Running News Daily

U.S. running tourism company using disguised Russian plane for Antarctic race

Canadian Running has learned that Runbuk, the U.S.-based running tourism company that recently took over the World Marathon Challenge, is using Canadian and American-sanctioned Russian aircraft to transport participants from Cape Town to its race at Novolazarevskaya Station (Novo) in Antarctica, scheduled for Nov. 7.

The Antarctic Ice Ultra event is promoted as the first-ever 24-hour race on the continent. The U.S. government imposed sanctions on the Russian airline Volga-Dnepr in August 2024 (following similar sanctions from the U.K. Canada and the European Union). Runbuk’s use of a sanctioned Russian airline, Volga-Dnepr, for flights to the race location prompts serious questions about their actions, especially given the substantial financial investment from each participant (USD $19,500) to run the race.

Concealing the identity of the aircraft

The identity of the Volga-Dnepr Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft (RA-76952) transporting participants from Cape Town, South Africa, to Antarctica on Nov. 6 has been altered to conceal the plane’s Russian origins.

It was found that Runbuk used the South African logistics company Ultima Antarctic Expeditions to organize transport; South Africa has no sanctions against the Russian airline. But the plane’s identity has been altered to conceal its Russian origins. A photograph shows that the Volga-Dnepr markings on the aircraft have been changed to read, ANTARCTICA, and the Russian flag (on the tail) has been replaced with an image.

Despite these efforts, evidence of the airline’s identity (Volga-Dnepr) remains accessible. Public flight tracking data reveals the flight numbers associated with the Volga-Dnepr aircraft (VDA9018/VDA9020), and flight history shows the plane’s recent travels, including routes from Ulyanovsk, Russia, to Cape Town.

In Canada, violating sanctions is considered a criminal offense, investigated and enforced by the Canadian Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Under the United Nations Act, the maximum penalty for conviction can be a fine of $100,000, a one-year prison sentence, or both.

According to the website, there are 13 participants in the inaugural Antarctic Ice Ultra. Seven are from countries that have sanctions against the airline. No Canadian runners are believed to be involved.

Runbuk is owned by Oliver Wang and Renna Hu, who operate within the landscape of global marathon tourism. The couple has strong ties to many Abbott World Major Marathon events worldwide, acting as the official tourism agent for the London Marathon and facilitating travel for many U.S. runners. Their company is also behind the World Marathon Challenge, set for Novo Station in January 2025, where participants will attempt to complete seven marathons across seven continents in seven days.

The Antarctic Ice Ultra flight is scheduled to leave Cape Town on Wednesday at 6:30 a.m. local time.