The world premiere of a documentary film depicting an extraordinary, record-breaking underground marathon drew an audience of hundreds on the second day of the Investing in African Mining Indaba 2026 today.
The movie World’s Deepest Marathon follows novice and seasoned runners – including representatives from 20 mining companies – as they prepare to confront darkness, silence and subterranean in the deepest marathon ever attempted.
Filmed 1 119m below sea level inside Sweden’s, Garpenberg zinc mine, the remarkable documentary is a compelling story of teamwork, courage and endurance.
The movie is based on a ground-breaking event that took place in October 2025, which saw 55 runners from 17 countries attempting the deepest marathon ever run – in a zinc mine owned by the Boliden high-tech metals company.
The goal of the endurance challenge was to celebrate human potential, change perceptions of mining, and raise money for several charities.
The event was a unique collaboration between development specialists BecomingX, sustainable-mining body the International Council on Mining and Minerals (ICMM) and Boliden. It also highlighted safety, innovation and transformation in the modern mining industry.
The event broke two world records – for deepest team and individual marathons – and raised more than £1 million for charity.
With temperatures reaching 28°C, gravel floors and no natural light, runners ran 11 laps of a 3.84km underground course, wearing specialist reflective running gear, helmets and headtorches, as they tested their physical and mental limits.
BecomingX co-founder Bear Grylls said the World’s Deepest Marathon embodied his organisation’s message that we all have the potential to achieve extraordinary things.
“This is about more than breaking records,” he said. “It’s about proving what’s possible when we dare to push beyond our perceived boundaries, into the unknown,” said Grylls.
The event also required complex logistics challenges, as the mine had to continue operating during the event, and every one of the 55 runners required 100 litres of water to get them through the race.
The project was supported by 23 sponsors, including official partners World Gold Council, Hindustan Zinc, and Teck Resources, whose senior leaders took part in the underground marathon.
“This event shows just how far mining has come,” said ICMM CEO Rohitesh Dhawan at the premiere. “The World’s Deepest Marathon not only supports great causes but shines a light on the innovation, safety and humanity that define the modern, responsible mining industry.”
Mikael Staffas, CEO of Boliden, said that, as one of the safest and most technologically advanced mines in the world, Garpenberg was the perfect setting to show that mining can be both cutting-edge and purpose-driven, with conditions safe enough to stage extreme endurance events.
The premiere was followed by a live panel discussion featuring filmmakers, as well as marathon participants, who shared insights into what it took to complete a 42,2km distance beneath the earth’s surface.
“This race has helped to change the narrative about the mining industry,” said runner Corinne Smit, also head of sales and marketing for Newmont.
Teck president and CEO Jonathan Price also competed, having only recently recovered from hip surgery. He said the experience had reignited his love for the sport of running.
“I loved getting back to something I missed,” he said. “I also appreciated helping to tell a story of inclusion in mining. Our race included men, women, and people from all kinds of backgrounds, right across the world.
“I wanted to see how strong I am”, said participant Ledile Dikgale, also a drill and blast technical manager at Kumba Iron Ore in South Africa. “The marathon helped me do that. I was also able to raise funds for education and for wildlife preservation through the race’s online platform.”
Another of the race’s unique features was that because no spectators were permitted underground during the race, runners had to support each other.
The underground marathon runners passionately shared how they became cheerleaders for one another – echoing the theme of this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba, “Stronger Together: Progress through partnerships”.
- Find out more about the World’s Deepest Marathon here. Investing In African Mining Indaba 2026 runs until February 12.
