Behind the scenes of the World’s Deepest Marathon – organising one of the most unique events on Earth.
Going into this event we weren’t naïve to the fact that staging a marathon is never simple. But staging one over a kilometre underground - in a working mine - required a combination of engineering precision, safety planning, and logistical choreography on a scale rarely seen in long-distance running.
While headlines focused on the runners breaking two world records, a different story unfolded behind the scenes: the extraordinary operation that made the World’s Deepest Marathon possible.
Months before the race, our team at BecomingX, alongside our co-organisers ICMM, and Boliden (who kindly hosted the event), worked side-by-side to plan this extraordinary event. We had to map out a secure, certifiable 42.195 km course 1,120m below sea level. Every tunnel bend, elevation change, and surface type needed critical thinking. We needed real-time monitoring of each person’s location inside the mine. Kit and safety gear were paramount, and hydration stations required bespoke planning. There were many logistical challenges, and ultimately of course everyone’s safety had to be the number one priority.
At BecomingX we are proud to work with businesses and their people to help them become high performers. This event was designed as more than just a spectacular challenge, but as an experience to help participants from all across the globe discover what they are truly capable of. The 55 runners ranged from recent graduates, to leaders, global CEOs, charity workers, and more, from a whole variety of different industries – including mining. Together they chose to test their limits, and for many it was the first time they had ever attempted anything like this. We had to make sure to give them the tools they needed to succeed. So, we first spoke to them candidly about what the experience was going to be like, with instruction on how to prepare both physically and mentally, answering any worries. We also set them up with the UK’s leading ultra-marathon coach and fellow participant, Rory Coleman, who offered training advice to all. Everyone was connected, so the group felt like a unit, cheering each other on from day one. The goal was simple: to show that with the right preparation, mindset and support, ordinary people can achieve things they never thought possible.
Logistically, transporting 55 runners, plus volunteers, timing officials, a film crew, organisers, and equipment into the mine - and then coordinating safe movement at multiple depths - was an achievement in its own right. But every step of the operation importantly also served to create an environment that allowed people to stretch their capabilities and experience what high performance looks and feels like.
And yet, despite the complexity, the spirit of innovation was unmistakable. Boliden’s mining technology and safety protocols - including advanced monitoring systems -played a seamless role in supporting a truly modern sporting challenge. The event became a showcase not just of human endurance, but of how far safety, engineering and collaboration in the mining sector have evolved.
For many of those working behind the scenes, the marathon was a chance to show the world that when experts across industries unite around a bold idea, extraordinary things become possible. For the participants, it became proof that high performance is something anyone is capable of.
