An Australian touch from ABC Refinery has played a part in history happening 1.1 kilometres beneath the earth’s surface, as runners completed the World’s Deepest Marathon in Sweden’s Garpenberg zinc mine.
One of the participants, Melbourne-native and International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) manager of standards Josephine Robertson, was among 55 runners from 18 countries who took on the gruelling underground challenge.
Participants pushed through temperatures of up to 30 degrees and ran in near darkness to complete 11 laps of a 3.84km tunnel, all in pursuit of two pending Guinness World Records – one for the deepest marathon and the deepest underground marathon distance run (team).
Adding to the Australian connection, ABC Refinery struck 65 silver commemorative coins for the event using silver sourced from Evolution Mining’s Cowal operation in New South Wales.
The marathon was organised by BecomingX, ICMM, and Boliden, highlighting both human endurance and the innovation behind modern mining.
“To host a full marathon underground safely and successfully is a remarkable achievement, and a true testament to the transformation of the mining industry,” ICMM chief executive officer Rohitesh Dhawan said.
“With air quality in the Garpenberg mine featuring approximately 30 per cent more oxygen than in the atmosphere and fewer pollutants than major cities, the event powerfully demonstrated what modern, responsible mining looks like, and the innovation that sits at its core.”
BecomingX chief executive officer Paul Gurney said the event embodied the spirit of adventure and resilience.
“Running a marathon is tough enough, but completing one over a kilometre underground with low visibility and high humidity is a true testament to the extraordinary capability of humankind,” he said.
Adding a digital twist, gaming creator Seapeekay livestreamed Minecraft from within the mine, marking the first-ever underground gaming broadcast on Twitch to more than 22,000 viewers.
The event raised over $1 million for the BecomingX Foundation and Wild at Heart Foundation, uniting the mining, sporting and digital worlds in a record-breaking feat of innovation and endurance.
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