Event Overview
| Date | Nov 8-9, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Location | Ultima Basecamp, Queen Maud Land, Antarctica |
| Format | Fixed-Distance, 24-Hour |
| Terrain | Mixed |
| Region | Antarctica |
| Distance / duration | 100 mi, 100 km, 50 mi and 50 km; 24 hr solo and team relay |
| Course model | Out-and-back |
| Edition note | The third edition. Runbuk’s provisional schedule has a mandatory briefing and gear check in Cape Town on November 5, the flight to Ultima Basecamp on November 7, the race on November 8 and the flight back to Cape Town on November 12. Every flight depends on the weather, and the organizer advises keeping at least two weeks free after the planned return. The 2026 entry fee is USD 19,500 (USD 18,500 per person for a team), paid in full at registration, and places are limited by aircraft capacity. The 2026 competitor list showed 31 names on October 20, 2026. The start time has not been published; the end date here allows for the 24-hour limit running into November 9. |
| Cutoff | 24 hours. The FAQ calls it a generous 24-hour cutoff, and the registration rules say a 24-hour limit may apply to every category. |
| Field size | Places are limited by aircraft capacity and given out first come, first served. The 2026 competitor list had 31 names on October 20, 2026. In 2025 the results list one 100-mile finisher, three 100 km finishers and two 50-mile finishers. |
| Highlights | Fly-In From Cape Town, 100 Miles on Snow in 24 Hours |
Antarctic Ice Ultra 2026 schedule
Runbuk’s provisional 2026 schedule. All flights depend on weather, aircraft serviceability and local conditions.
| Date | Plan |
|---|---|
| Thu, Nov 5 | Mandatory briefing and gear check in Cape Town |
| Fri, Nov 6 | Free day in Cape Town |
| Sat, Nov 7 | Flight to Ultima Basecamp |
| Sun, Nov 8 | Antarctic Ice Ultra and 24-hour race |
| Mon, Nov 9 | Antarctic Golf Championship |
| Tue, Nov 10 | Expedition day: ice tunnel and ice wall |
| Wed, Nov 11 | Optional trip to the emperor penguin colony |
| Thu, Nov 12 | Flight back to Cape Town |
The FAQ describes the IL-76 flight from Cape Town as five hours, while the travel page says six. The 2027 edition is scheduled for November 11 to 15, 2027, with the race on November 12.
Sources: Official 2026 schedule and prices; Official 2027 schedule and prices; Official getting to Antarctica page.
Antarctic Ice Ultra winners by distance
Winners of the ultra distances at the first two editions, from Runbuk’s official results. Where men and women both finished, both winners are listed.
| Year | 100 miles | 100 km | 50 miles | 50 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Yusheng Ni (CHN), 22:40:47 | Rainer Predl (AUT), 9:55:44 | Jasper Weeteling (NED), 13:46:50; Min Chen (CHN), 14:51:44 | Gretchen Swarr (USA), 6:56:31; Sean McKaveney (USA), 7:55:15 |
| 2024 | Paul Johnson and Roberto Sembiante (USA), 23:22:57 | Yusheng Ni (CHN), 10:42:03 | Marcin Aslanowicz (POL), 10:11:05 | No finishers listed |
No woman has finished the 100 km or 100 miles. Runbuk’s records page says the 22:40:47 was achieved “jointly”, but the 2025 results list Ni as the only 100-mile finisher.
Sources: Official 2025 results; Official 2024 results.
Antarctic Ice Ultra and Antarctic Ice Marathon compared
Runbuk runs two separate races on the Antarctic continent each season. This table shows how the 2026 editions differ.
| Event | 2026 race day | Camp | Flights from | Distances | 2026 entry fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antarctic Ice Ultra | November 8 | Ultima Basecamp, Queen Maud Land (about 70°S) | Cape Town, South Africa | 50 km to 100 miles, 24-hour solo and relay, plus half and full marathon | USD 19,500 |
| Antarctic Ice Marathon | December 13 | Union Glacier, at the foot of the Ellsworth Mountains (80°S) | Punta Arenas, Chile | Marathon and half marathon | USD 22,500 |
The Antarctic Ice Marathon’s 2026 race is its 21st edition. Its FAQ says the marathon normally runs four laps of a 10.55 km loop near the Union Glacier camp.
