How's this for extreme sports: run a marathon in Antarctica a few hundred miles from the South Pole. In December. Plus, you'll be at an altitude of 3,000 feet and have to brave a windchill of -4 degrees. The 26.2-mile, eight-day Antarctic Ice Marathon is the southernmost marathon on Earth.

Although the December 12 marathon seems like a long ways away, now's the time to register. And you'll need a head-start to save up for the hefty price tag that's just shy of $17,000.

Marathoners will meet at Punta Arenas in Chile, and from there, a jet will bring you to the race site. The round-trip flight as well as the meals and accommodations in Antarctica are all included. But you'll have to bring your own gear to prevent freezing your bootie off.]]> Jennifer Kester 2010-03-31T09:00:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/11/71423/8470

If you’ve got a lengthy layover in Salt Lake City and are looking to make the most of it, you might be interested in the Utah Valley Marathon. Starting bright on early this Saturday, June 13, the race takes places only 50 miles south of the airport and is fairly convenient to several National forests. So after the race you can enjoy even more physical activity.

There’s no cheesy stuff to keep you motivated during this course, just nature at its finest. Runners will be surrounded by mountains on all sides while following canyon roads that run along the Provo River and swing by Utah Lake. For the most part you’ll be headed down hill, so if you’re new to running, this should be a good pick. Also, this race is USATF certified, so a good time can help you qualify for the bigger races, like the Boston Marathon. ]]> kjb 2009-06-11T09:02:09-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/5/15/7854/70880

If you often reminisce about the early 1990s and how much fun you had racing around orange cones with your Rollerblades, then you might want to head to Minnesota. After all, the state pretty much created the inline skating craze thanks to all those depressed ice hockey fans sitting around all summer (thanks Wikipedia).

Beginning bright and early on June 13, avid inline skaters will grease their bearings and warm up for the Baxter Inline Marathon. The race has attracted skaters from all over the US and Canada since 2001, and it just keeps on going. Apparently they’re all in search of the Scary Man Trophy—some kind of wooden tiki-trophy gone wild that features a grass skirt and a mean face. ]]> kjb 2009-05-15T12:51:54-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/4/20/19655/3200

Not everybody loves San Francisco's climate, but long-distance runners sure do. With mild, never-too-hot weather (this week's crazy-freak heat wave not withstanding) it's no surprise the Bay Area hosts its fair share of 5Ks, half-marathons and full marathons.

But if we had to pick one footrace to fly to SF for, it would clearly be the Bay to Breakers 12K, coming up this May 17. It's the one that tends to bring out San Francisco's—well, San Francisco side. Among the 70,000 runners, there will surely be some participants dressed up as superheroes, ballerinas, or just a guy or gal in running shoes—and nothing else.

The race cuts a perfect cross-section through SF's most picturesque areas, starting just off the Bay by the Embarcadero and continuing across Hayes Street to Golden Gate Park before finishing along the Pacific, where runners are greeted with "footstock," a post-race concert.

Related Stories:
· Bay to Breakers [Official Site]
· San Francisco travel guide [Jaunted]
· Marathon on the Meditteranean [Jaunted]

[Photo: Inkyhack] ]]> BS 2009-04-21T09:11:41-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/4/7/164730/2429

One of the most-covered travel stories over the past few years has been the rise of voluntourism and do-gooder vacations. But we've also noticed an uptick in do-good-for-yourself vacations—scheduling a trip around a big athletic event like a marathon or bike race.

So as spring marathon season swings into full gear, we'll be looking at some of the marquee 26-milers around the world (especially the ones in places we love to visit).

Coming up on April 24 is a somewhat surprising entry—the Tel Aviv Marathon. The race is back after a 15-year hiatus, starting up again as part of this Israeli city's centennial celebration. The marathon course is appealing for anyone who wants to get a good look at this diverse city—it winds through the Old City and Park HaYarkon, ending along Tel Aviv's main draw—the stunning Mediterranean beachfront. The race, which also includes 5K and 10K versions, is expected to bring 15,000 runners.

Related Stories:
· Run the Tel Aviv Marathon for 100 years of history [Israel 21c]
· Marathons coverage [Jaunted]
· Israel travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: vacilamos] ]]> BS 2009-04-08T09:21:34-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/