TRAIL RUNNING but a superb crew that puts the plane down expertly , in spite of the icy , slippery runway surface .”
The race is organise by Runbuk Inc . with the legendary Richard Donovan as Race Director , and takes place on Union Glacier , where quite a few international camps are set up in the four months of summer each year . The race is based out of the camp run by Antarctic Logistics Expeditions ( ALE ). Usually the plan is to fly the runners in , spend a day or so acclimatising , run the race , then fly out again having spent just two nights on the glacier .
Mo says there is no cell phone reception and no other media in the camp , so most of the time waiting for the race is spent drinking coffee and playing cards in the mess tent , while getting to know the runners from all over the world , which for this race included two other South Africans , Johan and Molene Scheepers from Pretoria . “ Because the sun never sets , you always feel like you have jetlag while there , because you ’ re out of sync with your surroundings . I found that I got tired , but struggled to sleep ,” says Mo .
He adds that the stark beauty of Antarctica can lull you into a false sense of security , but the race organisers and camp staff make sure all the runners understand how important safety precautions are . “ There is a beautiful mountain next to the camp , but they explained it was off limits , and that we should never go past the perimeter flags around camp . The camp is on a glacier that moves 15 metres per year , so dangerous crevasses up to 80m deep form , and you will never be found again if you fall into one of those ! In really bad weather they even put a rope around the whole campsite , to stop people wandering off in the wrong direction in white-out conditions .”
“ The other really noticeable thing there is the focus on proper sanitation , because everything , including all waste , is shipped back to Chile on a weekly basis . So hygiene is high priority , with sanitiser bottles on every counter , and we were encouraged to use them regularly . Also , before getting on the plane in Chile , we had to step into a bucket with pink liquid to disinfect our shoes . It ’ s just part of a world-wide effort to keep Antarctica clean .”
Feeling the Freeze
After the meal that first night , Mo says the runners were given a breakdown of the race route and water stations . “ We would be doing four laps of 10.5km , on a snow-ploughed loop , and the race would start at noon the next day , but they suggested we do a test run at 9pm that first night , to test our gear . “ I think this was brilliant , as we had hired jackets , snow boots , etc for wearing in camp , but you have no idea how cold it actually is until you put on your racing kit tights . The slower athletes can walk the whole way with thick gear on , but the more competitive runners head out in much thinner gear , so the key factor is to realise how cold it will be and prepare properly .”
“ That test run was a real eye-opener . About a mile out of the camp , they stopped us all to take pics of us , one by one , so we had to wait our turn , and in spite of wearing serious gloves , I almost lost the feeling in one of my hands . It was just that cold ! I also realised the ploughed lap was not too slippery , but it felt like lowtide sand on a beach – it was soft , giving a bit , but not quite as soft as beach sand .”
And unsurprisingly , given Mo ’ s competitive running background , he was also checking out the competition . “ Having been with the group for a day or two , I had figured out who were racing snakes chasing the win , versus the guys just going for a finish as part of their Seven Continents challenge . I had originally thought of this race as just a fun expedition , and a trip for experience , but as the race approached , my heart rate picked up , and in the last couple of
Relaxing in the mess tent before the race
hours before the start , I was already getting my mind into racing mode .”
There was one last thing Mo really wanted to do before the race , however . “ They had advised us we didn ’ t need to take any money to Antarctica , and there would be no cell reception whatsoever , so we could leave our valuables in the safe in Chile , but I just took my phone with to take pics . When we got there , they had a satellite phone which you could purchase air time on , and my tent mate had a sat phone as well . Race day was 13 December , my youngest daughter ’ s birthday , so that morning my tent mate very kindly offered me the use of his sat phone to call home to wish her . That was really special .”
Freezing Conditions , Hot Racing
When the race started , some of the runners went out really hard , and Mo was surprised to find himself sitting back in eighth position after the first few kays . “ I realised then it was going to be quite some race ,” he says . Having caught the early frontrunners after the first lap , he decided to test the field to see what
Top three men , including Mo , on lap two Mo with William Hafferty on lap three
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