South Pole Marathon Diary

1st January

  • 11.00 train from Galway to Dublin - 3 hours
  • 16.30 flight to Frankfurt - 2 hours
  • 22.25 flight to Santiago via Buenos Aires - 15 hours

    2nd January

  • 11.30 arrival in Santiago, Chile
  • Weather is very hot & I decide to sit in small park at airport
  • 18.15 flight to Punta Arenas - 5 hours (including stops)
  • Met by race organisers at airport and check in to hotel

    3rd January

  • Early morning interview with RTE1 radio, Ireland
  • Wandered around Punta Arenas (southern Chile)
  • Did 8-mile run to loosen up.
  • 20.00 meeting with other competitors and support staff
  • Told that flight to Antarctic will not leave as scheduled on 4th January

    4th January

  • Early morning interviews with Galway Bay FM radio and Irish newspaper
  • 10.00 meeting with race organisers
  • Shown slideshow & told what to expect in Antarctica
  • Meet other groups going to Antarctica including meteorite hunters and mountaineers
  • Ran with other competitors in Magellan National Park - 7 miles largely uphill

    5th January

  • Explore Punta Arenas, a very friendly town of about 120,000 inhabitants
  • Did 14-mile run @ 6.10 min pace
  • Called to organiser's HQ (Adventure Network International)
  • Pay for equipment I need to rent - down jacket, boots, sleeping bag and wind pants
  • Told that flight for Antarctica could leave in the next few days

    6th January

  • Continue to explore Punta Arenas on foot
  • Did 14-mile easy run
  • 16.00 -- Went to Otway Penguin Colony, about 70km out of town
  • 21.00 visit to local Internet café

    7th January

  • 09.00 meeting with Adventure Network staff
  • Photos taken by Chilean press and brief interview
  • Told we may be leaving for Patriot Hills, Antarctica later in the day. Patriot Hills is a semi-permanent encampment near the Ellsworth Mountains
  • 15.00 - cut hair very short in preparation for race
  • 16.00 - picked up at hotel and brought to airport
  • 18.30 - flight leaves for Patriot Hills -
  • Flight takes 4 hours on Russian Ilyushin aircraft
  • Plane lands on natural ice runway, using reverse engines to stop
  • Weather is quite good as we pitch tents, but winds pick up later
  • Told we may be at Patriot Hills for 2-3 days

    8th January

  • Wind howls overnight making it difficult to sleep
  • No flights out of Patriot Hills today
  • Ate 3 meals at assigned times in a cabin-type dining structure
  • Weather too bad for running
  • Interviewed live by Fox national sports radio (US)
  • A lot of time consigned to tent

    9th January

  • 08.30 wake-up call
  • Weather relatively good today
  • Did a 3-mile run into Patriot Hills after being left off in skidoos
  • After the run all competitors are evaluated by doctor
  • Did a 5-6 mile run in the afternoon with slight change of gear - replaced sunglasses with goggles and North Face backpack with Moletracks backpack. Felt much better as a result.
  • Spent much time consigned to tent with little to do

    10th January

  • Did 6-mile run into Patriot Hills after being left off at site of crashed plane
  • With wind blowing into face, there are huge difficulties due to goggles obstructing nasal passage & fogging up, as well as face mask inhibiting breathing. Snow quite deep in this area too.
  • Spent the afternoon building an ice wall around my tent
  • No firm news about leaving for Polar Plateau yet

    11th January

  • Decision is made to leave for Polar Plateau today
  • Tents are taken down and luggage loaded onto plane
  • At last minute flight is cancelled due to report of bad weather
  • Hyperextend my right knee when accidentally stepping into snow drift
  • Knee begins to pain me even when lying down


    12th January

  • Wake up to find my knee very weak
  • Knee begins to swell throughout day
  • Get anti-inflammatories from doctor and am told not to run
  • Weather not good and no chance of leaving for Polar Plateau


    13th January

  • Although knee feels a bit better, the swelling actually increases
  • Orthopaedic surgeon happens to be in camp and has a look
  • Surgeon's prognosis is not good - he diagnoses a tear of ligaments and gives me a 50% chance of even finishing a regular marathon and 0% chance of winning South Pole Marathon - difficulty will be running on uneven, rough terrain.
  • Possibility of cortesone shot is discussed with doctor
  • Spend some time later designing the interior of an igloo!

