Ursula

Botha

south africa

Ursula has been dedicated to endurance events for most of her adult life. She has successfully completed seven full Ironman distance events, including iconic races such as Challenge Roth and Kona, and about 14 half Ironman distance events. In 2015, she achieved a major milestone by finishing the 6 Major Marathons, completing the Boston Marathon as her final race in the series. That same year, she ran the Sydney Marathon, marking five of the seven continents completed. Life circumstances and the COVID pandemic put her 7 Continents goal on hold. However, the opportunity to participate in an event departing from Cape Town has reignited this dream, especially as a South African. Ursula plans to celebrate her birthday next year by running the Machu Picchu Marathon to finally complete her goal of running on all seven continents. Once she completes this challenge, she will proudly say, "5 Degrees, 6 Major Marathons, and 7 Continents."

Raff

Jackson

great britain

Aged 16 Raff became the youngest Brit to complete the Marathon des Sables, following in his fathers footsteps. Adopting the same training regime which included doing absolutely no training because "anyone could do it if they trained". Now 19 years old, Raff is now taking on Antarctica before attempting the next 6 continents in February 2025. Raff is raising funds for OvercomingMS in memory of his granny who died earlier this year.

Paul

Johnson

united states

Paul is a US Naval Officer who began ultra running just two years ago. Since then, he has experienced both successes and challenges. His biggest running accomplishment to date is completing the Transcon—a 3,000-mile run across the United States from Los Angeles to New York City—in just 51 days and 3 hours, while raising $600k for charity. This will be his first time in Antarctica and his third continent to run a marathon on (after North America and Europe). He plans to exceed the 100km mark in Antarctica and push himself to see how far he can go during the 24-hour race window.

Yusheng

Ni

china

Yusheng has completed over 430 marathon and ultra-marathon races, including twenty 100k races and four 100-mile races, spanning seven continents and more than 80 countries and regions. He has run 128 marathons under 3 hours, with a personal best of 2:42. Yusheng has finished the World Marathon Majors over 5 times, completing 31 races with an average best time of 2:45 for the six majors, and has claimed 30 championships. In the summer of 2024, he completed the North Pole Marathon and now aims to conquer the 2025 World Marathon Challenge. Yusheng is the Chairman of Shenzhen Yuanteng Investment and Development Company, specializing in real estate construction and financial investment.

Tina

Pang

australia

Tina has completed nine marathons in Australia, mostly while wearing Vibram FiveFingers, embracing the minimalist running style. When she's not running, she enjoys swimming to stay active. Living in Western Australia, she faces geographic isolation but still manages to ski once a year, fueling her passion for cold and snowy environments. The upcoming marathon will mark her first experience running on snow and in sub-zero temperatures, a challenge she eagerly anticipates. With her adventurous spirit, Tina is ready to take on this new terrain, hoping to declare, "Veni, vidi, vici."

Becca

Pizzi

united states

Becca is the first female polar race director and a two-time winner of the World Marathon Challenge. She has completed marathons in all 50 states and all 6 World Marathon Majors. Recently, she won the Volcano Marathon on Easter Island and has competed twice in the Ironman World Championship, in both Nice, France, and Kona, Hawaii.

Roberto

Sembiante

united states

Rob was born in Los Angeles and raised in New Jersey. He joined the US Navy at 18 and became a Diver. On his 21st birthday, he ran his first ultramarathon, igniting a passion for running that has led him to compete in races around the world. Rob also dedicates his time to helping others achieve their running goals. Currently, he is traveling across the United States in a van, embracing a life of adventure and exploration.

Chunyu

Shao

china

Chunyu is the director of an investment and real estate development company in Shenzhen, China, specializing in real estate construction and financial investment. New to running, she has completed 12 half marathons and an 8-day, 8-state, 8-5k challenge in the United States. Her most memorable experience was the 2024 Summer North Pole Marathon at the North Pole, where she finished half marathon distance. She is excited to take on the Antarctic Ice Ultra.