ANTARCTIC ICE MARATHON
 

I see this and all I can picture is Jack Nicholson yelling "You can't handle the cold!" You may see this and get inspired to do something absolutely beyond the ordinary (if not a slightly bit mad as well) and if you can in fact handle the absolute freezing, bitter, bone chilling temperatures- you might just have a shot at winning the next Antarctic Ice Marathon this November 20th.

The race takes place in this coldest part of Earth, the foot of the Ellsworth Mountains just a few hundred miles from the South Pole to be exact. 

We're talking seriously treacherous terrain, windchills of -20C, fierce Katabatic winds...oh, and did we mention you'll be doing this all at an altitude of 700 meters in 24/7 daylight? Minor details at this point. Runners embark on a 5 day whirlwind journey that has them flying from Punta Arenas, Chile to Union Glacier on the frozen continent where the 26.2 mile journey will begin. There won't be anyone on the sides cheering you on or offering you ice cubes, not even penguins or any mammals for that matter. Just you, the wind, the ice, the cold and the drive to conquer this last frontier. Overnight in the bright sunny evenings at the Glacier Camp, featuring double-walled cozy sleeping tents, home cooked meals and solar powered electricity.

Did we hear you say this isn't tough enough? No problem, there's also the Antarctic 100K Ultra Race reserved for the fiercest of competitors- truly the world's most freezing route through mountains and massive expanses of ice beginning on November 22.

Registration starts at €9,900 including the flight from Punta Arenas, 5 days' accommodation and meals, plus entry in your race of choice. As for me, I chose to sit back and watch and congratulate the brave contenders- all of them winners in my book for even attempting such a feat. www.icemarathon.com