It's been an odd month with Marine Corps coming up quickly (8 days!) which means "official" Antarctica training starts soon (about three weeks). Chris has started running in preparation for starting a training program and we're starting to get a few more updates from Marathon Tours. Yesterday we got an e-mail, which along with a packing list, invoice for a fuel surcharge and a reading list (a graduate student's dream), included the following:

"Course change: There are always complicated politics that effect tourism activities in Antarctica. A German group is trying to establish the Fildez Peninsula, the marathon site, as off-limits to many civilian activities. We cannot get permission to use the same course. Thus, we are pursuing approval to have the event in a number of alternative sites. We will keep you advised when we receive more information."

and

"You are traveling to the windiest, coldest, iciest and most inhospitable part of the planet."

I knew that running a marathon in Antarctica would take grit, endurance and flexibility, but I never expected that the entire peninsula where the race was based would become off limits! The old course had us running on trails between science stations and a glacier on the northernmost part of the continent. This was pretty much a set-up for running Antarctica in the easiest conditions possible (although not "easy" when compared to races on continents that are naturally inhabited by humans). Looks like that has changed and I'll see what "the most inhospitable part of the planet" holds for me with the new course!