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.
This note is to thank you again for your creativity, hard work and thorough professionalism. Eight years later and I'm still impressed as all get out.
What did you like best?
The zodiacs and the opportunities of seeing whales, orcas, seals, penguins, icebergs, and glaciers
Besides how incredible the experience was, I was blown away by the quality of the staff (One Ocean and Marathon Tours). They made our experience truly unforgettable.
Everything. I liked the people (both runners and staff), the wildlife, and the race itself. I don't have a favorite thing because it was all great!
It exceeded expectations, but there were expectations I didn't even have - never expected to see whales like that.
The BBQ with the other ship, afternoon tea, happy hour and the polar plunge
It was an opportunity to visit Antarctica for the 5th time, a place I love with a new found passion for running. I really liked that there were runners at all levels, I was nervous that I might not "Fit in", but that was not the case, this is a trip for those whose passions spread from running to nature. I was impressed with the number and quality of landings we were able to pack into such a short trip with race preparations etc., I think folks got a real sense for Antarctica and I heard a few would be back. The One Ocean Crew and Marathon staff were amazing, some of the best we have traveled with to Antarctica and other remote locals.
My boat experience really exceeded my expectations. I made it to all the lectures ...all staff were fun, professional, and knowledgeable! The hardest part was getting on the bus for an airport transfer. This was by far the best vacation I've ever had, and well worth the money spent.
I liked - The people my husband and I met. We are looking forward to visiting them in the future. The inter-generational mix on the ship. And the fact that there were people from all over the world. What made this trip unique was the fact that we were together on a ship for several days--and thus were invited and encouraged to meet other runners and their supporters. Further, it was very nice that the supporters were warmly welcomed. This was greatly appreciated. Finally, the attention to ensuring the survival of the Antarctic environment and the wildlife through the Oceanites' connection is essential for this trip. I want to give a special shout out to Thom for his creative and inventive approach to adventure travel--and for his many efforts in sustaining and growing this opportunity. He has opened up worlds for individuals. Kudos to Jeff as well for seeing that Thom's vision, efforts and leadership are maintained and expand in the future.
I can honestly say the logistics on race morning were much easier than the New York City Marathon. We lucked out on the Drake Passage and the weather on race day. The race course was challenging, but Marathon Tours told us it would be.
Jeff was brilliant. We had some issues with my wife's plane ticket when we were leaving for Ushuaia, and he remained cool and calm the entire time while he worked with the airline to make sure that she had a seat on the plane. Thanks Jeff!!
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.
