By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider
A documentary film titled “World’s Deepest Marathon” premiered on the second day of the Investing in African Mining Indaba, which drew a crowd of over 100 people to witness the premiere.
The documentary film follows a group of runners which include representatives from 20 mining companies, as they willingly prepare to confront darkness and subterranean plains which is regarded as one of the deepest marathons ever attempted.
The documentary was filmed 1119m below sea level inside the Garpenberg zinc mine in Sweden which highlights themes of teamwork, resilience and courage. This groundbreaking event took place in October 2025, and saw 55 runners from a total of 17 countries as they attempted the deepest marathon in a mine owned by the Boliden high-tech metals company. The goal of this attempt was to highlight human potential, as well as to change the perception around mining and to raise funds for charities.
The event was a collaboration between development specialists such as BecomingX, The International Council on Mining and Minerals (ICMM) and Boliden.
The individuals who participated in the marathon had raised a total of 1 million Euros for charity. The temperature during the marathon had reached 20 degrees celsius, with no natural light and the runners ran over 11 laps of a 3.84km underground course, and they wore specialist reflective running gear, helmets and headtorches to facilitate their journey.
“This is about more than breaking records…it’s about proving what’s possible when we dare to push beyond our perceived boundaries into the unknown,” said BecomingX co-founder Bear Grylls when highlighting the intended message behind the film.
“This race also helped to change the narrative about the mining industry” said Corinne Smith who participated in the marathon and also serves as head of sales and marketing for Newmont.
“This event shows just how far mining has come…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” said ICMM CEO Rohitesh Dhawan at the premiere of the film.