This trip was expertly planned and I feel like we got a steal for what we paid vs. what we got. It was truly incredible and I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!!! Many thanks and compliments to everyone involved with your operation and company!!!
Paul, Alyssa, and Jeff were so much fun! They clearly blend well as a group, work together seamlessly, make sure everything is in place, and work around the clock for us. Loved getting to know them -- thank you!
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.
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!
As all my trips with Marathon Tours an overall wonderful experience. Antarctica is a place unlike any other we have visited thus far. It had been on my bucket list forever and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to experience it with such a wonderful group. It still seems quite unreal to have been there - it is a truly magical place. Also, the marathon was quite an experience and successfully completing it will always be one of my biggest accomplishments.
The Race was outstanding, but the trip is about so much more than the race. The opportunity to visit the Antarctic continent is just amazing, and the expeditions coordinated by the staff were exceptional.
It was such an incredible experience that it's hard to pick the "best". The excursions were so much fun and the guides made sure that we saw everything that our areas had to offer. The run gave me some bragging rights. Time on board ship had so much to offer - the presentations were great. I enjoyed getting to know so many people from so many different places. The food was wonderful. And the wildlife was amazing - the whales, the penguins, the seals, the birds.
What did you like best? Impossible to easily answer this. The on-board ship experience for ten days was an adventure of a lifetime. Jeff Adams and staff were superb hosts.
I've already sung their praises, but Jeff, Paul, and Alyssa were fantastic. The logistics were handled and ran smoothly because of all of the behind the scenes work that these guys did. Excellent excellent job.
I greatly appreciated having access to what is a truly unique running experience. Given all of the hassles/headaches of past races and the 'politics' in being permitted to offer a marathon course there makes me that much more grateful to have been able to go. Also, of course, seeing what is such a beautiful part of the world and what is so unlike any other place I have traveled, was a highlight. Finally, I was very impressed with the Marathon Tours and One Oceans staff. Everyone worked tirelessly and was so professional--very impressive indeed!
One of the true highlights of my running career. It was THE hardest race I have ever completed (you don't travel to Antarctica to run a flat road race) and I loved every minute of it. Thank you for this once in a lifetime opportunity.
The course and weather made the half marathon the hardest event ever, but we were exhilarated with the event. It was the race of a lifetime. Love it!
What can you do to change any of this? We are very fortunate to be able to run in Antarctica. I hope that no runner has anything negative to say about this course, transfers, spectator access, or anything about the race. The course, access, transferring, and everything about race day was excellent.
Loved the excursions and just to be in the presence of such pristine beauty! How many people actually get to see all of that? The days following the race I found myself waking up in the middle of the night just to look out the window and see what I was missing. The beauty was so amazing I am having a hard time even articulating it to anyone here. Thank you for making all of that possible.
Overall I thought the pre-trip information was very good. If you read it carefully most questions were answered. A number of things I heard people complaining about were mentioned in the travel information. I think you should mention that laundry can be done daily on the ship more prominently, I would have bought less clothing with me than I did if I had have known how efficient the service was. Also, I would put more emphasis on renting the wetskins on the ship. Mention that they are very warm as well as keeping you dry, and the fact that if you rent them you save space in your luggage plus if you don't already have the appropriate gear it will save you a lot of money. The likelihood of rain/sleet/snow at the marathon should also be mentioned more prominently. My clothing worked well, but I hadn't planned for rain when I chose my headgear and gloves. The toughness of the course can't be underemphasised.
Thom, the amount of hard work that you, your staff and the crew put in, made this dream trip become a reality! Thank you for the wonderful memories and new friendships that were made. Looking forward to my next adventure to bring me one step closer to the Seven Continents Club.
This was the best event I have attended with Marathon Tours. EVERYTHING was well organized from pick up at the airport, transportation to and from the airport, and all throughout the trip. I very much appreciate how well the trip/event was, how organized the trip was, and how much fun we had. This is definitely a trip I will attend again in the future.
Thom & Co. deliver the goods. We are discerning travelers, comfortable and competent on our own for several decades, but whenever Marathon Tours offers an experience which matches our interests we sign up. We have visited the Antarctic and Madagascar, among several other tricky and interesting destinations, under Marathon Tours' aegis. In addition we have availed ourselves of unrelated tour operators and, as mentioned, struck out on our own (mostly) from time to time. No other travel arrangement service provider has even come close to giving us the wonderful, some would say life-changing, experiences that we have lived along with Thom and his team.
