Photo Credit: Peter Rejcek (inset by Jian Zhao)

Running cold

More than 60 runners, skiers participate in annual McMurdo marathon

Photo Credit: Peter Rejcek

Skiers Kerry Kells, left, and Rosalind Lee complete the McMurdo Marathon.

More than 60 people – outfitted mainly in long underwear, shorts, fleeces and hats – ran, jogged, walked, hiked and skied the compacted snow roads on the McMurdo Ice Shelf on an overcast, flat-white Sunday for one of the biggest turnouts of the annual McMurdo Marathon (inset above). Ranging in age from 22 to 57, participants had the option of attempting a half or full marathon. The winner of the full marathon was Ian Holmen, above, who finished in 3:05:22. It was the first marathon for the 23-year-old, first-year fuels operator. The course started at mile marker #1 on the snow road to Pegasus Airfield, 13 miles away, so that the full marathon was an out-and-back race. The McMurdo Marathon began back in 1995 with just two participants. In 2011, the South Pole Station began hosting its own marathon event.