ANTARCTICA ULTRAMARATHON

13 November 2026

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Race Coverage

RACE Coverage

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Antarctica Ultramarathon 2026

Run Antarctica, your way

13 – 23 November 2026 · Ushuaia, Argentina

Choose your challenge on the White Continent, from a single 5 km run to 100 km over six stages with UltraLite. Run, walk or combine both across glaciers, deep snow, volcanic islands and black volcanic sand, with professional staff and medical support beside you every step of the way.

RACE AT A GLANCE

Dates: 13–23 November 2026

Meeting Place: Ushuaia, Argentina

Choose your distance: 5km, 10km, Half Marathon, Marathon, 100km (single Stage) or UltraLite (up to 100 km over six Stages)

Format: Self-supported ultramarathon (participants carry emergency gear -- professional staff and medical support provided)

Entry Fees: US$13,900 (all options)

Deposit to secure your place: US$5,000

YOUR OPTIONS

Single-stage distances. Complete 5 km, 10 km, a half marathon, a marathon or up to 100 km on one stage. You don’t need to choose in advance. Many participants find they can go further once they’re out on the ice.

UltraLite. Cover up to 100 km over six timed stages. Each stage lasts up to six hours, during which you stay on course and may stop for food and toilet breaks. There is no minimum distance per stage, and completing 50 km earns the UltraLite finisher’s medal.

HOW IT WORKS

• Run, walk or both: around 20% of participants run the entire course, 60% use a run/walk strategy and 20% walk the whole distance.
• The course is made up of circuits of roughly 2 km to nearly 14 km, weather permitting.
• Courses are marked with ski poles and snow-filled pink bags, so no navigation is required.
• The most common distance completed is around 100 km; the least common is 5 km.

EVENT BACKGROUND

The Antarctica Ultramarathon was established in 2024 and runs alongside The Last Desert, founded in 2006 as the final race of the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series. UltraLite (Antarctica) joins in 2026 for its first edition.

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

The course changes each edition depending on weather, permits and other conditions. The 2024 race was held on Half Moon Island. Possible locations include:

• Deception Island: a volcanic caldera with black sand beaches
• Paradise Bay: ice cliffs and mirror-like water
• Neko Harbour: glacier views and penguins
• Half Moon Bay: a crescent-shaped shoreline, black cobbled beaches and scree-covered cliffs
• Petermann Island: volcanic terrain, colourful plankton blooms and iceberg views
• Dorian Bay: the historic Damoy Hut and Gentoo penguin colonies
• Danco Island: steep snowy slopes, around 2,000 breeding Gentoo penguins, Weddell seals and whales; site of a 2024 polar plunge
• King George Island: a milder climate, an airstrip and diverse wildlife; a key logistical gateway

ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE

Antarctica is protected by the Antarctic Treaty System. Expect icebergs, penguin colonies, glacial landscapes, historic research stations and remnants of early polar exploration. The race actively promotes environmental awareness.

WEATHER IN NOVEMBER

Conditions	Details
Average highs	-2 to 5°C (28 to 41°F)
Average lows	-10 to -2°C (14 to 28°F)
Precipitation	Small chance of drizzle; snow very likely
Daylight	Up to 20 hours
Wind	Strong gusts; katabatic winds possible
Altitude	Sea level to about 300 m (980 ft)

“Antarctica doesn’t welcome you — it tests you.”

BEYOND THE RACE

Optional activities after the race include:

• Kayaking among icebergs
• Camping on the ice (gear provided by the M/V Plancius crew)
• Zodiac cruises to hidden bays and glacier fronts
• Guided hiking and snowshoeing
• Photography
• A polar plunge into the Southern Ocean

TRAVEL & LOGISTICS

• Most participants fly to Ushuaia via Buenos Aires.

• On 13 November 2026, participants board the M/V Plancius for a two-day crossing of the Drake Passage.

• We recommend arriving in Ushuaia 1–2 days before departure. Hotel accommodation in Ushuaia is not included.

• Participants arrange and pay for their own travel to and from Ushuaia.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• International staff and medical support throughout the race

• RacingThePlanet patches (sewn on the jacket and provided for your backpack)

• Race bib

• Water for the duration of the race

• Ten nights / eleven days’ accommodation aboard the M/V Plancius expedition ship

• Meals

• Awards banquet with dinner, awards presentation and photo slideshow

• Finisher’s medal

• Souvenir race jacket

CHARITY & SOCIAL IMPACT

Past participants have raised funds for climate research, wildlife conservation, education in polar regions, and medical research and humanitarian causes.

IN THEIR WORDS

Quotes from previous participants:

“But to coin a well-used phrase, this is 'more than a race'. It really has been a once-in-a-lifetime trip combining a passion of running and exploring. I have caught the polar exploration bug, fascinated with the books I read prior to this past week, and reinforced now that I have been fortunate enough to have travelled here.“

“Antarctica was nothing short of magical—untouched, pristine, and profoundly peaceful. The purity of the whites and the vivid blues in the ice were beyond anything I could have imagined. Penguins waddling along the trail, whales and dolphins gliding through the water, and the majestic, dinosaur-like albatrosses flying overhead all felt perfectly normal in this extraordinary place.”