UQ alum Brett Clark competing in the Antarctic Ice Marathon on 13 December 2022. Image supplied

UQ alum Brett Clark competing in the Antarctic Ice Marathon on 13 December 2022. Image supplied

UQ alum conquers Antarctica for a marathon cause

Words and design by Michael Jones

Brett Clark couldn’t feel his fingers, but there was no way he was going to tell anyone. He had worked too hard just to be able to compete in Antarctica and knew race officials would drag him off the course if he spoke of his growing discomfort.

The Antarctic Ice Marathon is one of the world’s most gruelling races, and officials won’t hesitate to disqualify competitors if they sense they are in any danger.

Clark (Bachelor of Pharmacy ’88, Master of Business Administration ’05) was one of 55 competitors from more than 30 countries to brave the below-freezing conditions on Antarctica’s Union Glacier – 1,000 kilometres from the South Pole – on 13 December 2022.

An image of Brett Clark among the crowd of runners at the starting line of the Antarctic Ice Marathon.

Brett Clark (orange coat) at the start of Antarctic Ice Marathon. Image supplied

Brett Clark (orange coat) at the start of Antarctic Ice Marathon. Image supplied

“Coming from Brisbane, I hadn’t done any training in those types of conditions,” the 2022 Vice-Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Award recipient told Contact.

“I had actually spent 3 years preparing [due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other logistical barriers], and I did my last big run in Brisbane in temperatures of around 31 degrees [Celsius] 2 weeks before arriving in Antarctica – a big contrast to the -15 degrees we experienced the day of the race.”

A map of Antarctica highlighting where the South Pole is.
A map of Antarctica highlighting where the Union Glacier is in relation to the South Pole.

Clark wore 2 layers for wind protection during the race but chose not to wear mittens, opting instead for a pair of layered gloves.

“I ended up sweating too much and by around the 35-kilometre mark, those gloves became soaked. My hands started to get really cold and, when you’re running in freezing temperatures, your biggest fear is frostbite.”

Clark eventually sought the help of a race medic and convinced him that he could still feel his fingers.

“He gave me a pair of mittens and, mentally, I began to feel a lot better.” 

While the 54-year-old was worried about his fingers, the unpredictable glacial surface was causing havoc on his lower extremities.

An image of the competitors running in snow during the Antarctic Ice Marathon. There are mountain peaks in the background.

Competitors tackle the rugged terrain of Antarctica's Union Glacier. Image supplied

Competitors tackle the rugged terrain of Antarctica's Union Glacier. Image supplied

“What I underestimated the most was the softness underfoot,” Clark said.

“People always think there’s a lot of snowfall in Antarctica, but it’s actually one of the largest deserts in the world, with very low precipitation.

“Ironically, it snowed the day of the marathon, but that just compounded the softness, and it was like running on soft sand for 42 kilometres.”

Coinciding with the pain of losing 7 toenails during the race – due to his toes smashing against the tip of his shoes – Clark’s legs went into 'cramp mode' as it became a case of survival and maintenance to cross the finish line.

“The cramping was getting so bad that I started to think there’s a chance I might not finish this.”

Clark did finish – in fact, he crossed the line in 15th place, in a time of 05:17:18 – but said this marathon was more about the 'journey and the conquest' rather than performance.   

An image of Brett Clark celebrating with his hands in the air as crosses the finish line of the Antarctic Ice Marathon.

Brett Clark celebrates as he crosses the finish line. Image supplied.

Brett Clark celebrates as he crosses the finish line. Image supplied.

“I tend to focus on my time and personal bests during a race. This time, my objective was to just finish, so it was liberating for me,” Clark said.

“I felt at peace down there, in the sense that a bloke who grew up in Central and North Queensland, from a very simple upbringing, is now running a marathon at the bottom of the world.

“The scale of the place is phenomenal – the flattened terrain and the sudden pop of a mountain range – and it inspires you to keep going.

“I was also running to raise money for the Mater Foundation so, with those drivers in the back of my mind, it was a cathartic way to run.”

Brett Clark receives his medal after conquering the Antarctic Ice Marathon. Image supplied

Brett Clark receives his medal after conquering the Antarctic Ice Marathon. Image supplied

Clark and his wife, Maria, are both patrons of the Mater Foundation and have been involved with the organisation, and the Sisters of Mercy, for almost 22 years.

The Mater Mothers' Neonatal Critical Care Unit is particularly close to their hearts and, with the support of friends, business networks and the community, Clark used his feats in Antarctica to raise more than $270,000 for the unit and for the development of Catherine’s House – a perinatal mental health service for mothers, babies and families.

“We had 3 premature children: our oldest, Chelsea (25), was born weighing 600 grams, while Maddy (21) weighed 1,000 grams. In between, we had Olivia, who would have been 22 this year, and she weighed 500 grams,” Clark said.

“Collectively, we spent 9 months in ICU or neonatal intensive care units and have experienced the extreme highs of having premature children survive, as well as the lows of losing Olivia at one week old.

“We decided 21 years ago that Olivia didn't have the chance to leave a legacy – she was only on this planet for a week – so we would do things that make a difference to others. That's now her legacy.”

