Yukon Arctic Ultra 2004

There are still a few hours to go before the course of Yukon Arctic Ultra 2004 officially closes. Seven of the foot competitors have now finished the 300 mile course, Luke having finished at around 2.15 am on Sunday morning. We caught up with Achim Heukemes taking a rest in the High Country Inn in Whitehorse. He placed fourth in the end. More...

Luke - Finish Line Audio Report

We hear from Luke around 100 metres from the finish line. It's around 2:15am local time - and he sounds very relieved to be finishing. With a breakdown on his strategy for the last 90 miles as well as a huge round of thanks to his understanding wife Charlotte and many other individuals that have helped him on his way. More...

Yukon Arctic Ultra Update

The foot and the skiing sections of Yukon Arctic Ultra 2004 finished on Friday afternoon when Andrew Barnett and Laszlo Kovacs came in together at around 2pm. They had spent just over six days on the course. We caught up with Andrew back in Whitehorse, where he was taking some well-deserved rest at the High Country Inn. He was relieved, but obviously clearly still exhausted.

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Yukon Arctic Ultra Update

As Yukon Arctic Ultra 2004 moves into Day 6, reports reached us from Pelly Crossing, the finish line. Except of course that it is only the finish line when competitors reach it for the second time. First they pass through it, on the way to Pelly Farms. It is only when they return to Pelly Crossing that the race is over. The loop is more than 30 miles.

Andrew Barnett and Laszlo Kovacs, still travelling together, left the checkpoint at Pelly Crossing at 9.45 am this morning. They are expected back, to claim their various first places, the one on foot and the other on skis, at around 10 am on Friday morning. More...

Luke - Audio Report Day 6

Luke reports in from McCabes Farm. He's spent around 6-7 hours at the checkpoint having completed this 41 mile stage. Ahead of him another 32 miles to Pelly Crossing which he anticipates will take around 14-15 hours.

With the end in sight from a mental perspective Luke only has 90 miles to finish and around 60 hours before the cutoff. He expects that thirty hours of the sixty he will be on the move. More...

Yukon Arctic Ultra 2004 - Update

As Yukon Arctic Ultra 2004 moves into Day 6, reports reached us from Pelly Crossing, the finish line. Except of course that it is only the finish line when competitors reach it for the second time. First they pass through it, on the way to Pelly Farms. It is only when they return to Pelly Crossing that the race is over. The loop is more than 30 miles. More...

Yukon Arctic Ultra - Day 5

Yukon Arctic Ultra 2004 has been won by Rocky Riefenstuhl. He arrived at Pelly Crossing yesterday evening, having completed the 300 mile course in 4 days and 6 and half hours. He is at least a day ahead of the rest of the field. His chosen method of transport was mountain bike and it worked well for him. (Using a bike didn‚t go so well for Sven Riedesel, who scratched from the race yesterday. His bike was so heavy and he was pushing it more than riding it, meaning that he got too cold.) The course took Rocky via the finish line at Pelly Crossing, out to Pelly Farms and then back to Pelly Crossing, so he may see some of the other competitors soon, but they will still have a way to go before they finish. Other competitors are barely at the half way point.


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Luke - Audio Report Day 5

Luke checks in with us from Carmacks before setting off on the 41 mile stage to McCabe. Considering the challenging weather conditions - Luke sounds very upbeat and his voice clip today is around five minutes long. More...

Luke - Audio Report Day 4

Luke reports in from CP4 having had a rough night. Having dried out all his kit - he's off towards Carmacks a 40 mile stage which he expects to complete by lunchtime (localtime) tomorrow. More...

Yukon Arctic Ultra update

News from Carmack control point (170 miles)
Both Andrew Barnett, and Lazlo Kovacks are currently at Carmacks, sleeping for a few hours before continuing their race.

Andrew is leading the field of foot-racers, and Lazlo , who completed the 300 miler race last year on foot, is currently on skis. They are both feeling strong and confident.

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Yukon Arctic Ultra- report by Ray Zahab winner of 100 mile footrace

The Yukon Arctic Ultra organised by Robert Pollhammer is definitely the toughest race I have ever competed in! Not only was the distance and terrain challenging, but the beauty and
remoteness of the Yukon made it an awesome event.

My race plan was to run as much as possible, stopping only briefly to relieve myself or emergency bivvy. As it turned out, I did stop twice- once for 10 minutes and once for 15 minutes. ( 2 mins of sleep total!) More...

Yukon Arctic Ultra 2004 Update

Shirley Thompson, now safe and well at the High Country Inn in Whitehorse, phoned in to let us know how the competitors have got on on this year’s Yukon Arctic Ultra.

