Review by Booklist Review
Most people know about the Iditarod, the annual 1,150-mile Alaskan dogsled race. But many probably don't know that there's another spectacular race at the opposite end of the world. The Antarctica Marathon has been around for a decade. It's a full-length marathon held on King George Island, near the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the least hospitable places in which to run 26 miles. Hanc, a sports journalist and veteran marathoner, participated in the Antarctica Marathon, and this book is his story of the event, his fellow participants, and the man who started it all, travel agent and adventurer Tom Gilligan. Books about extreme sporting events are plentiful, but this one, which is about ordinary people doing something extraordinary for no other reason than the sense of accomplishment they'll get when they finish, should easily find an audience even in a crowded field.--Pitt, David Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
What happens when runners tackle a marathon over slush, ice and naked rock on an Antarctic island? Yes, their race times are much slower, but this bizarre exercise has, over the past 10 years, raised concerns far beyond the typical marathoners'. Author and Runner's World contributing editor Hanc (The Essential Marathoner) devotes the sea lion's share of this ice-bound marathon memoir to these concerns, especially in examining the determined, colorful runners competing alongside him (including "bicycle-riding grandmas" and a wheelchair-bound marathoner from Singapore). The 50-year-old writer became interested after speaking with a recently returned friend ("'It feels like I just got back from another planet,' Lipsky said") and soon found himself considering the race in spite of his better sense-improbably, the devoted runner had pushed himself to the point where running 26.2 miles on the streets of New York, Chicago or London was just too cushy. The Antarctic, of course, provides all the challenge he could ever want, and his sharp, fun and funny account captures well the incredible ferocity of life there. Though a special treat for runners, travel readers and non-athletes interested in extreme human experiences will also find this a bracing read. (Jan.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Longtime runner and journalist Hanc (The Essential Marathoner, 1996, etc.) dashes off a history-studded travelogue about his participation in The Last Marathon. That's what the Antarctica Marathon was called back in 1995, when Marathon Tours and Travel owner Tom Gilligan founded the race. The Last Marathon was an appealing hook for runners, who had a natural fetish for conquering exotic terrain. But Antarctica? If the brutal swings in temperature don't sound intimidating, consider being subdued by "the gluey Antarctic mud." Nonetheless, Hanc decided to take the challenge and enter the race on the occasion of its tenth anniversary and his 50th birthday. Only four miles into it, he writes, "I knew. This was really going to suck." Soon, exhausted and driven by raw adrenaline, his mantra became, "Why am I doing this?" He wasn't the only one. Some of the frustrated runners simply "slowed down, took their time, submitted to the mud, and tried to enjoy the bizarreness of the whole thing." The race isn't necessarily about breaking records, and the actual marathon often pales in comparison to the challenge of simply getting there. In 2001, the sea was so violent on the voyage through the Drake Passage that the marathon was canceled. Undaunted, participants ran 422 laps aboard the ship. Weaving together the histories of early Antarctic exploration and modern marathons, Hanc includes sections on the battle over possession of the continent and the noticeable effects of global warming and increased tourism. Interviewing runners present and past, most of them ordinary people facing an extraordinary challenge, Hanc digs for the answer to one key question: "Why anyone would want to run a marathon in what is frequently called the Last Place on Earth?" A good fit for every runner's library. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.