Brett Clark is the managing partner of Chemist Warehouse for Queensland and northern New South Wales.

On top of his involvement with the Mater Foundation, Clark is the managing partner of Chemist Warehouse for Queensland and northern New South Wales, the current Chair of Queensland Rugby Union, and has recently been appointed as a board director of the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee for the Olympic Games.

So, how did marathon running become part of his busy life?

“I ran my first marathon in 2009 off the back of the realisation that I wasn’t doing as much physical exercise as I had in the past, because I was so busy with work, family and other commitments,” Clark said.

“Friends and I decided we’d run the New York Marathon and that was the lightbulb moment for me. I got excited about the camaraderie, the journey, and the positive energy at the start line.

“In business, you don't get to stop and smell the roses that often. Marathon running enabled me to find a cause and get fit.”

Clark has now run the world’s 6 major marathons – Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York.

Incredibly, he was a competitor on the day of the devastating Boston Marathon bombings on 15 April 2013 and was uninjured by the blasts.  

An image of Brett Clark wearing a navy suit in the middle of a huge warehouse.

Brett Clark is the managing partner of Chemist Warehouse for Queensland and northern New South Wales.

Brett Clark is the managing partner of Chemist Warehouse for Queensland and northern New South Wales.

Authorities race to secure the scene after 2 bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on 15 April 2013. Image: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Authorities race to secure the scene after 2 bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on 15 April 2013. Image: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

An image of three police officers running towards an elderly man who was knocked to ground during the Boston Marathon bombings.

Police officers race to help 78-year-old Boston Marathon runner Bill Iffrig after he was knocked to the ground during an explosion. Image: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Police officers race to help 78-year-old Boston Marathon runner Bill Iffrig after he was knocked to the ground during an explosion. Image: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

“My wife has been to every marathon I’ve run. On this occasion, we took our children as well,” Clark said.

“It’s quite hard to find loved ones after any major marathon, so we had a rule that they would be waiting in an agreed location near the finish line so I could easily pick them out in the crowd. 

“They chose the Apple store on Boylston Street because they could use the free internet and track my progress.”

At 2.49pm, 2 bombs detonated at the finish line on Boylston Street near Copley Square. Three people died and more than 260 were injured.

“We all have those sliding-doors moments in life, and I try not overanalyse or dwell on the what-ifs, but a couple of things occurred with the Boston Marathon,” Clark said.

“I had run a really good time at the Gold Coast Marathon earlier that year, which allowed me to qualify for Boston. I suggested to Maria that we go because I may never qualify again.

“Because I was in good shape, I ended up running a personal-best time of around 3 hours and 13 minutes. The reason I raise that is because if I had run 3 hours and 45 minutes, I wouldn't have finished because the race was called off after the bombs detonated.

Police officers race to help 78-year-old Boston Marathon runner Bill Iffrig after he was knocked to the ground during an explosion. Image: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

“The other sliding-doors moment was that my wife and kids were standing 40 metres from where the bombs went off for about 3 hours. Now, I'm not saying the bombs were there the whole time, but that's where they went off.”

Clark and his family were back in their hotel when the bombing occurred, but they could see and hear the commotion outside as police and emergency crews swarmed the scene to secure the area and tend to the victims.

“All the mobile phone networks were shut down, so we were unable to contact worried family and friends back home,” Clark said.

“It was chaotic and tragic, and I imagine there are many people still suffering from post-traumatic stress from what they had experienced.

“For us, it was helpful that we had an open dialogue with our children, who were only 15 and 11 years old at the time.”

Clark’s next goal is to join the illustrious list of runners who have completed 7 marathons on 7 continents.

He has already run marathons on 5 continents, with Africa and South America next on the agenda.

Chasing 7 marathons on 7 continents

Keep scrolling to see which continents Clark has already conquered.

North America

  • New York Marathon
  • Boston Marathon
  • Chicago Marathon

Europe

  • London Marathon
  • Berlin Marathon

Asia

  • Tokyo Marathon

Australia

  • Gold Coast Marathon

Antarctica

  • Antarctic Ice Marathon

“Next January, I'm going to run Morocco, in Africa, and that'll give me number 6,” Clark said.

“I've had the privilege to go to Egypt and I've done safaris in Kenya and Tanzania, but Morocco has always had this overwhelming draw power for me.

“The luxury of getting to run in these amazing places is that you get to tag on a little break after it and experience the culture and the people.

“A couple of mates, who have never run a marathon, are going to run in Morocco with me, which will be fantastic. I'm getting to the stage where I’ve given up on the times I run and focusing more on the conquest.”

From there, the only continent left to conquer is South America, and Clark is looking forward to sharing that experience with his youngest daughter, Maddy.

“Maddy’s more of a 400-metre runner, but she’s been doing some long-distance running of late,” Clark said.

“I said, ‘darling, this could be the last marathon your old man runs, so why don’t you run it with me?’ She agreed and I’m quite excited about that.”

There's more to Brett Clark than just running

Clark was one of the esteemed UQ alumni to be honoured in the 2022 UQ Alumni Awards.