FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
15th Antarctica Marathon Field to Include its First Totally Blind Runner
Other Notable Entrants Include 22 Globetrotters
Finishing Marathons on All 7 Continents
BOSTON (February 26, 2014) - An international field of 185 intrepid
runners, including a totally blind South African, will travel to the
coldest, windiest and most remote continent on the planet to participate in
the 15th Antarctica Marathon & Half Marathon on March 9 and 10, announced
Boston-based Marathon Tours & Travel, the event and expedition organizer.
The events will take place on King George Island, located off the Antarctic
Peninsula in Antarctica.
Hein Wagner of Cape Town, South Africa, is poised to be the Antarctica
Marathon's first totally blind participant. Blind from birth, the
41-year-old adventurer and motivational speaker is running the event to
raise funds and create awareness of VisionTrust, a non-profit organization
he founded in 2008. VisionTrust's mission is to strive to make the world a
more accessible place for persons living with disabilities and to promote
the integration of disabled persons into the workplace, sports arena and
the arts. Wagner was set to run the Antarctica Marathon last year but an
iceberg damaged the ship that would have taken runners to Antarctica. The
race expedition was re-scheduled for later in March but Wagner was not able
to re-schedule due to previous commitments.
"Hein will be a true inspiration to fellow participants as well as others
who follow his incredible journey," says Thom Gilligan, president of
Marathon Tours & Travel and race director of the Antarctica Marathon & Half
Marathon. "He is literally traveling to the ends of the Earth to prove
that, despite unimaginable challenges, he is living life to the fullest and
that anything is possible." Wagner will be guided along the course by
countryman, Nic Kruiskamp.
The 26.2- and 13.1-mile courses transverse hilly gravel roads that connect
and pass the scientific research bases of Uruguay, Chile, China and Russia.
Race-day temperatures can range from 15 to 34 F with wind gusts that can
easily reach 40 mph. Course conditions can vary year to year but runners
may encounter ice, mud and slush. Held at the tail end of the Antarctic
summertime, heavy snow is rare but light flurries are common.
Twenty-two of the participants are expected to complete their goal of
finishing marathons or half-marathons on all of the Earth's seven
continents at this year's event. Once they finish, they will be inducted
into the Seven Continents Club, a travel club founded in 1998 to recognize
those who have accomplished this feat. Since then, more than 517
globetrotting runners have achieved the goal.
"There has been tremendous interest in running a marathon on all seven
continents ever since the inaugural Antarctica Marathon in 1995," says
Gilligan. "Finishing a marathon on all seven continents is an extraordinary
feat, typically attempted by ordinary people in their pursuit of
self-discovery or other notable goals."
Despite its extreme nature, the Antarctica Marathon & Half Marathon
expedition has sold out 12 of its last 15 editions, usually years in
advance, and is presently sold out through 2017.
Traveling to a marathon on what is often referred to as the "Last
Continent," is a marathon in itself. Athletes will travel an average of
6,500 miles each; first to Buenos Aires, Argentina, before departing
to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southern-most city in the world. There they
will board two chartered Russian icebreakers for a two-day crossing of the
Drake Passage, a body of water notorious for being one of the roughest seas
in the world. The 14-day expedition also includes a number of landings on
the continent, sea kayaking and wildlife viewing.
The Antarctica Marathon & Half-Marathon's official charity is Oceanites,
Inc., a non-profit organization that researches the impact of tourism on
Antarctica's environment. Participants have raised over $137,500 on behalf
of the organization during the past three years. Another large donation is
expected in 2014.
For more information on the Antarctica Marathon, please visit
www.antarcticamarathon.com, write to or call
+1(617) 242-7845.
About Marathon Tours & Travel
Marathon Tours & Travel is the leading marathon tour operator in North
America offering comprehensive travel packages to 36 marathons and half
marathons on all seven continents, including the Antarctica Marathon, Great
Wall Marathon and the Amazing Maasai Marathon in Kenya. For more
information, please visit www.marathontours.com.
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