What I Wish I Knew Before the Antarctic Ice Marathon

When preparing for the Antarctic Ice Marathon, most runners focus on the obvious questions: How cold will it be? What gear should I wear? How do I train?

After winning the 2025 Antarctic Ice Marathon, Catherine Drysdale shared the lessons she wishes she had known before arriving in Antarctica.

The biggest surprise? The race is only part of the experience. Success comes from understanding the terrain, managing expectations, adapting to the environment, and embracing the slower pace of life on the southernmost continent.

One of Catherine's strongest recommendations is to train more like a 50km runner than a traditional marathon runner.

The Antarctic Ice Marathon often demands significantly more effort than a road marathon. Expect additional steps. Expect slower conditions. Expect to spend more time on your feet.

As a guideline, anticipate adding roughly 45 minutes to your typical marathon finishing time.

Strength training and interval work help, but durability and patience are often more important than speed.

If Catherine could change one thing about her preparation, she would have spent more time running on sand.

Although she completed limited off-road training before the race, she believes soft and unstable terrain work would have made a meaningful difference. The Antarctic surface constantly changes. Every step requires adaptation. Building strength and stability beforehand pays dividends on race day.

For footwear, Catherine wore The North Face Summit VECTIV Pro 3 and found them ideal for the conditions.

One surprising lesson: warmth is not always the primary challenge. Sweat management matters just as much. Course conditions vary throughout each loop, and moisture trapped inside shoes or clothing becomes uncomfortable when temperatures drop.

For this reason, waterproof shoes are not always the best option. The bigger challenge is often preventing sweat from becoming trapped.

Living in Sydney, Catherine did not have access to extreme cold-weather training. Her preparation consisted largely of running through a Sydney winter.

While many runners worry about this, she believes it is difficult to truly replicate Antarctic conditions unless you live in a very cold climate.

One thing that surprised her was the effect of cold air on breathing. Her lungs struggled initially, and she experienced coughing for two days after the race before recovering fully.

Race-day clothing was one of Catherine's biggest learning experiences. Her kit on race day:

• Thermal leggings
• Thermal base layer
• T-shirt
• Ski vest
• Shell jacket
• Thick buff
• Beanie
• Ski gloves

In hindsight, she believes she overdressed. Her advice: wear lighter gloves and remove one or two upper-body layers. Many runners are surprised by how much body heat they generate while moving.

Unlike road marathons, aid stations in Antarctica require patience. Water temperatures fluctuate constantly. Boiling water often needs snow or ice added before it becomes drinkable. Expect to spend more time at aid stations than you normally would.

Carrying personal fluids presents its own challenges — water bottles can freeze unless kept close to the body. Catherine relied entirely on race aid stations and found them well stocked with food, fluids, and electrolytes.

Catherine used the same nutrition strategy she would use during a standard marathon — Precision gels. The difference was storage.

To prevent freezing, she carried gels in her pockets alongside hand warmers. Simple adjustments like this can prevent unexpected problems mid-race.

The Antarctic camp experience is unlike any race environment in the world. Showers are limited. Water conservation is taken seriously. Waste management follows strict environmental protocols — nothing is left behind.

Despite these restrictions, Catherine found camp life surprisingly enjoyable. The food was abundant. The atmosphere was relaxed. The slower pace offered a rare opportunity to disconnect and appreciate one of the most extraordinary places on Earth.

When asked about the best and worst aspects of the trip, Catherine's answer was direct.

Allow extra time. Weather delays are part of Antarctic travel.

• Be patient
• Bring extra clothing and underwear
• Pack good sunglasses
• Carry a battery pack

And most importantly: embrace the experience. The race will eventually end. The memories of Antarctica stay with you much longer.

The race was extraordinary, but Antarctica itself was the real gift.

— Catherine Drysdale