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Metro Detroit Man Prepares For Race Of His Life -- A Marathon On Antarctica

COMMERCE TWP. (WWJ) - A Commerce Township man is training for the race of his life -- a marathon on Antarctica.

Doug Wagner is among a group of people who will take to the frozen continent in March. He said the whole thing is to benefit The Mission Continues, an organization that supports veterans transitioning out of the military.

Normally, the race is sold out years in advance, but Wagner was tipped off to a recent cancellation and went for it.

"Am I a thrill seeker? Not really. I guess I'm just willing though, for different types of goals and challenges," Wagner told WWJ's Scott Ryan. "But I truly enjoy to travel so I thought, 'Boy, an opportunity to spend time with friends and do something very unusual,' and it seemed quite appealing."

Wagner said the current weather in Michigan is great training for the race.

"The race conditions typically have been anywhere from 10 degrees to 40 degrees, but the winds they're saying could be quite severe," he said. "And you don't actually want it to be too warm because you'll have a lot of melting that occurs and you'll be in ankle-deep mud before you know it."

Wagner, whose goal is to finish the race injury-free, said dressing in layers will be key, but runners can't leave any clothing or wrappers on the course to preserve the Antarctic environment.

"There's people who have gone in just basic running shoes and socks and shorts and light-weight upper apparel, and they've gone to full parkas and almost like you're in a snowmobile suit," he said. "I anticipate to cover all aspects of any exposed skin, but you don't want to wear anything too heavy because you can peel it off, but you have to carry it with you."

Runners are hoping to raise $10,000 to donate to The Missing Continues. For more information or to donate to the cause, click here.

The Mission Continues provides fellowships to returning vets so that they can continue their legacy of service to our country by supporting local businesses here at home.

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