Sources: Official Antarctic Ice Ultra FAQ; Official Antarctic Ice Marathon site; Official Antarctic Ice Marathon 2026 schedule and prices; Official Antarctic Ice Marathon FAQ.
Course & Terrain
Laps of a 4.2 km out-and-back course on snow beside Ultima Basecamp, marked with flags. Solo runners choose 50 km, 81 km (50 miles), 100 km or 100 miles, or run for 24 hours; teams can enter a 24-hour relay, and a half marathon and marathon are also offered. All categories have male and female divisions.
Key course features to know before comparing this race:
- Ultima Basecamp and its blue-ice runway
- Schirmacher Oasis on the Princess Astrid Coast of Queen Maud Land
- Ice tunnel and ice wall trips, with an optional emperor penguin colony visit
Mostly compressed snow that gives a fairly firm surface, with some soft, loose snow and patches of bare ice. The organizer recommends trail shoes with nanospikes.
The FAQ gives typical temperatures at Ultima Basecamp of −10°C to −25°C (14°F to −13°F) at this time of year. AIMS reported that the 2025 race started near −15°C and fell to −32°C.
Entry & Logistics
| Registration and fees | Check the official event website for current availability, deadlines, prices, taxes, and refund terms. |
|---|---|
| Qualification | No qualifying race. The FAQ says runners with little marathon experience can finish if they train properly and can run or walk the distance comfortably, and that cold-weather experience is preferable but not required. Clothing is checked in Cape Town before the flight to Antarctica. |
| Support model | Aid stations on the course (the FAQ says one every 5 km) serve water, electrolyte drinks and snacks, and a large heated tent is open during the race. Runners sleep in heated communal modules at the camp and eat in a separate dining tent. Showers are available after the race. |
| Logistics note | Book your own flights to Cape Town and your own hotel there. The entry fee covers the Cape Town briefing, airport transfers for the Antarctic flight, the round trip to Ultima Basecamp on an Ilyushin IL-76 that lands on a blue-ice runway beside the camp, meals and lodging in Antarctica, 23 kg of baggage, race souvenirs and photos. It does not cover commercial flights, Cape Town hotels, costs from delays, insurance or satellite phone use. There is no mobile signal at the camp, but Runbuk provides an internet connection. |
Why This Race Matters
Runbuk, which also organizes the Antarctic Ice Marathon and the World Marathon Challenge, started the Antarctic Ice Ultra in 2024 as its Antarctica ultramarathon. The race is based at Ultima Basecamp in Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica, not at the marathon’s Union Glacier camp, and it is where the Antarctic 100-mile record has been set. Paul Johnson and Roberto Sembiante of the USA ran 23:22:57 together at the first edition in 2024, and Yusheng Ni of China lowered the record to 22:40:47 in 2025, which AIMS also reported as a new continental record. The women’s 100-mile record is still vacant. A finish counts for Runbuk’s 7 Continents Marathon Club, which accepts a marathon or an ultra in Antarctica.
Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):
- 100 miles: Yusheng Ni (China), 22:40:47, 2025, listed by Runbuk and AIMS as the Antarctic continental record.
- Previous 100-mile record: Paul Johnson and Roberto Sembiante (USA), 23:22:57, 2024.
- Women’s 100 miles, 24-hour solo and 24-hour relay: vacant.
- 50 miles: Marcin Aslanowicz (Poland), 10:11:05, 2024; women Min Chen (China), 14:51:44, 2025.
- 100 km: the fastest at the Ice Ultra is Rainer Predl’s 9:55:44 (Austria, 2025). Runbuk’s Antarctic 100 km record is Yusheng Ni’s 9:20:28 from the 2024 Antarctic Ice Marathon & 100k.
Preparing for a Race Like Antarctic Ice Ultra
The fixed-distance race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:
- Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
- Crew and aid-station strategy: Crew tables, aid stops, drop bags and runner preferences.
- Hydration and sodium for ultramarathons: Fluid, sodium, thirst, sweat rate and hyponatremia risk.
- Tapering for ultramarathons: Plan the taper and race week around your own recovery.
Best Fit
- Runners finishing a marathon or ultra on their seventh continent
- 100-mile runners chasing an Antarctic record, including the vacant women’s mark
- Teams who want to share a 24-hour relay
Planning Notes
- Start conservatively and use flexible process checkpoints for effort, walking, food, fluid, alertness, and symptoms instead of forcing one hourly distance target.
