FAQS

The Great World Race is an event in which participants attempt to complete a marathon on each of the 7 continents over a 7-day period. There is also a half-marathon option for those who prefer the shorter distance.

The Bosphorus Strait separates the continents of Asia and Europe. The Great World Race has marathons on each side of the Bosphorus Bridge both of which are arranged by Spor Istanbul, a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

No. Safety is paramount and Antarctica weather, in particular, is unpredictable. If the weather is unsuitable for safe flying and operation of the first marathon in Antarctica, we will delay the start of The Great World Race until it improves. However, once the first marathon begins, we will proceed with the goal of travelling around the world and completing The Great World Race within 7 days / 168 hours.

Yes. The Great World Race marathons will be measured by AIMS / World Athletics measurers and sanctioned by respective national athletics federations. The Antarctica race is also recognised by the Antarctica Athletics Federation.

There is a time limit of 8 hours for each marathon, but the Race Director has discretion to change this cut-off time on location. The goal is to have everybody finish!

The Great World Race entry fee is EUR 45k, which can be paid in three instalments of EUR 15k. The first instalment secures your place in the event.

The registration fee includes (a) Round trip flights by Ilyushin jet from Cape Town to Antarctica to complete the first marathon (b) Business charter flights from Cape Town to Perth to Istanbul to Cartagena to Miami to complete the remaining six marathons (c) Trip cancellation insurance that reimburses your costs / entry fee if you need to cancel for unexpected reasons such as illness (c) Medical insurance for the entire trip, including emergency evacuation cover (d) All logistical costs such as transport to and from airports as well as shower / changing facilities at each location (e) Accommodation in Istanbul where both the Asian and European marathons races are held on consecutive days (f) Entry to each of the seven marathons, which includes aid stations, medical support, and official timing as per any regular stand-alone marathon (g) Professional photos of each marathon race for personal use, including social media posts and local media (h) Medals for completing each of the marathons and an overall Great World Race medal upon successful completion of all 7 races (i) A digital certificate of completion of The Great World Race for successful participants (j) Branded t-shirts, singlets, bandanas, gymsacs and other Great World Race merchandise (k) Inclusion in the Global Marathon Club, which gives special recognition to athletes who complete marathons on all 7 continents over a 7-day period.

Yes. The seven marathons are individual races and the person with the fastest average time over all seven marathons is declared The Great World Race champion in both men’s and women’s categories.

Yes. There is a team competition in both men and women’s categories. The top three on a team are the scoring members, but there can be more than three men or women on a team roster.

Yes. The Great World Race meets all the criteria for recognition by global and national athletics authorities, including the Antarctica Athletics Federation, as well as Guinness World Records and the Book of Alternative Records.

Yes. There will be substantial global media coverage of The Great World Race. Top photographers and video crew will travel with participants across the world.

Registered competitors will be advised on clothing for Antarctica.

On completing the 7 marathons, every finisher of The Great World Race will become a member of the Global Marathon Club which will have special recognition for those who complete 7 marathons across 7 continents within 7 days / 168 hours.

The Great World Race involves 6 flights per year and the calculated carbon omissions are offset.