I have always wanted to go to Antarctica. Some people think I am weird, but hey, I take that as a compliment. As part of my journey to complete seven full marathons on all seven continents, I am now prepping to go there. This trip has been five years in the making. When I completed the Tokyo Marathon on Feb 26, 2017, I decided that since there was a three-year waitlist with Marathon Tours, I should definitely put my name in. I did that and thus began my wait.
In 2019, due to some people canceling their entry, I was given the opportunity to move up a year. I jumped on the chance and was confirmed for the 2019 race. However, the two ships that Marathon Tours usually charters, the Akademik Ioffe and the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, were recalled by the Soviet government. They were able to charter a different ship, but the new one held 50 fewer people than the Ioffe and Vavilov combined. Since I was one of the last people who were confirmed for 2019, I was the first to be booted (rightfully so), and I went back to the top of the waitlist for 2020.
We all know what happened in 2020 – COVID! The 2020 edition of the Antarctica Marathon and Half Marathon were canceled – and again in 2021!
So that brings us to 2022. As of now, the races are on. YES – I said “races”. Marathon Tours plans to do TWO marathons this year a couple of weeks apart (here and here) to help with the backlog. This year’s ship is the Ocean Victory from Albatross Expeditions. I am on the second sailing. I will be blogging about my experience the entire way, although my posts will probably be delayed after I get on the ship.
Currently, my schedule looks like this:
Thursday, Jan 27: Depart for Miami, FL for a few days.
Friday, Jan 28: Scheduled a COVID PCR test. You cannot get into Argentina without one.
Saturday Jan 29: Hang out and do a lot of nothing.
Sunday, January 30: Depart Miami for Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Monday, January 31 – Wednesday, Feb 2: Stay and explore Buenos Aires with the group of runners from Marathon Tours.
Thursday, Feb 3: Fly from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, then board Ocean Victory.
Friday, Feb 3 – Saturday, Feb 5: Cross the Drake Passage. We have been warned that this is the roughest stretch of water in the world! We arrive at King George Island on Saturday. Marathon Tours staff will set up the course in preparation for the race tomorrow.
Sunday, Feb 6: Race day!
Monday, Feb 7 – Wednesday, Feb 9: Spent sightseeing on various fjords and islands.
Thursday, Feb 10: Depart Antarctica
Saturday, Feb 12: Arrive in Ushuaia, board flight to Buenos Aires, then on to Miami and home.
This whole trip is made even more uncertain by the COVID variant Omicron. In order to get into Argentina, I must have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of my departure. I have scheduled a PCR test in Miami. If I happen to test positive, I cannot even get to Argentina. Assuming that I make it to Buenos Aires, one cannot board the ship if they have a positive COVID test. Marathon Tours has arranged for everybody to get another COVID test on the evening before our Ushuaia departure. If that test is positive, you cannot even get on the airplane to Ushuaia and must quarantine in Buenos Aires for 10 days (and kiss all of your training goodbye). On the way back, you must have a negative PCR test within 24 hours to get back into the USA. Marathon Tours has arranged for a helicopter to fly to the ship so people with outbound flights on Feb 12 can have a test. The medical staff will take samples, fly back to the mainland, process the tests, and give us our results when we dock. Again, if we test positive, we will have to quarantine for 10 days before we will be released to come back to the USA.
To say this is an adventure is an understatement!
May the Force be with me!