Challenging marathons around the world

World Marathon Challenge

An incredible test of human endurance, the World Marathon Challenge sees participants run 7 marathons across 7 continents in 7 days. Starting with a marathon in Antarctica, you’ll then head to race in Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid then Fortaleza, before finishing off with a final marathon in Miami.

While the entry fee may seem high (£38,000 GBP / €44,000 EUR current price in 2026), this does cover all chartered flights between each marathon location, as well as medical support throughout the trip.

While this doesn’t sound as challenging as UK reality star’s Spencer Matthew’s 30 marathons in 30 days, completing the World Marathon Challenge is no mean feat. The varying temperatures and international flying can have a huge impact on how you’re feeling, and how well you perform. Taking on this specific challenge is not for the faint of heart – but it does mean you’re one of the elite few who can claim they are part of the 7 Continents Marathon Club, which means you have run 7 marathons in 7 continents.

Antarctic Ice Marathon

If running a marathon across the world doesn’t entice you, you could simply run a marathon in Antarctica. The Ice Marathon takes place in mainland Antarctica, across the snow and ice that takes over in the desert. With an average windchill of -20 Celsius and strong winds of up to 25 knots, this marathon won’t be a smooth ride.

However, the views more than make up for this, with ice-covered mountains around the route, and a complete stillness from the uninhabited lands. Different to other marathons, there isn’t a crowd of people cheering you on while you run, so you will need to rely on your own internal motivation.

The cost of running the Ice Marathon is around £17,000 GBP / €19,500 EUR (current price in 2026), which gets you entrance to the race, round trip flights between Chile and Antarctica, and meals and tented accommodations while in Antarctica.

Completing this marathon along with marathons on the other continents (no time limit required) means that you’ll be inducted into the 7 Continents Marathons Club.

North Pole Marathon

Similarly to Antarctic Ice Marathon, the North Pole Marathon is another cold marathon, taking place in the North Pole. Racing along ice floes, this marathon is the only one run entirely ‘on water’ – the frozen water of the Arctic Ocean. It is impossible to predict any sort of racing time you could run in, as the weather conditions and terrain change on a yearly basis.

Expect to see the vast white tundra on your run, deep levels of snow, and various ice formations. As well as being physically fit and healthy, you also need a strong mind to run and finish this race. Frozen oceans, deeply remote locations on uninhabited ice sheets, as well as the surreal feeling of running on floating ice at 90° North (which can and does move with the ocean current) can leave you feeling isolated and dazed.

As of 2026, the entry fee of £20,700 GBP / €23,900 EUR will also get you flights between Krasnoyarsk and Khatanga, where you’ll stay before and after the trip to the North Pole. Accommodation and breakfast in Khatanga are also included in your entry fee, as well as accommodation and full catering in the North Pole.

Completing this marathon along with the 7 Continents Marathons Club grants you entry to the very exclusive Marathon Grand Slam Club.

Abbott World Major Marathons

The Abbott World Major Marathons (WMM) are a group of the 7 major marathons around the world, comprising: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, and Sydney. There is no time limit in which you need to complete the marathons in (unlike the World Marathon Challenge), and there’s also no official entry fee to be able to claim that you’ve run all the marathons. As long as you’ve completed all the marathons, you’ll be inducted into the Abbott WMM ‘7 star finishers hall of fame’.