Yukon Arctic Ultra 2007
Race directors Pre- race report
On Feb. 11th for the 5th time athletes from all over the world will start from the City of Whitehorse to embark on an epic adventure, the Yukon Arctic Ultra. Okay, for 12 of these brave adventurers it will be a rather “short” challenge. They will finish their marathon distance at the Takhini Hotsprings not far away from the capital of the Yukon. There they can enjoy the hot spring water and relax while the others will continue.
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The 100, 300 and 460 mile participants will hit the Old Dawson Trail and get to know some real wilderness. The 460 mile distance is new and it will end in historical Dawson City. It is estimated that the athletes may need up to 13 days to get there. If they need longer they will be disqualified and transported off the course.
Each distance has its challenges and of course those who go to Dawson have to face them all. There are seemingly endless frozen lakes, thousands of hills to climb and of course the cold temperatures.
At the start it will be about – 20 degrees Celsius, a good temperature for racing. Further north and at night temperatures may easily drop to – 40 and colder. That’s when making mistakes may have fatal consequences. Athletes are checked upon by guides on snow mobiles and there are checkpoints. However, the distances in between checkpoints are long. Therefore, athletes depend very much on having done the right training, using the right race strategy and having the right gear, some of which is mandatory. In order to transport all this gear they use so called pulk sleds. At the start line it always looks as if a giant Arctic expedition is about to take off.
Once again, well over 90% of the participants have chosen to do the Yukon Arctic Ultra on foot. Though there are two experienced xc-skiers, Sam Taylor and Jim Groark. It will be interesting to see how well this Scottish-English team can get on.
Trail conditions look to be excellent this year. There has been lots of snow and temperatures were cold enough to freeze the rivers, creeks and lakes. Still, athletes always need to be prepared for surprises like overflow (water on the surface of the ice), breaking through thin ice, horrible snow storms and unexpected wildlife encounters.
So, this race is nothing for the faint-hearted but those who prepared themselves well are in for the adventure of a lifetime. Most athletes enjoy it so much they come back again and again. More than 50% of this year’s starters are doing the race for at least the second time. Some, like Joachim Rintsch will be here for the 4th time in a row. “There is nothing like being totally on your own in the middle of nowhere and the Northern Lights above you”, says the German. “That is why I have to come back all the time”, he adds. And most athletes would agree. It is the non-stop mode (vs. stage racing), the beautiful nature and the extreme temperatures that make this race so unique. The icing on the cake is an organising team and volunteers who create a very friendly atmosphere.
From February 11th you will find updates on the Yukon Arctic Ultra on EventRate.com.
If you want to find out more about the race and see more pictures check out www.arcticultra.de
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