MARATHON TOURS & TRAVEL RAISES RECORD-BREAKING DONATIONS FOR OCEANITES THROUGH 2025 ANTARCTICA MARATHON® VOYAGES

Marathon Tours & Travel is proud to announce that its 2025 Antarctica Marathon® Voyages raised an all-time record amount in donations for Oceanites, the official charity partner of the event and a leading nonprofit focused on climate science and conservation in Antarctica.

Held on King George Island and now celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Antarctica Marathon® has long been more than a race, it’s a mission-driven experience rooted in environmental awareness and impact.

This year’s participants from around the world helped push total donations for Oceanites to $138,550, the highest ever raised through the three-decade partnership with Marathon Tours & Travel.

“As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Antarctica Marathon®, it’s an ideal moment to recognize the deep connection between adventure travel and environmental responsibility,” says Jeff Adams, President of Marathon Tours & Travel. “Our runners aren’t just crossing finish lines in one of the most extreme environments on the planet—they’re contributing to a legacy of stewardship. Partnering with Oceanites underscores our commitment to protecting the unique ecosystems that make this event so meaningful.”

Oceanites has spent 31 consecutive years on the continent and remains the only nongovernmental organization operating a fully active science program in Antarctica. Its work, including cutting-edge drone monitoring and public education using penguins as climate change “avatars,” informs policy decisions by Antarctic Treaty nations and other key stakeholders.

“We at Oceanites are grateful for Marathon Tours & Travel’s unflinching, generous, and long-standing support,” says Ron Naveen, founder and president of Oceanites. “MTT’s ongoing support is particularly critical for two aspects of our work:

One is to maintain our state-of-the-art drone fleet. We are leading the effort to utilize drones and AI to monitor penguin population changes. MTT’s fundraising support is crucial because this equipment is expensive and must be properly maintained. On the cutting edge with this emerging technology, Oceanites also coordinates directly with Antarctic Treaty governments in tracking the spread of the lethal avian flu virus, which has now reached Antarctica.

Second is our educational use of penguins as ‘avatars’ of climate change, as we spread word internationally about our changing world and whether we humans, as well as penguins and all biological creatures, may or may not adapt when the warming comes our way. Will we humans continue to have food to eat, a good home, a healthy environment free of disease, and keep producing kids & grandkids?

Thanks to MTT, it’s now possible to run to save penguins, increase climate awareness, and hopefully, optimistically, conserve our planet. Penguins Are Us and The Future Is Ours.”

Founded in 1995, the partnership between Marathon Tours & Travel and Oceanites continues to unite the endurance community with a mission to protect one of Earth’s most fragile ecosystems. 

For more information about Marathon Tours & Travel, visit www.marathontours.com . The team can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

Check out the MTT RIA Foundation Member profile here  .