Simon

Abrahams

great britain

A professional mountain guide based in Chamonix, France who spends several months a year in Antarctica. Simon completed the 2011 Antarctic Ice Marathon and will take part in the 100km event in 2012. See www.simonabrahams.com/

James

Alderson

australia

Completed the 2012 North Pole Marathon before making a marriage proposal at the finish line. James will concentrate on the 100km event in the Antarctic while new wife Demelza will enjoy the honeymoon by running the marathon. Following considerable thought, James strategy will be start slow...and then get slower.

Marcelo Rodrigo

Alves

brazil

Started running only two years with the goal of moving from a sedentary lifestyle to completeing one of the toughest marathons in the world, the Antarctic Ice Marathon. During the intervening period, Marcelo has run three half-marathons and one marathon. Marcelo hopes that he can be a positive example to others by finishing the race. He will promote the movement 'Stroger Brazil - Become a Bone Marrow Donor.

Amanda

Barlow

australia

Completing the Antarctic Ice Marathon will fulfill a goal of running a marathon on all seven continents. Amanda's first marathon was London Marathon in 2009 when she was 49 years old. She has subsequently completed the Gold Coast Marathon in her hometown in Australia, the Barcelona Marathon in Spain, the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC, the Mt Kilimanjaro Marathon in Africa, The Great Wall Marathon in China, and the Inca Trail Marathon in Peru. She has also run the the Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne Marathons in Australia. Amanda When works as a Wellsite Geologist on offshore oil rigs where her training is confined to a treadmill or running round in circles on the helideck. She is raising funds for the Australian Heart Foundation. See www.everydayhero.com.au/amanda_barlow.

Steve

Birnie

great britain

A 2:40 marathon runner many years ago who recently found the enthusiasm to run them again after a 15 year break. Rather than never managing to achieve the times he ran when he was younger and fitter, Steve has set the more realistic challenge of completing 7 marathons on all 7 continents in 2012 - with the Antarctic Ice Marathon race being the final one.

Tibi

Bodea

romania

united states

Started running in 2009: After inadvertently running a half-marathon distance on a motel treadmill when watching the news and lengthy commercials, he decided to attempt full distance marathons races. Tibi has since completed 5 marathons on 3 different continents and hopes to be able to eventually run a marathon race on each of the 7 continents. He is dedicating his 2012 Antarctic Ice Marathon to the children, young adults and families of those with autism and special needs, whom he has the privilege of serving as a physician in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Frank

Bollnow

germany

Completed 60 marathons and 2 ultramarathons across six continents to date. Frank recently finshed the Regensburg Ironman Triathlon in native Germany in 2012 and has completed Germany’s oldest long distance swimming events 15 times. He also successfully cycled the VÄTTERNRUNDAN 2010 in Sweden (300 km around lake Vättern) and FICHKONA 2012 in Germany (601km in 24 hours) and has climbed Mr. Killimanjaro. After completing the seven continents by running the Antarctic Ice Marathon, Frank intends to join the Marathon Grand Slam Club by running the 2013 North Pole Marathon in April.

Lenneke

Bood

netherlands

A half-marathon participant in Antarctica, who previously finished the New York Marthon in 2008. Lenneke ran New York in 4:16hrs within months of giving birth to her first son. She is married to marathon participant Jan-Pieter and works as head of the strategic advice department for Bouman GGZ, a large health care institute in the Rotterdam area (The Netherlands) that focuses on the treatment of addicts. Lenneke (34) was born in Woerden but has lived in Rotterdam ever since she started studying there.

Jan-Pieter

Bood

netherlands

A 37-year-old making his debut at ‘extreme’ marathon running. Jan-Pieter has previously finished New York (2008) and Berlin (2010), promising himself each time it would be his last marathon. He works as CPA and tax advisor at Ruitenburg Accountants & Advisors for small and midsized companies. Fellow participant Rob van Pelt is one of his colleagues. Born and raised in the Rotterdam area, Jan-Pieter is the father of 2 young sons and is married to half-marathon participant Lenneke.

