About Richard Donovan

Richard is an adventure race organiser and international ultra distance runner.

In 2002, he became the first person in the world to run a marathon at both the North and South Poles. He now organises the northernmost marathon on earth, the North Pole Marathon, and the southernmost marathon on earth, the Antarctic Ice Marathon.

Richard has participated in some of the most diverse regions of the planet: from the mind-numbing cold of the South Pole to the scorching heat of the Sahara Desert; from the sea level of native coastal Ireland to the altitude heights of the Andes and Himalayan mountains; and from the stifling humidity of the Amazon Jungle to the dry air of the Atacama Desert.

He has won the South Pole Marathon, the Inca Trail Marathon, the Everest Challenge Marathon, the Antarctic 100km and the Himalayan 100-Mile Stage Race. He has set Guinness World Records for long distance treadmill running and is the current Irish record holder for 100 miles. Richard additionally holds the Antarctic 100km record and the record for running from Malin Head to Mizen Head. He has also completed the gruelling Trans 333 across the Sahara Desert and accompanied a British soccer player across the Atacama Desert for a one-hour BBC documentary. 

Richard was educated in Ireland and the USA and is the current Chairman of UltraRunning Ireland. He can be contacted at rd@npmarathon.com.