Yukon Arctic Ultra 2007
Jessica Simons writes:
Race Update, Feb. 17th
Weather: It’s snowing to beat the band in Whitehorse, and hot as blazes in Pelly Crossing. Joachim Rintsch and Tom Wolter-Roessler hiked out of McCabe to sunbathe on the trail today and arrived at 17:25.
MORE...
Klaus Schweinberger and Pearse Allen followed after an eight hour break at McCabe at 06:40, “and are moving along very fast,” Robert Pollhammer said. When they, along with Sean Brown, who left the riverside farmhouse at 07:37, get to the Selkirk First Nation Community Centre, they’ll be greeted by the Danes, Torben Birch and Palle Andersen, who arrived together on strong legs at 18:33. Sean, unfortunately, has shin splints, but his day-old taping has seen him through the roughest section of the 300 mile course. This is his third comeback to the Yukon, and all are cheering his push to the end.
Thirty miles away Andy Heading and Frank Janssens have their feet up at Pelly Farms. Since yesterday they’ve been traveling together and left Pelly Crossing at 07:25. They reached the oldest farm in the Yukon at 17:15.
Andy’s mandatory eight hour lay over will have him out before dawn, when he and Frank part company - Andy to break trail into the goldfields and Frank on the final leg of his 300 mile finish.
Frank will dog David Berridge, the third 300 finisher who left Pelly Farms at 13:48 after a two hour break. David enjoys walking so much, he tiptoed into and out of the checkpoint and headed a mile or two up the Farm Road before turning around to make sure they really knew he’d been there. David should cross the finish line tomorrow in time for dinner.
Race Update, Feb. 16th
Team Terraz wins 300
From lunchtime yesterday to teatime today, the Italian team of Stefano Miglietti and Enrico Ghidoni blasted over sixty miles of Yukon wilderness to take first place in the 2007 300 mile Yukon Arctic Ultra. In 126 hours “We never stopped between the checkpoints,” said Stefano, “not to eat or to sleep.” They also ran, rather than walked, the initial marathon, giving themselves a leg up on their planned times.
Miglietti, an electronic parts supplier, and Ghidoni, a conservation officer, kept up a steady kilometers miles per hour. Their pace broke Stefano’s rookie time of 146 hours in 2005 and last year’s record of 129 hours held by Andrew Matulionis.
Next is David Berridge who came into Pelly Crossing at 11:08 and struck out at 13:46. Blister-free and limber as one can be after a week on their feet, sleep deprivation has caught up to him. He wanted his wife and family to know, though, that otherwise “I’m feeling fine and really enjoying myself.” Four hours later, Frank Janssens came into the checkpoint, followed by 460 leader Andy Heading at 18:05.
Farther back, Dawson-bound Joachim Rintsch and Tom Wolter-Roessler were all smiles when friends and racers greeted them at McCabe Creek at 18:25. Several miles back are Klaus Schweinberger and Pearse Allen.
Palle Andersen and Torben Birch shaved some of their rest time today to maintain a qualifying pace and arrived at McCabe Creek at 22:43. Overnighting on the trail behind them is Sean Brown. Although he left Carmacks with the Danes today at 06:25, he’s struggling with his Ken Lake shin splints.
Withdrawing from the race is Mark Allen who had yet to reach the Carmacks checkpoint by the 04:30 cut off time this morning. While the trail may have defeated him this year, he’ll be back for another attempt.
Back to Main News
There are no comments yet! Be the first to leave one!