Harry

Botha

south africa

A 71-year-old who only started running seriously following his retirement at the age of 65. Prior to retiring, Harry had never run further than 15km. However, he ran his first marathon in Berlin in 2008, followed by running the ‘World Marathon Majors’ over a two-year period, i.e. the Berlin, London, New York, Boston and Chicago Marathons. In October 2011, Harry set a marathon PB of 4:53:12 in Venice before deciding to turn his attention to running marathons on different continents. He successfully completed the Great Wall Marathon in China in April 2012 despite the fact one-quarter of the race field did not reach the cut-off time. He also achieved the non-running feat of climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in July 2012. The Antarctic Ice Marathon will be another marathon milestone in Harry’s amazing quest to completing marathons on all seven continents. He says that running has made his retirement a pleasure by meeting wonderful people in different countries around the world. He thanks his wife for her support and understanding and he regrets the worry caused to her while away training in the early hours of the morning or while travelling to distant shores.

Carl

Byington

united states

An outdoor enthusiast by nature who participates in a wide range of mountain climbing, trekking, and water sport activities as well as running. Carl started his marathon runnng career in 2002 with the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C, but his running almost came to a permanent end when he suffered from a near fatal rock climbing fall in September 2003. The accident left him unable to walk for over 8 months, but after a couple of years of rehabilition and learning to run after his recovery, Carl ran his first long distance again in November 2006 when he followed the steps of Pheidippides in the Athens Greece Marathon. Since 2006, he has completed numerous mountain climbs, trail races, multi-day solo hikes, and additional marathons in Chile, Malaysia, and Australia. The Antarctic Ice Marathon will be Carl's sixth continent and he will be travelling to Antarctica with one of his best friends for the past 20 years, Nick. He plans to finish his 7th continent in Kenya, where he also hopes to be not the last one to finish:) Consistent with his mountain climbing heart, Carl intends to climb Kilimanjaro the week before he runs the Safaricom Marathon.

Anna

Chernova

great britain

Completed the Swiss Alpine high altitude run in both 2011 and 2012. Anna first got the idea of running in mountains and other non-trivial conditions after helping scientists in "the bush" in Madagascar to keep fit for their demanding field work. She is a Quantitative Analyst with Google and was educated in both Physics and Biology at the universities of St Petersburg and Oxford, respectively.

Howard

Choi

united states

A member of New York Flyers running club who has run distances from the marathon to 100 miles. Howard's goal is to run marathons/ultras in 50 states and 7 continents, with 22 states finished so far. He hopes to run both the marathon and 100km in Antarctica. Hs marathon PR is 3:39:29 and he completed the New Jersey Ultra 100 miles this year. Howard also enjoys biking and hiking.

Janet

Cody

united states

Completed marathons on 5 continents so far, incorporating the Great Wall Marathon of China, Greece, Kenya, Argentina and many other marathons in North America. A 49-year-old CPA Janet has been marathoning for about a decade and intend to complete marathons on all 7 continents. Her best time is 3:38, "which is nothing to brag about", but she is focused on having a good time. She has enjoyed her travels and meeting lots of great people and is looking forward to meeting some adventurous types on the Antarctic Ice Marathon trip.

Mark

Cooper

australia

A life-long runner who stepped up to running marathon distances over the last 5 years. Mark has enjoyed marathons in many diverse locations. Born in Scotland, he lived in Australia and now lives and work from the USA. He enjoys running moments for what they are and for the friendships he makes. Each marathon has been different and offered a new learning opportunity. Mark has flown over Antarctica and the Arctic Circle but has never set foot on either of the Polar territories. It is his ambition to run a few marathons on every continent as another way to see different views of the World.

Adam

Coyne

ireland

Making his marathon debut in Antarctica. Adam works as a financial trader spending lots of time behind a computer screen, so he is very happy to be doing something active in the outdoors for a change. Along with his friend Jarlath Healy, he is raising funds for the irish charity “1life Suicide Helpline”.