Rocky Reifenstuhl, on a mountain bike, is still way out ahead. He left the checkpoint at Fred Lake at 4.45 am on Tuesday morning, the only person through by then. He is followed by Laszlo Kovacs, who is on skis. At the last count, the leading runner in the race (only the 300 mile course is still going now) was Andrew Barnett. There is little information on their timings. Still, here are a few stories from the course, though.
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Shirley : Yukon Ultra Day 3 Update

Luke's most recent report from Yukon Arctic Ultra 2004 makes it clear just how hard it has been for the competitors out on the course. To hear it, click below. The environment, and particularly the cold of course, which dropped to -30 at one stage, has made it an extremely tough challenge.


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Luke - Audio Report Day 3

Luke reports in as he prepares to leave the checkpoint having completed the first 100 miles. Overnight the temperatures dropped dramatically - and around 5 people retired from the course. As he sets off on the next 35 mile stage to Fred Lake, Luke seems somewhat cheered by the fact that fellow UK competitor Andrew Elder came 2nd in the 100 mile race.

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Yukon Arctic Ultra 2004, Day 2

On its second night, Yukon Arctic Ultra 2004 has gone through a sudden change of weather which has made the race far harder for the competitors. Having had a fairly mild first 36 hours, during the second night the temperature out on the course plumetted to around minus 30, making the race a far more serious challenge than it was just a day before. Four or five competitors decided to withdraw overnight, some of them suffering the effects of the cold. They were picked up and ferried to safety by snow-machine.
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Luke : Audio Report Day 2

Luke checked in from CP2 with an update on the low down from the Yukon trails... Having been treated the delights of "stew" at the checkpoint and caught a few hours sleep - he's now figuring out that how he can thaw out that thermos flask of water that's rather awkwardly become a big ice cube over night... More...

Shirley : Audio Report Day 1

The Yukon Arctic Ultra is about to go into its second day. Plenty has happened in the first 24 hours. Here’s a round-up of how it’s gone so far, and a report just in from Shirley Thompson, who, approaching dawn Yukon time (9am), was mid-way between Checkpoints 1 and 2

<img src="http://raceblog.pmachinehosting.com/images/uploads/Shirley_and_Michael__in_tent_s.jpg" border="0" align="left" alt="image" name="image" width="200" height="150" /> The first surprise was Rocky Riefenstuhl, who sped off so fast on his mountain bike that the organisers could barely keep up with him. He reached the marathon mark and compulsory stop in less than 2 hours and 30 minutes. He was followed Hungarian Laszlo Kovacs 30 minutes later (on cross country skis) and then an hour later by German Sven Riedesel (also on a bike). The first runner, Peter Mild from Sweden, reached the Ranch at 4.08 pm, and he was followed 6 minutes later by two Canadians, Ray Zahab and Rob McWilliam. More...

Luke : Audio Report Checkpoint 1

Luke touched base from CP1 around 9:30pm last night.

CP1 is a compulsory checkpoint where competitors must stay for 4 hours. During this time the race organisers can assess that each competitor is able to complete a number of tasks including lighting a fire and being able to use their sleeping systems, before allowing them to continue onto the trail. More...

Yukon Arctic Ultra, Start line, Whitehorse

It’s the start today. At midday the forty-six competitors from 12 countries will depart from the town of Whitehorse, and set off into forbidding back-country of the Yukon in northwestern Canada on one of the most gruelling winter races around. It’s the start of the Yukon Arctic Ultra 2004.

There are three courses in the race – some runners have a marathon ahead of them, some a 100 mile course and others a 300 mile course. They also have a choice of transport – on foot, on cross-country skis or on mountain bike. Interestingly there are more competitors in the 300 mile race than in either of the other. Twenty-two competitors will be setting off and hoping the make that distance (two of them on mountain bikes and two on skis, with the rest on foot). There are 18 racers in the 100 miler, and six on the marathon. More...

Luke : Pre Race

Luke Cunliffe reports from the pre-race training course

As part of my preparations for the Yukon Arctic Ultra I enrolled on the training course run by Race Director Robert Polhammer and co-organiser Shelley Gellatley. This involved several hours of classroom-based training/discussion initially, covering subjects such as emergency fire-lighting, shelter building, first aid, movement over icy terrain and what to do if we break through "overflow" on lakes, rivers and creeks. Then we experimented with our equipment, cookers and sleeping systems, in daylight, before testing them again, in anger, so to speak, on a local trail at night. More...

Yukon Ultra 2004 Coverage

Starting on February 14th, technology permitting we'll begin providing in depth coverage of the YAU 2004. Reports from 2 competitors competing in the 300 mile edition of the race this year should provide you enough reason to wrap up warm yourself. As preperations for coverage began 2 weeks ago conditions for the race this year were looking considerably colder than on the inaugural 2003 race - temperatures were hitting lows of -40c to -45c..

However in the last two weeks the weather has been getting progressively warmer.. which you might be mistaken for thinking could potentially make for an easier race.. Only trouble is.. it could mean the bears are waking up..

Stay Tuned..

Stay tuned..

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