Testimonials

The area we stayed in Buenos Aires was Fantastic, very beautiful near the river and the park and not far from the city center and for the excursions to Uruguay. There were plenty of restaurants and shops and places to run.

One of the most challenging, thus one of the most rewarding for having completed it. As I said to Thom, I don't care about the wind, sleet, hills, mud or any other conditions; I'm just glad he pulled it off and we got an opportunity to run. What an amazing marathon with all of the politics, weather, logistics and other pieces that have to come together. We're so fortunate that Thom was crazy enough to do it for 20 years.

Antarctica is just such a spectacular destination, and the staff made us feel right and home. The entire expedition was extraordinary. I am very appreciative of having the opportunity to run in an event like this. The expeditions were probably my favorite part, outside the marathon itself. I was not expecting the rest of the trip to be so inspiring that I almost forgot about the marathon by the end!

The pre-trip conference call was excellent! Jeff did an outstanding job covering what we needed to know about the race. I really appreciated his guidance on layering; it was detailed and very specific. I followed his advice to the letter and was perfectly dressed for race day. He was timely, covered all the details, and answered all the questions with the information runners wanted to know. It was a very well run conference call. It's clear he's a seasoned professional and I felt in good hands with his guidance.

The coaching sessions were a great extra add-on and I found them very helpful in mentally preparing for the race. I took notes through each session and referenced them on the ship the night before the race. Christine's coaching definitely helped my mental game on race day, particularly during the hail storm!

Experiencing a new culture steeped in ancient history. Interacting with (shock) individuals like myself, hearing their stories, learning from their cultural and race experiences outside of the US. Confident that the Marathon Tours staff was there as a safety net. Thankful that Marathon Tours booked a hotel with a grand breakfast buffet, including race day morning special. Grateful for the Marathon Tours staff for guiding us to the buses for transport to the event start.

Stephanie and Anne were delightful. They were always mindful of the special needs of folks in the group and when one gentleman fell, they were right there to make sure he was all right and not needing medical care. They were happy, professional, fun to be around.

The whole atmosphere of a destination race, from the accommodations to the race itself, and meeting like-minded friendly people who were all there for the same thing. This atmosphere wouldn't have been made possible by the great planning and organization that went on behind the scene by the coordinators.

All the logistics were taken care of. I just had to get myself to Queenstown and I did not have to worry about all the normal race issues, e.g. start line transportation, pre race dinner, hotel, etc. took a lot of stress off my shoulders. Also got to meet a lot of amazing people and fellow runners. Made a lot of new friends.

First time with Marathon Tours. Was an excellent experience and has motivated me to make more trips and become part of the group.