Karen

Curtis

australia

Super excited about the Ice Marathon being her first official stand-alone marathon event. For many people, the Ice Marathon is the 'icing' on the cake at the end of their 7 marathons on 7 continents journey, but Karen is doing things differently. Although she has completed a marathon distance once before as part of an Ironman distance triathlon, she is realtive 'newbie' to running. Karen has both Australian and Irish citizenship and was born and grew up in Zimbabwe, but currently lives in the USA. She is looking forward to completing the event with her good friend Jason. As a Southern California resident, she is also looking forward to experiencing the cold.

Marc

De Keyser

belgium

A marathoner and Antarctic enthusiast who works as a weather forecaster at Union Glacier for the 'summer' seasons from November - January. Following on his success in winning the 2007 Antarctic Ice Marathon, Marc won the 2008 Antarctic 100k and subsequently finished second in both the 2009 and 2010 marathon events. In 2011, he also finished runner-up in the 100km race, the distance he will run again in 2012. Marc ran his first marathon in 1993, the Marathon of the Golden Spurs, in native Belgium. He has since run more than 50 others. Marc has also spent two summer seasons in Rothera, the Research Base of the British Antarctic Survey on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Matt

Dean

australia

Currently on a journey to complete marathons on all 7 continents. Matt has so far completed the Great Wall Marathon 2010, New York Marathon 2011, Athens Marathon 2011 and the Rio Marathon 2012. He is raising awareness for organ & tissue donors in Australia through the Zaidee Rainbow Foundation. His journey can be followed on www.7marathonson7continents.com.au. Matt has also trekked through the Andes in Peru, completed the grueling Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea and trekked to Mt Everest Base Camp in Nepal. He is a director of a commercial landscape company in Melbourne, Australia.

Timothy

Durbin

united states

Decided to challenge himself with the Ice Marathon after having a goal to visit the Last Continent. The decision to run the Ice Marathon was inspired by Tim's Great Uncle who ran marathons and half-marathons into his mid-70s but never made it to the Antarctic to run. It will be his second marathon, having already run the Austin Marathon with some friends. After Antarctica, Tim will be lucky enough to have some time soul searching on Easter Island trying to think of what's is next, possibly a marathon on every continent.

Demelza

Farr

australia

The 2012 North Pole Marathon winner. After a lifetime of loving the outdoors and seeking adventures all over the world, Demelza only discovered endurance running in the last 4 years. She has completed several of the Oxfam 100km trail walkers, but nothing was quite as intense and spectacular as her North Pole Marathon experience in April. "The event really was life changing" and she is now looking forward to seeing how the South compares,as a married woman! (her new husband James, also competing in Antarctica, proposed to her at the finish of the North Pole Marathon in April).

Cees

Hardeman

netherlands

A 57-year-old financial consultant running his 20th marathon since his first one in 2008. After an unforgettable experience for Cees at the North Pole Marathon in April, the Ice Marathon holds the promise of being another highlight in his life.

Jarlath

Healy

ireland

Making his marathon debut in Antarctica. Jarlath has run a few races up to half-marathon distance as well as undertaking various treks in South America. Along with fellow particpant Adam Coyne from Galway, Jarlath is raising funds for 1Life Suicide Helpline.

Karl

Hinett

great britain

A 25-year-old Ex Armed Forces who was injured in Basra, Iraq in 2005. Karl is running 100 official marathons worldwide between 2011-2012 around climbing Mont Blanc (4807 metres - already successful), Manaslu (8156 metres - already successful) & Mt. Everest (8848 meters - (unsuccessful due to weather). Karl also ran with the Olympic and Paralympic Flame in 2012.

Walter

Jahries

united states

A 49-year-old who has run 15 marathons with a PB of just under 2:58. Walter is getting back into running after a 8 year hiatus. He works as a carpenter for the Antarctic logistics company ALE, based in Utah, USA. He will be flying to Antarctica to erect the "Operation Center" (Opts) that he also built here in Salt Lake City this past summer. During the winter months, Walt volunteers on weekends at a local ski area as a ski patroller.

Michel

Jodoin

canada

An outdoor enthusiast who has trekked extensively in South America, Africa and Russia, climbing the Aconcagua, Kilimandjaro and the Elbrus. Michel discovered running only a few years ago and ran his first marathon in 2007 for his 50th birthday. Since then, he has run numerous marathons and ultramarathons in Canada and the USA as well as running the Marathon des Sables twice (2009 and 2010). Michel has also participated in the Namib Desert challenge (2011) as well as in Greenland. To maximize his experience in Antarctica, he intends to run both marathon and 100km.

