Big, long thing #184, country 13 and continent 7 complete at the White Continent 50k. A looped course on rolling hills of rocky jeep road. We flew in for 24 hours to make camp, run our race, and some small excursions on King George Island. Camping overnight was an experience for sure. Glad I went, but even happier to be back in civilization. Fun fact: Antarctica is simultaneously the world’s largest desert, and in possession of 90% of the world’s fresh water.
Aerovias DAP has served the Magallanes since the 1980s, and uses it’s “Antarctic Airways” brand to bring yours truly to the most isolated continent on earth.
Summertime, and the livin’s easy…
Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton’s high…
Below are the permanent settlements here on the island. We will be down the road in a little tent village for about 24 hours.
The Chilean airbase in Antarctica
Population 29. Bustling metropolis.
This is the “hospital.” Yeah. So, uh try not to get sick, okay?
When I told people about this trip I was like “You get to sleep overnight in Antarctica.” I knew my friends did not get me when they’d say “You HAVE to sleep overnight in Antarctica?!”
The porter has arrived with our luggage.
We all got settled in with our luggage and our roommates before the race began.
We got a bit of a survey of the course walking from the plane to the tent village
our aid station was in what amounted to a bounce house. From time to time the leaf blower that kept things aloft would run out of gas and need to be topped up. Hot cocoa, coffee, and snacks.
DAP had boxed food for us for several days. They had an odd love for white bread sandwiches that became a bit of joke among our little group.
The start/finish line. Lots of people from the Chinese research base around the corner came over to run a 5k or 10k, but for the most part the only marathon and 50k folks came from the great warm North.
An example of the course. It’s not ice, it was a little wet, and rather rocky.
Long out and back loops left you a little bored, but we were lucky enough to catch some penguins near the course.
Jeff Jackson, my fellow Fort Lauderdale Frontrunner joined me on this particular adventure.
Bill from Southern California I met on my flight to Punta Arenas and wound up rooming with Jeff and I in our tent.
Near the Chinese research facility you could find this.
Because people expected a lot of snow I had to snap this photo next to a pile of snow.
Another Chinese something near their research base
One of the other runners does it in a penguin outfit.
a rocky outcropping near the coastline along the course.
Joe, the marathon winner raises the roof on the bottom of the world.
Mahjong?
I promised some people I’d bring back a penguin from Antactica. I bought this one in Patagonia and brought it with me, so technically I brought a penguin back from Antarctica
another craggy portion of the course
Penguins doing the single file march to the sea. Like Sherman, only different.
the sun didn’t really set until very late, and I woke up, poked my head out of the tent and saw this. I just missed penguins jumping into the water.
There was a snafu with the finisher medals and they were much smaller than they were supposed to be. The RD sent a larger one a few months later, but I still like this for my keychain.
I was apparently one of only 2 or 3 stupid enough to sign up for the 50k so I got an elite number.