- The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.
- Flights depend on weather, and delays of several days can happen
- Cold injury: keep skin covered and watch for signs of frostbite
- Cost: USD 19,500 before travel to Cape Town
- Small fields, so many distances have only a handful of finishers
Event FAQs
When is the 2026 Antarctic Ice Ultra?
The race is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Ultima Basecamp in Queen Maud Land. The trip runs from a mandatory briefing in Cape Town on November 5 to the flight back on November 12, and all flights depend on the weather. The 2027 race is scheduled for November 12, 2027.
Is the Antarctic Ice Ultra the same as the Antarctic Ice Marathon?
No. Runbuk organizes both, but they are separate trips. The Antarctic Ice Ultra is on November 8, 2026, at Ultima Basecamp in Queen Maud Land, with flights from Cape Town, and offers 50 km to 100 miles, a 24-hour race and a relay, plus a half and full marathon. The Antarctic Ice Marathon is on December 13, 2026, at Union Glacier near the Ellsworth Mountains, with flights from Punta Arenas, Chile, and its 2026 schedule lists the marathon and half marathon only. If you are looking for an Antarctica marathon at 80°S, that is the Ice Marathon.
How much does the Antarctic Ice Ultra cost?
USD 19,500 for 2026, or USD 18,500 per person for a team, paid in full at registration. The fee includes the Cape Town briefing, the round-trip flight to Antarctica, meals and lodging at the camp, and race entry. Flights to Cape Town, hotels there, insurance and any costs from delays are extra. For 2027 the fee is USD 19,800 paid in full or USD 21,000 in installments.
What is the Antarctica 100-mile record?
22:40:47, run by Yusheng Ni of China at the 2025 Antarctic Ice Ultra. It beat the 23:22:57 that Paul Johnson and Roberto Sembiante of the USA ran together at the first edition in 2024. The women’s 100-mile record is vacant, and the 2026 competitor list includes Canada’s Stephanie Case, whose race bio says she plans to attempt the overall record.
How do runners get to the race?
Everyone meets in Cape Town, South Africa, for a mandatory briefing and gear check. From there an Ilyushin IL-76 flies to a blue-ice runway beside Ultima Basecamp in Queen Maud Land, a flight of five to six hours. Runners book their own flights to Cape Town, and the organizer warns that delays of days are normal for Antarctic flights.
What is the course like?
Runners do laps of a 4.2 km out-and-back course next to the camp, marked with flags. The surface is mostly compressed snow, with some soft snow and bare ice, and the organizer recommends trail shoes with nanospikes. Aid stations serve water, electrolyte drinks and snacks, and there is a heated tent. Typical temperatures are −10°C to −25°C.
Related Preparation
- Browse the curated 24-hour race calendar
- Compare this race in the full 2026 calendar
- Browse the 24-hour race calendar
- Open the Fixed-Distance format guide
- Compare all race formats
- Use the timed-race pace calculator
- Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
- Build a crew and drop-bag plan
- Build a race-specific gear checklist
Verification & Sources
Verification scope: the listed edition's date, location, format, and available logistics were checked against the event-specific official sources below during the directory review dated October 20, 2026. Organizers can revise details after review.
- Official Antarctic Ice Ultra site — https://www.iceultra.com/
- Official event overview and Antarctic ultra records — https://www.iceultra.com/event
- Official 2026 schedule and prices — https://www.iceultra.com/schedule-and-prices
- Official FAQ — https://www.iceultra.com/faq
- Official getting to Antarctica page — https://www.iceultra.com/getting-to-antarctica
- Official registration page with race categories and rules — https://www.iceultra.com/registration
- Official 2026 competitors and results — https://www.iceultra.com/years/2026
- Official 2025 results — https://www.iceultra.com/years/2025
- Official 2024 results — https://www.iceultra.com/years/2024
- AIMS: new Antarctica 100-mile record (2025) — https://aims-worldrunning.org/articles/2884-new-antarctica-100-mile-record.html
- Antarctic Ice Marathon FAQ (separate Runbuk event) — https://www.icemarathon.com/faq
- Multiday Running event directory review scope: October 20, 2026.