Hardy runners brave freezing temperatures for Antarctic ice marathon

Sixty-one hardy long-distance runners completed the Antarctic Ice Marathon in freezing and snowy conditions on December 14, according to race organizers.

Ireland’s Sean Tobin won the race, setting a new record time of 2:53:33, organizers said.

Becca Pizzi, from the United States, won the women’s race in 4:24.15.

“I had to go deep inside myself, it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” Tobin said.

Race organizers said Tobin overcame a mid-race fall, as runners struggled with difficult underfoot conditions and temperatures of -14 degrees Celsius (6.8 F).

The event, which is now in its 17th year, kicked off at Union Glacier, around 1000 km (621 miles) from the South Pole.

Credit: Kenneth Browne/Apollo Film Co via Storyful