Tyrone native Rick Stonebraker, known to many in the area for his archery background, now calls Houston, TX his home.
However, the much-traveled Stonebraker will be far from the Lone Star state for the next week and a half. He’ll also be far from Texas temperatures that are expected to range from a high in the 80s today to the 50s later this week.
That’s because Stonebraker embarked on Friday to participate in the Last Marathon in Antarctica.
The 54-year-old Stonebraker has been involved in marathons for more than a decade and the Antarctica visit will help him toward a goal of visiting all 50 states and seven continents. Prior to the Antarctica trip, he had been to 47 states and four continents.
He says he first started running in marathons in 1993 and has participated in more than 30 marathons and other types of races during the last 11-plus years.
“About four or five years ago I read about the Last Marathon in the running magazines and I really didn’t give it a thought,” said Stonebraker.
Since then he became aware that participating in the marathon was an economical way to travel to the continent and would allow him to add to the list of places he had visited.
Stonebraker was asked about the challenges runners face in a marathon in Antarctica.
Basically, it’s just colder,” he responded. “In the wintertime, it’s the coldest place, it’s the driest place and the most remote place, it’s not for everybody.”
Temperatures are around freezing this time of the year in Antarctica.
During a recent December visit to the Tyrone area, Stonebraker tested his clothing since temperatures were similar to what he might experience in Antarctica. He went out on two different days, once when temperatures were around 32 degrees and another day when temperatures were around zero. He explained the experimenting paid off as he was concerned about layering and was able to learn some things which he thought would help him for the race.
Stonebraker said he usually does a run/walk combination during marathons at about a 17-minute pace. He says he usually finishes a marathon in about six-and-a-half hours.
He said he had taken a break from running due to other commitments and was just getting back into it during the last few months.
Hundreds of people, both runners and others started on the journey to Antarctica on Friday.
Stonebraker traveled from Houston to Miami on Friday morning where he and others were scheduled to fly to Buenos Aires. Other participants departed the United States from New York. Stonebraker explained the itinerary is flexible enough on the first leg of the trip that participants were traveling to Buenos Aires on different days.
Light training was scheduled over the weekend during the time in Buenos Aires. Free time for sight-seeing and other activities was also scheduled.
Tour participants are scheduled to travel to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, the world’s southernmost city tomorrow. From there, travelers will board two ships for the journey to Antarctica.
Wednesday is scheduled as a day at sea crossing the Beagle Channel and Drake Passage. An open bridge policy allows everyone to get a bird’s eye view of the navigational activity alongside the ship captain and his crew. Videos and lectures will introduce visitors to the wildlife, climate and history of Antarctica.
The following day, the travelers are expected to reach Deception Island. A couple of days will be spent cruising in and among the bays and channels of the Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula. The ship’s zodiacs will carry the passengers to shore wherever possible, weaving safely among the icebergs and floes to visit with seals and penguins.
The main event is scheduled on Saturday. After the race, a post-marathon party and celebration is scheduled during the evening.
On Sunday, the ships will head south toward the eastern side of the Peninsula, cruising among the fjords and islands. Weaving among the icebergs, the passengers destination will be Paradise Bay, described as one of the most beautiful places on Earth, according to a web site about the marathon tour. The zodiacs will bring the passengers to shore for a visit to the vacated Argentinean base nestled at the base of a hill where visitors are welcome to climb to the peak for a bird’s eye view of the area.
The trip is expected to go to the fjords near the Lemaire Channel where the finals of the Antarctica Kayaking Championships are scheduled on March 1. The itinerary calls for tour participants to leave the “White Continent” to recross the Drake Passage on March 2. On March 3, the ships are scheduled to reach Cape Horn, Chile, for approach to the return port at Ushuaia.
The travelers will then take return flights on March 4 to Buenos Aires and then international flights to their various destinations in the U.S and elsewhere.
(Editor’s note: The itinerary information in the article was provided from the www.marathontour.com web site)