Julen Urdaibai

Kalzada

spain

A 38-year old who lives in Bermeo (a small town in the Basque Country). Julen has been engaged in sport throughout his life, first as a basketball player and then as a mountain biker and trail runner.. A sports teacher in college, Julen is running both the marathon and 100km (total distance = 143km) as a tribute to the 143 sailors who perished in the gale of 1912 in Bermeo, 100 years ago. He has extensive ultra running experience, running the Marathon des Sables, TransAlpine Run and Jungle Marathon as well as various ultra trail runs in the Basque country and Madrid.

John

Killingworth

great britain

Completed five marathons to date, including Berlin, New York and London (three times). John has been raising money and awareness for breast cancer care since 2008. In March 2011, he set up a campaign called ‘80 Degrees South’ (see www.80degreessouth.co.uk), which has been a massive success raising £54000 to date. His motivation stemmed from the tragic death of his mother from breast cancer at a young age. John is running in memory of his mother, Bernadette Killingworth.

Nasos

Ktorides

cyprus

Completed various marathons including Athens and Boston and last Aprill the North Pole Marathon. Nasos was recently named Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF. His love of the marathon ideal urged Nasos, through the Athanasios Ktorides Foundation, to organise the first Nicosia Marathon in 2010. He is a solid exponent of the belief, "if you can dream it then you can achieve it". Nasos founded the Commercial Bank of Greece in Cyprus and served for seven years in the position of Executive Vice- Chairman. He is now involved in electricity generation with five power plants of installed capacity 1422 MW connected to the Pan-European electric network. His business philosophy derives from the values of honesty, integrity, altruism, a systematic approach to work and, above all, from highlighting the positive, be this related to his colleagues or projects on which he works. In 2008 he formalised his longstanding altruistic activities with the establishment of a not-for-profit, philanthropic fund, the Athanasios Ktorides Foundation. A recent significant funding project of the Foundation is the building of the “Heroes Photovoltaic Park”, the largest in Cyprus, with 10 MW of power on the land of the University of Cyprus.

Nick

Lagen

united states

The Ice Marathon will be the conclusion of a decade-long quest to run a marathon on each of the seven continents. Nick will be taking part with his college mate, Carl, who is on a similar quest. Nick is also running to raise money for the cancer society. Donations are welcome (http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/DetermiNation/DNFY11National?px=26423802&pg=personal&fr_id=43140).

Gloria

Lau

singapore

Joining the Seven Continents Marathon Club by completing the Antarctic Ice Marathon. Gloria has already run the Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, Perth, Great Wall of China, New York and Big Five marathons and is running for a charity called Room to Read. See http://www.justgiving.com/Gloria-Lau2/?utm_source=Sharethis.

Wendelin

Lauxen

germany

Attempting a Guinness World Record for the fastest time to complete an official marathon race on all seven continents in under 25 days. Only two of Wendelin’s marathons are road events, with all the others being trail marathon races. The Antarctic Ice Marathon will be the final in his series of seven races. His seven continents project is also motivated by another goal to “help children back on their feet”, a charity activity in cooperation with PCRF (Palestine Children`s Relief Fund) and The Little Wings Foundation. Wendelin is dedicating his GWR to his family and friends, the children in need and the Chairperson of Dubai HealthCare City Authority Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and the DHCC Community.

Luis Alonso

Marcos

spain

A mountain runner and cyclist whose objective is to complete the Antarctic Ice Marathon to the best of his ability. Luis ran the Sahara Marathon in Feburary and after experiencing the heat and sand of the desert he encountered the cold and ice of the North Pole Marathon in April, where he finished in second place. He wants to achieve the goal of completing a marathon on all seven continents and the North Pole to join the Marathon Grand Slam Club. Following the North Pole Marathon, Luis won the Great Wall Marathon and also ran the TP80km, the Canyons Ultramarathon in Mexico and the K 42 in Chile. In January 2013, he will run in Oceania to complete all 7 continents and the North Pole.

