Australian runner Catherine Drysdale made history on Sunday by becoming the first woman to win the Antarctic Ice Marathon outright. Drysdale crossed the finish line on Union Glacier in 3:48:43, beating the entire field of men and women in the race’s 20-year history, talk about girl power!
The Antarctic Ice Marathon is held on a compacted snow and ice course roughly 1,000 kilometres from the South Pole and is widely considered one of the most extreme marathons in the world.
This year’s race took place in temperatures around 17°F (– 8°C), with wind chill bringing conditions closer to -1°F (-18°C). Now, while the temperatures are mind-boggling, what might blow your mind even more is the race entry fee. Race entry costs roughly €24,000 (that’s over $28,000 USD), which obviously limits the field to a small group of well-supported runners willing to take on the cold, isolation, and logistics.
Drysdale finished more than six minutes ahead of Denis Nazarov of Russia, who placed second in 3:54:49, with Belgium’s Rune Buyl third. Poland’s Joanna Drewnicka-Ogrodnik finished fourth overall, meaning women accounted for two of the top four finishers.
“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done,” Drysdale said after the race, “Every time I was suffering, I reminded myself that I was running in Antarctica.”
The course demands constant focus, with uneven snow, icy patches, and frequent wind exposure making rhythm difficult to hold. Times matter less here than managing your footing, and Drysdale managed the conditions better than anyone on the day.
Her win doesn’t challenge the women’s course record, but that was never the point. Winning outright in Antarctica is already pretty rare territory.
https://www.icemarathon.com/years/2025
Results here everyone