrow evening
• Update on weather conditions at the debrief to see if we are clear to fly to Antarctica on Tuesday! 
• PENGUINS! This area has a colony of penguins and I’m going to find them! 

Before all that ^ I need to run to burn just a fraction of the calories consumed today or I won’t fit in the plane to Antarctica.

More to come!

Stephanie 

It’s getting real…

The bags are (almost) packed, trail gear has been tested and this showed up on the Antarctica Ice Marathon Facebook page yesterday. 😬

This shook my soul a little when I saw it. I haven’t been nervous about a marathon in such a long time but part of me loves the nerves. It means I’m taking on a new challenge and doing something very cool. This is something I haven’t been able to do since I became a mom. 

When you become a mom, sometimes you lose a little piece of you (or a big piece). Before kids running, taking on new challenges WAS my life. I’ve been trying to get back to me here and there (learning to bake, taking some Zumba classes) but this is the biggest jump and I’m proud of me.

Travel plans and how to stay updated:

My first plane leaves Cincinnati tomorrow night and I won’t get to Punta Arenas, Chile until Saturday afternoon. Here is the estimated schedule from there:

We have a de-briefing and gear check on Sunday and then we WAIT. The race director and pilots will be watching the weather to determine the flying conditions. If everything looks good, we fly out on Tuesday. What happens if flying conditions are unfavorable? We wait.. and wait… but fingers crossed that Mother Nature is on our side. I’ve been stalking the weather in Union Glacier, Antarctica and was a little surprised that it didn’t just say “cold… duh.” I’ve also been watching the wind conditions out of Punta Arenas. I have no idea how much wind constitutes “dangerous” vs normal but praying for it to clear. 

 

Tracking me… sorta

As I travel to Chile and while I’m there, I’ll be posting updates on Instagram (handle: StephEFit) and my Facebook stories. I’ll update when we are clear to fly!

Union Glacier, Antarctica doesn’t have wifi or cellular service (taking book recommendations!!). The race director will be using a satellite phone to call in race updates and results. Somebody on the mainland side will be posting on their Facebook page found here:

https://www.facebook.com/AntarcticIceMarathon?mibextid=LQQJ4d

The course is looped, and based on prior years, they will update as we pass check points. I imagine it will look similar to past maps:

As we get closer to the race, I get closer to my fundraising goal supporting Autism Connections in Cincinnati. Please consider supporting me, Mavi, and this great organization. 

https://tinyurl.com/AntarcticaMarathonforAutism

Keep Running!Stephanie