BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Ryan Lucker had always wanted to compete in marathons on all seven continents, and when he saw the entry fee for the Antarctica Ice Marathon he told himself maybe one day. When he retired. But instead, that dream came true sooner than he thought.
One could say Lucker ran into some luck when it came to the Antarctica Ice Marathon.
“My wife’s boss Daniel Rodriguez, I don’t even recall the circumstance of why he wasn’t able to go, but he asked to get it deferred or get a refund. They said no, but mentioned that you could transfer the entry and so he ended up transferring it," explained Lucker.
Rodriguez, a marathon runner and lawyer, was set to compete in the race, but instead, he had to pull out at the last minute.
“So I bought the ticket. I was all set, hotel room, and everything, and then I got stuck in a long trail again,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez did not want the ticket that cost him almost $20,000 to go to waste because the ticket was non-refundable, and that is when he got the idea of transferring it to Lucker.
Rodriguez sold Lucker his ticket at the discounted price of $4,500 and Lucker seized the opportunity.
“I get a text message from my wife saying 'hey do you want to run in Antarctica' and I’m thinking okay that’s a silly question, yes,” said Lucker.
When describing what the marathon was like, Lucker said it was extremely difficult.
“Constantly just zig-zagging along the path trying to find the best footing that you can so that you’re not sinking in, or slipping, or going side to side.”
Despite battling a calf injury and no training for a month, Lucker says that he was content with his results.
“I know I could have done better. It’s always I could have done better you know. Had the stars aligned you know everything would have gone great you know, but I was still very happy with it."
Lucker would go on to finish the marathon as the top American, placing fourth overall.