Erik

Matsun

united states

First time marathon participant. Erik is a formally train sculptor, working with such materials as wood, steel, bronze, iron. His work also includes community based art projects as well as teaching art. He currently works part time as an artist and full time as a carpenter/designer for ALE, the Antarctic logistics company. Erik is also an avid traveller, rock climber and skier, primarily climbing and skiing in Utah where he lives.

Nancy

Moundalexis

united states

A very experienced polar guide. Nancy hails from King George, Virginia. Her love for nature and adventure grew out of her time at a science-based Nature Camp where she was a camper and counsellor. After graduating from The College of William and Mary with a degree in Environmental Geology, Nancy served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, West Africa, working with sustainable agriculture and forestry for two years in a little village named Aledjo Kadara. She worked as a winemaker near her hometown for two years at Ingleside Winery and then found her way to Minnesota where she instructed canoeing and dogsledding for Outward Bound courses. Nancy is wrking for ALE, the Antarctic logistics company.

Andrew

Murray

great britain

The reigning North Pole Marathon winner who will complete a marathon or ultra on each of the 7 continents when he finishes the 2012 Antarctic Ice Marathon. Andrew rates the North Pole Marathon as the best on the calendar and decided to test himself in Antarctica. He previously ran 2660 miles in 77 days from the top of Scotland to the Sahara Desert, and will run 7 ultra marathons on 7 continents on consecutive days on the way home. He is doing these continental runs to raise awareness of the health benefits of exercise. Check out www.docandrewmurray.com for more details.

Grant

Nethercott

great britain

An award winning head chef and owner of the Alba Restaurant. Grant has returned to running after a break of 28 years since he left the Ajax Running Club in Dublin. He recently completed his first half marathon in London and will be running the half-marathon in Antarctica for the Aziza Foundation in Cambodia and for Sister Anne's AIDs Hospice in Uganda. Grant is a brother of fellow participant Craig Nethercott.

Craig

Nethercott

ireland

A lawyer based in Dubai and London. Craig will be running the half-marathon in Antarctica for the Aziza Foundation in Cambodia and for Sister Anne's AIDs Hospice in Uganda. Craig is working to complete a goal of running on seven continents and has only Africa and Australia remaining (if) he finishes Antarctica. Craig is a brother of fellow participant Grant Nethercott.

Hirofumi

Ono

japan

A recent convert to running, who has completed two stage races of 250km in the Egyptian Sahara Desert and the Gobi Desert. Hirofumi also ran the Ultra-Trail Mt.Fuji 100 miles and came fourth in the 2012 North Pole Marathon…wearing a Ninja costume. He works as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist in Japan and China.

GiGi van

Ostrand

united states

Running her seventh continent in Antarctica. GiGi started running thirteen years ago and has since completed marathons in many diverse locations such as Boston, Everest, Machu Picchu, London, Paris, Rotorua (NZ) and Morocco. She has worked in the outdoors all her life and is now a regulatory veterinarian for harness racing in Canada.

Rob van

Pelt

netherlands

Running his first marathon in Antarctica. Rob began training for the Antarctic Ice Marathon immediately after hearing enthusiastic stories about the 2012 North Pole Marathon. He will be accompanied to Antarctica by three good friends. A tax advisor and accountant, Rob is also a dedicated yachtsman.

Michel

Robitaille

canada

Completed 46 marathons to date. Michel, an engineer born in Quebec City, ran his first marathon at the age of 19 and has since run the 42.195km distance in Canada, the USA, Costa Rica, the Jungle Man Marathon and the North Pole Marathon. He intends to become a member of the Marathon Grand Slam Club by running a marathon in all seven continents and the North Pole. Michel also likes trek, and did the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in October 2011 and plans to climb Kilimanjaro in January 2014.

Aaad

Ruijgrok

netherlands

Aad’s longest run to date has been 35km and he holds a half-marathon pb of 1:35.