    14th January

  • Knee's condition unchanged from yesterday
  • Frustration rises at camp over no sign of flight to Polar Plateau
  • Explored nearby Chilean base that is abandoned
  • Did a 3-mile run to test out knee - it is heavily bandaged

    15th January

  • Still no opportunity of going to the Plateau
  • Spent day climbing nearby hills / mountains known as Windy Pass - the scenery is spectacular and good photos obtained
  • Retired to igloo for evening with some friends

    16th January

  • People becoming desperate to go to the Plateau to get acclimatisation and ultimately the race underway
  • Tensions begin to rise and heated discussions ensue
  • No sign of running party leaving however

    17th January

  • Decision is finally made to fly to the South Pole
  • DC3 takes off with competitors, flight staff and support crew
  • Flight stops at Thiel mountains to refuel - the Thiel stop is merely a blanket of snow with a Canadian flag and several barrels of stored fuel
  • 4-5 hours after leaving Patriot Hills, we arrive at South Pole
  • It is very windy with wind chill temperatures of -50C.
  • Get some shots of geographic and ceremonial South Pole markers
  • After short period of time, the DC3 takes off again to land us at starting point of race - over 26 miles from the South Pole
  • We quickly pitch tents and begin to boil ice for water
  • Our first period of proper acclimatisation begins - the Polar Plateau is almost 10,000 feet above sea level whereas Patriot Hills is only about 3,000 feet altitude. The temperature is also much colder.

    18th January

  • The doctor checks all competitors - my heart rate and blood saturation are good
  • Did a short run - feel breathless with cold wind almost taking my face off!
  • Wind chill temperature is -35C with 9 knot wind
  • Further acclimatisation is obviously important and required
  • Give an interview to Fox national sports radio again (via satellite phone)
  • Spend day sitting around - even doing small tasks is tiring
  • Wind howls throughout the night

    19th January

  • Colder today at -45C with wind chill
  • Knee is very sore particularly when I squat - fluid pushes to front of knee
  • Blood saturation at 95%, which is very good -- am acclimatising very quickly
  • Decision is made to run the race tomorrow
  • Assemble all required gear and begin to focus at task on hand - am concerned that knee may not last full distance

    20th January

  • Get up early with other competitors and prepare for 8am start
  • A mile into the race, there is a whiteout that gets progressively worse
  • Only two miles into the race, it is abandoned
  • Potentially very dangerous situation is averted
  • On way back to tents, navigation in the support snowmobiles becomes extremely problematic and we have difficulty finding tents
  • Some of the runners become very concerned at the conditions experienced
  • There is also concern that the race might never be run - it could well be in danger of abandonment if not run tomorrow
  • Everybody wishes for a good day

    21st January

  • Weather is not good but begins to improve gradually throughout the day
  • Decision is eventually made to run race after considerable pressure by athletes
  • Two snowmobiles to support the athletes throughout the course
  • Race begins at about 6pm
  • In the harsh conditions, it takes almost nine hours for me to complete the marathon
  • I add an extra 3km to successfully complete an ultramarathon
  • A more detailed race account is given here

    22nd January

  • The race finishes in the early hours of this morning
  • 05.00 - athletes and support crew are invited to Amundsen-Scott station by the very friendly resident staff
  • Have huge difficulty walking because of intense pain in hip flexors
  • My eyes are also very sore as a result of snow blindness
  • My ear is sore (mild frostbite) and my fingertips and toes are slightly numb
  • Purchase some t-shirts at station and send a couple of postcards
  • Sleep for a couple of hours and then later retire to tent for another 14 hours

    23rd January

  • Get up early but nearly collapse with dizziness
  • Eat a little and drink some fluid
  • Toes are still numb as are tips of fingers - diagnosed with frostbite
  • Flight gets the OK to leave for Patriot Hills but I am too weak to take down tent
  • Champagne reception on our arrival at Patriot Hills
  • Feel too weak to party for long and I retire to tent
  • Unable to eat much

    24th January

  • Placed on drip by doctor and stay in tent for almost entire day

    25th January

  • Begin to recover appetite and also drink more
  • Ilyushin arrives to take party back to Punta Arenas, Chile
  • Arrive late in Punta Arenas and check back into hotel
  • First bath in weeks - drain blood from toe blisters until 4am

    26th January

  • Interviewed by Chilean Newspaper 'El Mercurio'
  • 14.00 picked up at hotel and brought to airport
  • 15.50 flight to Santiago - arrive at 19.20
  • Stay overnight in downtown hotel

    27th January

  • 13.15 flight from Santiago to Frankfurt via Buenos Aires

    28th January

  • Arrive early morning at Frankfurt after 15 hour flight
  • 14.05 flight from Frankfurt to Dublin
  • 16.15 arrival in town
  • 17.00 recorded interview with RTE 1 radio
  • 18.30 drive to Galway
  • 22.30 head out for a few pints to unwind!


    END OF TRIP