Michael Pappas conquers the world’s deepest marathon, 1,120 metres underground in Sweden’s Garpenberg Mine, finishing on the podium and helping his team set a Guinness World Record in extreme heat.
Sweden (12 November 2025) – It’s dark, humid, and the air feels heavy deep beneath the earth. For most people, it’s not the ideal place to go for a jog, let alone run a full marathon. But for South Africa’s Michael Pappas, that is exactly what he did. Running 42.2 kilometres, 1,120 metres underground in the heart of Sweden’s Garpenberg Mine.
Michael defied the elements to secure a third-place finish in 03:21:54, as part of a 60-runner group that set a new Guinness World Record (GWR) for the deepest marathon ever run.
“The GWR attempt was for the deepest marathon run by a group. This was abundantly clear to all of us. I certainly had a greater sense of joy and fulfilment to see the last runner and our entire group complete the distance to secure the record.”
For Michael, the race was also deeply connected to his professional life.
“I work for a mining company. I was identified by the company. The event organisers reached out to all of their members to have representation in the event. You would have seen that even the South African participants came from various mining houses.”
Michael said that while representing the company he works for was a privilege, it was also something he personally embraced.
“I took it on completely because on a personal level, I really am passionate about running, but I’m also really passionate about my profession.”
Despite being an experienced runner, Michael admitted the thought of going underground for the first time was daunting.
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“I had actually never been underground before, so that was part of the first mental barrier to break. You’re excited for this incredible experience, but you’re also nervous about how you’re going to respond to the environment.”
Running in the dark and heat came with its own challenges, but Michael said the shared spirit of the runners kept him going.
“First of all, it was the collective spirit. I ran with my colleague 80% of the way. There was a very firm sense of camaraderie and collectiveness. To get a Guinness record, you have to apply beforehand. The record we indicated we were going for was a collective record, so it wasn’t about who was the fastest. It was that we all won the record for the first marathon to be run 1,120 metres below ground.”
Having run the Comrades Marathon multiple times, Michael said the sense of unity underground even surpassed what he had experienced on the road.
“I’ve run Comrades like seven times, so I know all about camaraderie. It’s in my blood. And even that moved me, that’s just how big this was. You could not make that up. It was a real, raw feeling.”
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