Rodney

Sargeant

australia

An Australian living in Hong Kong, the Ice Marathon will be his 10th marathon. Rodney is hoping to complete all 7 continents by 2014, having already run marathons in varied locations including London, Berlin, New York, Beijing, and Singapore. He is also a keen half marathon runner and ocean swimmer. The Ice Marathon will be his second trip to Antarctica.

Jason

Schneider

united states

A full-time endurance sports coach with his own training and coaching company. Jason has been running marathon / half-marathons for the past 25 years, triathlon and Ironman distances for 10 years and completed his first ultra-marathon (50miles) this past year. He has been raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma society for 8 years through Team in Training and has been coaching the TNT Ironteam and Cycle team for the past 2 years, helping hundreds of athletes to reach their goals.

Shirley

Thompson

ireland

54-year-old, Irish born, now living in France. Shirley took up running in her 40s and was hooked. She has since finished numerous marathons and ultra marathons in urban, desert, mountain and jungles environments, but her one nemesis remains the cold. Tremulous and excited to attampt the Ice Marathon, Shirley hase followed the race since its inception and it has been a lifelong dream of hers to visit Antarctica. She hope to run both the marathon and the 100km. Shirely’s "day" job is organising jungle marathons (Brazil and Vietnam).

Shona

Thompson

great britain

Completed off road events such as the Three Peaks Challenge, the Caledonian Challenge and the Jurassic Coast Challenge. Shona has also climbed Kilimanjaro and loves all sorts of endurance events. In terms of marathon road races, she has run the New York City marathon, London marathon and the Comrades marathon in South Africa. She loves the outdoors, travelling, and finds physical events the perfect antidote to the office. Born and raised in Scotland, she is familiar with brutal weather and is really looking forward to the Antarctic trip.

John

Topacio

united states

Competed in triathlon distances from sprint all the way up to being a 2009 Ironman Wisconsin finisher. Unfortunately, medical issues, coupled with the hectic work and travel schedule that comes with being a freelance advertising copywriter, forced John to change his endurance focus to marathons. To date, he is a two-time Chicago Marathon finisher and hopes to one day become a member of the Seven Continents Marathon Club.

Pascal

Vinarnic

great britain

france

Completing a marathon on all seven continents with the 2012 Antarctic Ice Marathon. Pascal has already completed the Auckland, Tokyo, Comrades, Boston, Rosario Argentina and Lisbon marathons. He is a fund manager specialized in technology investments as well as the founder of a venture philanthropy foundation providing innovative economic solutions to social issues.

Danielle

Whitney

united states

Half-way through a goal to complete a marathon on all 7 continents. Danielle started her 7 continents adventure in 2008 with her first marathon in London (Europe). It was a challenging experience that was originally intended as a one-off experience. Box ticked. However, inspired by a friend's mum who completed Comrades at 58 (go Maureen!), she agreed to run her second marathon in Greenland (North America) 2010. Unprepared for the complexity of the terrain, she almost quit at the half marathon point due to an IT band injury, but was encouraged by another competitor who said, "sometimes the body quits before the mind is ready": In August 2011, she completed her third marathon in Victoria Falls (Africa). Antarctica will be her fourth marathon, with the remaining three continents/marathons planned for 2013.

Douglas

Wilson

australia

A 30 year Australian male who will complete 7 marathons on 7 continents in Antarctica. Doug ran competitively in cross country during his school years but lost his way during his 20s. However, inspired by his mother, an exceptional ultra runner and triathlete, he decided to run the Great Wall Marathon in China in 2009 and ultimately seven marathons on seven continents. On the way, he has run events as diverse as the Berlin Marathon to the Lake Baikal Ice Marathon in Siberia.

Julianne

Young

australia

Participated in ultra races across the Himalayas, Australia and New Zealand and is especially excited about the physical and mental challenges that the adventure in Antarctica will provide. Julianne loves to run and explore. One of her ongoing goals is to motivate and encourage everyday people to get outside and explore their environment. Julianne intends to run the 100km.

Nick

Zafer

australia

Not his favorite distance, Nick has run them on six continents to date - Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. In April 2012, he also ran the North Pole Marathon on the Arctic Ocean. The Antarctic Ice Marathon will give him his seventh continent and the Grand Slam.