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A Singapore-based man is set to face some of the coldest temperatures on Earth in his bid to complete world's southernmost marathon in aid of a Jersey charity.
Thom Hennessy has already raised over £2,000 for domestic abuse charity Freeda ahead of the Antarctica Marathon on 13 December.
Thom, who lives in Singapore, regularly travels to Jersey despite the long distance because his wife moved to the island three years ago.
"I come back and forth as much as I can," he said.
Thom explained that the challenge of running the Antarctica Marathon has been years in the making.
Inspiration struck seven years ago, when he was running in 30° weather in Singapore with a friend – and they decided to try and run in -30° temperatures too.
Since then, Thom has run marathons in London, Cincinnati, and across Asia.
In 2019, he signed up to the North Pole Marathon with four of his friends. They made it as far as Svalbard, an island in the Arctic Circle.
But before they could catch their flight to the North Pole, the race was called off because of political trouble: the marathon was due to take place on Russian territory, but the plane which was going to be used to fly competitors there is Ukrainian-owned – and a treaty between the two countries expired shortly before the race.
Covid then thwarted plans to try again in 2020 or 2021.
Thom said: "In 2022, we went back again – but just before it was due to happen, politics again. There are some environmental concerns as well.
"So the organisers, because it's part of a much bigger thing, said to us: 'South Pole.'
"So we thought we'd try the South Pole [Marathon] this year."
The Antarctica Marathon is a famously challenging course.
Beyond the temperatures, which Thom hopes are around -20°, but could reach -25°, there are strong katabatic winds crossing the continent at up to 200mph.
A katabatic wind carries high-density air from a higher elevation down a slope under the force of gravity. The air flow gets stronger, turning into fast-flowing winds.
Thom explained that the race course is set around a 10km loop.
"We could get hit a few times by the winds," he explained.
"It's a mixture of snow and ice, so the terrain should be ok, but on top of that, we've got the altitude of 700m – which should also be ok, but it's not sea level.
"It does make a difference. And if it gets too cold, that's going to have an effect on our breathing capabilities.
"So you have to plan for that, how you're going to run, how you're going to pace yourself."
Thom added: "For me, with running, a lot of it is about the mental state, because although there will be other runners, it's still going to be pretty white and cold."
The trick to dealing with the cold, he explained, is to keep running to avoid sweat turning to ice under the many layers participants have to wear.
Thom said he likes to support smaller charities and decided to support Freeda with his fundraiser.
Formerly know as Jersey Women’s Refuge, Freeda aims to protect and empower women and children who have experienced domestic abuse.
"They're helping people who are obviously in a situation where a choice has been made by somebody to not look after people properly," said Thom.
"It's not something where they were affected by illness or a tragic incident. Somebody's made a choice. So it just felt a bit more, dare I say, human.
"These people are probably more vulnerable."
He added that he felt he would have a bigger impact on a small charity, especially with a difficult landscape for funding at the moment.
In the days leading up to the race, Thom will travel to Chile – where he heads to Punta Arenas before getting a plane to Antarctica.
He said his packing list includes:
Trail shoes: Some people wear higher ones or protective covering over the ankle to prevent snow from getting in.
Lots of layers: Depending on the day, Thom said he might wear headgear and two layers of tops and bottoms.
Wind protective fabric as an outer layer, to protect against the strong winds.
Gloves: Thom likes to alternate thin and thick gloves, taking off the big gloves when his hands get too hot.
A beard which Thom said he would start growing this week.
You can sponsor Thom HERE.
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