White Continent 50k, Marathon & Half-Marathon

The White Continent 50k, Marathon & Half-Marathon is a race trip in Antarctica, based on King George Island. Runners camp overnight before racing on Antarctic land. It is held annually and offers three distances: 50k, marathon, and half marathon. This event is for those aiming to run in Antarctica without a lengthy ship-based expedition, as the Drake Passage is crossed by air, not by boat. Space is limited and demand is high; runners arrange their own flights to Punta Arenas, Chile, before joining the race program. The course places runners on one of the few race routes on Antarctic ground, with penguins and seals nearby. After the race, the trip may include a visit to a penguin colony, time around a nearby Russian research base and its Orthodox church. The event attracts seven-continent marathoners, record chasers, adaptive athletes, and groups using Antarctica as the final piece of a larger running goal. Records associated with the race include the first female hand cyclist to complete a marathon in Antarctica, youngest and oldest seven-continent finishers, fastest seven-continent schedules for marathon and half-marathon formats, oldest twin brothers to finish an Antarctic marathon, and a large group of African-American runners completing races on the continent together.