6 racers reach finish line in this year's Yukon Arctic Ultra, 40 others dropped out

A difficult new trail, along with extreme cold conditions, made for an especially gruelling Yukon Arctic Ultra this year, with only a fraction of the competitors managing to complete the 600-kilometre race.

Of the 46 competitors who set out from Teslin, Yukon, on Feb. 2 on foot, skis or bike, six crossed the finish line in Faro while the rest dropped out at various points along the way, sometimes because of frostbite.

Harm Feringa of the U.S. was the overall winner, crossing the line on Saturday on a fat bike. Mathieu Blanchard from Montreal was the first to finish on foot, on Monday.

Jessie Gladish of the Yukon was the first female finisher, the second on a bike and fourth overall when she reached Faro on Tuesday. 

The last finisher crossed the line in Faro in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

This year's race followed a new route, the same as this year's Yukon Quest sled dog race. Ultra athletes made their way to Faro by way of Ross River. Racers had the choice of either a 350-kilometre distance or a 600-kilometre distance. Only those racing the 600-kilometre distance managed to finish the race. 

Gladish says this year's route was "very challenging." She has previously raced in the Yukon Arctic Ultra on a bike, on cross-country skis and on foot, but finishing this year felt different.

"It feels a little wild to be one of six [finishers]," Galdish said. "It feels like an accomplishment, especially this year."

This year's route had continuous elevation gain and loss, very different from the former route along the Yukon River, says Gladish.

"We just didn't really get a break from the cold and we didn't get a break from the strenuous climbs and descents. It was very hard," Gladish said. "It can be a little soul-crushing, in a way." 

Despite the challenges on this year's route, Gladish says it was "beautiful." 

"The mountain surroundings are amazing," she said. "We had a moon that was growing over the course of the nine days I was out there and sunny, clear days every day."

Now, Gladish will only have 10 days of rest before her next ultra-marathon race, the 563-kilometre (350-mile) Iditarod Trail Invitational in Alaska, which she will be completing on cross country skis.

40 athletes forced to drop out

Most Yukon Arctic Ultra athletes were forced to end their races early, due to extreme cold and tough course conditions, said race organizer Robert Polhammer.

"People have to go through the South Canol Road and the Dena Cho trail, that's more than what we are used to and that was very hard," Polhammer said. "Add to that temperatures of –30, –35 and sometimes –40 every night, that's a difficult mix for people."

Ten racers dropped out due to frostbite, others ended their races early due to trench foot, back problems or pure exhaustion, says Polhammer. Trench foot is foot damage that results from prolonged exposure to cold and wet environments. 

"We were able to catch all the frostbite cases early enough so that everybody will keep their fingers and toes," Polhammer said. 

Some past competitors have lost digits to frostbite, and in 2018 an Italian competitor lost both his hands and his feet. 

Three of this year's competitors also had to be medevaced by helicopter, because of the remoteness of the race.

"It's less risky to bring them out on a helicopter, because if we bring them out on a snowmobile, their frostbite would re-freeze, so that's not a risk worth taking," Polhammer said. He said the race's insurance covers the cost of helicopter rescues.

Polhammer says despite the arduous conditions, he hopes that the event can return to the same route next year.

"It's a fantastic trail," Polhammer said. "It has challenges for both our athletes and our crew, but it was worth it."