UVU Antarctic Ice Marathon Book 2012

7/27/2019 UVU Antarctic Ice Marathon Book 2012

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/uvu-antarctic-ice-marathon-book-2012 1/37

UVU Antarctic

Ice Marathon & 100K

ANTARCTIC



Antarctic Ice Marathon

Like a remnant of outer space, Antarctica’s

haunted emptiness is both enchanted and

forbidding. In 2012, forty-six athletes from sixteencountries arrived at the end of the world. They

came to find an extraordinary race, and perhaps

to find themselves. Of this number, nine gathered

for the daunting 100km.

The Antarctic Ice Marathon and 100km Ultra-

marathon are the southernmost running events

on Planet Earth. And in 2012, an age-old ritual

brought an ancient fire to ancient ice. The

Marathon Flame arrived for the first time to

Antarctica, held aloft by UNICEF ambassador

Nasos Ktoridis.

Marathon:

21 November 2012

100km:

22 November 2012




The glass cockpit of the (ILYUSHIN) IL-76TD, the long-rangeversion of the IL-76, adds a human layer to the sophisticatedtechnology found in the pilot and navigator workstations. Thissturdy aircraft is designed to deliver cargo and personnel tostrategic locations, often using short runways.




The flight time from Chile to Antarctica is four hours andthirty minutes. At a cruising height of over 30,000 feet, theview from the glass nose could be imagery from an orbitingsatellite: Drake’s Passage amid a frozen dreamworld. Underthe right conditions, crystal white and brilliant blue act aswallpaper dominating the South Pole regions.




After landing, Antarctic Ice Marathoners come face to face withonce-in-a-lifetime scenery. Union Glacier Camp Manager, SteveJones, lends a welcoming hand.




Activity at both ends, as passengers disembark from the frontend and greet the temperatures, while cargo exits the rear ofthe ILYUSHIN, a plane truly at home in the Antarctic.




The Antarctic Ice Marathon takes place in November, whenthe sun does not fall below the horizon. In the constant andsometimes blinding light, goggles serve to protect the eyes.




En route to the camp, situated five miles from the runway,the truck looks tiny when set against a backdrop of desolate,soaring peaks. The ageless, snow-dusted rock is indifferent tothe presence of human life.




A sense of comfort and welcome nourishment in the spaciousdining hall for the Antarctic Ice Marathon participants. Anorientation briefing is given to the participants upon arrival.Roomy, double-occupancy sleeping tents add anotherdimension to the experience. Ice Marathon organizer, RichardDonovan, and Jungle Marathon organizer, Shirley Thompson,enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.




Names on green sticky notes inside the outlines of tentsnamed after famous explorers from another time. They arecalled ‘clam tents’ because their aluminum-hoop frames openout like a clam shell. These tents are passively warmed by thesun.




Laundry and footsteps. The elements of daily life survive, evenhere. In the distance, tents dot the snow.




Within Antarctica, all flights are operated by twin-engine, ski-equipped aircraft. Departures fromthe camp include Vinson Massif, the highest peakin Antarctica, as well as the South Pole and theEmperor Penguin colonies.




The camp is located in the southern Ellsworth Mountains onUnion Glacier’s broad expanse, a spectacular setting. Majestic,jagged peaks ring the sides, and often very little windenters this amphitheater of silence and stillness. A stage forrelaxation and inspiration.




… some day I would go to the regionof ice and snow and go on and on

till I came to one of the poles of theearth, the end of the axis upon which

this great round ball turns.--Ernest Shackleton




The arrival of the Marathon Flame; excitement, anticipation,flags of nations that all lie north of here;

gathering at the starting line for an official photo shoot for the2012 UVU Antarctic Ice Marathon and 100K.




Nice weather for a long run. The starting knot of racers will soon loosen intostrings; but for now, adrenalin powers all runners forward. They chase theirlong shadows. Strung above them, the flags of nations, some small, somelarge. But here and now, all nations are runners, and all on equal footing.




Union Glacier is active, and markers are

positioned so that runners will avoid

crevasses. Marathon competitors rehydrate

with hot drinks and snacks at five aid

stations set along the course. All these

necessary precautions counterpoint a

backdrop of inner space: the almost extra-

terrestrial crests, the staggering moments

of tranquility as the run continued and,

despite the scenery, occasionally an inward

gaze to help sustain the will.




An object lesson in perspective. A trail of runners has developed. Andbehind them, a magnificent mountain observes impassively, or not at all.




Words, whether spoken or simply thought, require energy. At a certainpoint, all talk ceases as the momentum inevitably drops. But miracles canoccur: the surface in the photograph looks like an endless sea, but they donot sink.




Andrew Murray, the

Flying Scot, set a new

course record time of

3:41:15 hrs to win the

men’s competition.




A feat in wilderness translated into tangible results. Asatellite phone uploads the position and time of each runnerlive to the Event website – www.icemarathon.com - via thecommunications hut and mast: data signalled via satellite toappear on home computers worldwide. Demelza Farr, fromSydney, Australia, was a decisive winner in the women’scompetition. She crossed the finish line in 5:09:43.




The first 35km witnessed a duel between Murray, theeventual winner, and Spanish runner Luis Marcos, with thelead constantly changing and without the crowds to cheerthem on. Douglas Wilson from Australia finished third. In thewomen’s race, Nancy Moundalexis from the United Statesand Australia’s Amanda Barlow finished second and third(respectively) behind Farr.

Talent, willpower, gear, training – what is it that makes a greatcompetitor?




Wisting had to make wind-clothing for every man…one quickly gets intoa perspiration, and spoils the clothes. I know of no material that dries so

quickly as this windproof stuff. --Roald Amundsen, 1912




The coveted Antarctic 100km title was won by Marc de Keyserin a new record time of 12:06:51. He finished ahead of the earlyleader, Japan’s Hirofumi Ono, and Spain’s Julen Kalzada. In thewomen’s division, Julianne Young was the sole competitor, butshe earned the title in definite style – by setting a record timeof 15:31:10.

UVU Antarctic Ice Marathon Book 2012

Documents

Transcript of UVU Antarctic Ice Marathon Book 2012