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BOSTON (August 22, 2006) - Capella University has signed on to be the presenting sponsor of the 8th Antarctica Marathon and Half Marathon, announced Marathon Tours and Travel, the event organizer. The event is scheduled for February 26, 2007.
Capella University is an accredited online university that offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs and has an enrollment 16,000 students, located in all 50 states and 63 countries.
The university's sponsorship plans include inviting three of its students to take part in the two-week Antarctic expedition and to run the marathon. The student runners will be dubbed "Team Capella" and work on their coursework via satellite during their odyssey and blog about their experience. A Capella-sponsored film crew will also travel to Antarctica to document the adventure.
"Earning an online degree from Capella is very similar to completing a marathon," said Capella University President Michael J. Offerman. "Distance runners and Capella students have many similarities. They both require dedication, commitment and perseverance. The Antarctica Marathon is known as one of the world's toughest, and Capella's involvement demonstrates how far our students can and will go to make their mark in the world."
The Antarctica Marathon attracts runners from all seven continents and has been featured in the news media and promotional campaigns world wide, including a global Adidas advertising campaign which featured the theme, "Impossible is nothing."
"A partnership with the Antarctica Marathon can be a powerful branding tool for a wide variety of products and services," said Thom Gilligan, president of Marathon Tours and Travel and Antarctica Marathon expedition leader. "We are excited about having Capella on board with us in 2007."
Interest in running on the darkest, coldest, windiest and most remote continent on earth has never been hotter. Runners are literally waiting in line to tackle the 26.2-mile course, which is held on King George Island just off the Antarctic Peninsula .
"Destination marathoning and environmental issues such as global warming have been hot topics in the mainstream media. As a result, we have reached our registration limit for the 2007 and 2008 trips with long wait lists and already have some runners signed up for the 2009 trip," said Gilligan.
The marathon and half marathons are limited to 220 participants a year due to the limited number of ship berths available and the desire to minimize the environmental impact of the event.
Two converted Russian research vessels will ferry the runners from Ushuaia , Argentina , the southernmost city in the world, through the Beagle Channel and across the Drake Passage . The runners, their supporters and the crew will call their respective ships home for their 10-day adventure, which will take them through the South Shetland Islands and along the Antarctic Peninsula to King George Island . Runners will take Zodiac boats from the ship to the shore for the race and for landings during their tour.
The Antarctica Marathon's grueling but spectacular scenic course takes participants on a two-loop trek up and down a glacier and through the Russian, Chinese, Uruguayan and Chilean research bases. An accompanying half marathon follows the same course but just for one loop.
The event's tumultuous summertime weather can range from blizzard conditions to above-freezing temperatures. Chinstrap penguins and elephant seals are often seen during the run, sometimes causing the course to be altered. "We respect the wildlife's right of way, especially the territorial fur seals," said Gilligan.
Dramatic scenery and face-to-face encounters with wildlife are not the only reason marathoners head to the end of the earth. "Many of the runners who have signed up for the Antarctica Marathon have a goal of running a marathon on all seven continents," said Gilligan. Marathon Tours and Travel hosts a Seven Continents Club for runners who achieve or have a goal of reaching this marathon milestone. To date, 121 men and 44 women have achieved this feat.
For more information on the Antarctica Marathon, please visit www.marathontours.com, write to info@marathontours.com or call (617) 242-7845.
About Marathon Tours and Travel
Boston-based Marathon Tours and Travel, the leading marathon tour operator in the U.S., offers comprehensive travel packages to marathons worldwide; including the Easter Island Marathon, Great Wall Marathon and Safaricom Marathon in Kenya.
About Capella University
Founded in 1993, Capella University is an accredited* online university that offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology, and bachelor's degree programs in business and information technology.
Within those areas, Capella offers 76 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate specializations. The online university currently serves 16,000 students from all 50 states and 63 countries. It is a national leader in online education, committed to providing high-caliber academic excellence and pursuing balanced business growth. Capella University is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company, headquartered in Minneapolis. For more information, please visit www.capella.edu or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552).
*Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, located at 30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602-2504, (312) 263-0456, www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org.
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