By foot, ski or the fat tires of a winter mountain bike, Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra racers will start their journey following this year’s new Yukon Quest trail.
The annual ultra race, like the Quest sled dog race, is gearing up for a Sunday, Feb. 2 start in Teslin. Both the Ultra and the Quest are diverging from their typical route that follows the Yukon River on much of its course north to Dawson City after the 2024 runnings of both races were challenged by open water on the river in the vicinity of McCabe Creek. Ultra racers had to be shuttled by car around the waterlogged section of trail. Quest mushers were also shuttled but difficulty supplying a checkpoint on the short notice led the race to be stopped in Pelly Crossing.
With a new route mapped, Arctic Ultra race director Robert Pollhammer was in Whitehorse on Jan. 30 putting the finishing touches the race plan. This year’s Ultra will have 640 and 340 kilometre races. Starting in Teslin and then striking North along the South Canol Road, Racers will go to Ross River along the same route the Quest is following.
“There’s one thing that we do differently, which is that our 600-kilometre athletes, they’re going also up on the North Canol Road,” Pollhammer explained.
Both Ultra races’ finish lines are in Faro after they run the length of the Dena Cho Trail with a 150-kilometre out-and-back leg on the North Canol making up the difference for the 640-kilometre race.
There is usually a frigid marathon starting from the same place as the Ultra but it won’t be run this year, Pollhammer said.
Racers will travel between 40 and 70 km between checkpoints, which Pollhammer said is similar to the old route.
“Each one of them is a little adventure in itself for the crew and everything,” Pollhammer said of setting up the checkpoints by snowmobile.
“So that’s our biggest job this year, to make sure that works and the athletes get the support they need”
Pollhammer said there has been a good reception so far from Ross River and Faro who have not had the Ultra visit their communities in the past. Amid the route change he said he is grateful for the hosts of a checkpoint at a home in Brooks Brook between Teslin and Johnson’s Crossing.
“That's very Yukon-like. There's probably not that many other places in the world where somebody would say, sure, you can come to my place in the middle of the night with 46 athletes in the crew and use my house as a checkpoint,” Pollhammer said.
He also expressed gratitude for cooperation with the Yukon Quest and the Canadian Rangers who blaze the Quest trail.
Looking to the field of racers taking on the Ultra this year Pollhammer said things are looking good with 46 people registered, some from as far afield as Australia and Singapore. There are also locals signed up, Pollhammer expressed excitement that Jessie Gladish, a Yukoner, will be back for this year’s race on her fat bike. Gladish is one of only two people to complete the Ultra’s longest distance on foot, on skis and on a bike, a feat she capped off when she rode into Dawson City in 2023. Pollhammer noted that Gladish is a big help in the pre-race training course offered to competitors.
The race director said that also among registered racers are Mathieu Blanchard an elite long-distance trail runner from France and Guillaume Grima another strong runner who competed in the ultra in 2023.
He said the weather forecast for the start of the coming race is "about perfect." It will be cold enough for firm trails during the day with overnight lows the athletes should all have sufficient gear to cope with
Pollhammer noted that athletes in the Arctic Ultra will again be under observation by scientists from the University of Berlin who have been engaged in a long-term study of the race’s physiological effects.
Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com
