ROAD RUNNING
GETTING TO THE START LINE
The flights were : Cape Town – Joburg – Paris – Stockholm – Lulea . We decided to overnight in Lulea to do a first run in the snow , test equipment , and make any final emergency purchases that may be required . This was a good call !
A pre-race start line pic of the field of 39 athletes .
We spent a day getting everything ready , packing and repacking , trying to find the balance of too much versus too little . This is because you have to carry all your own food for the duration of the race , as well as equipment , clothes and a comprehensive list of compulsory medical kit . Every little bit of weight matters as we transitioned from travel luggage to getting “ race ready .”
We then took a train to Gällivare , where we would meet the race organisers for race briefing and detailed kit checks . We met the rest of the 40 participants there , and the next day , took a bus trip of around two hours to where we would start the next morning , in the Lapland wilderness , deep inside the Arctic Circle .
Setting off on the first stage . get to the first 10km checkpoint , the race will be a reality , and we ’ ll be able settle down .” So true !
There were checkpoints every 10km , where you could climb into a teepee tent to warm up a little and fill up with warm or cold water . At these checkpoints , we met local Sami people who support the race organisers during the event . The Sami are semi-nomadic reindeer herders , hardened people , who we found to have a great sense of humour !
The 50km first stage took Robin and I 11 hours and 35 minutes . It was a long day out ! Taryn and Andre had a great day , coming in at around eight hours 20 minutes ! That night we stayed at Aktse ' s remote hunters ' cabins , in the middle of nowhere . 10 bunk beds in two rooms , where the prime real-estate was the space in front of the fireplace , to dry your clothes .
THE GLOBAL RACE SERIES
Images : Mikkel Beisner / Beyond The Ultimate , Muderspack / Beyond The Ultimate & courtesy Cordi van Niekerk
DAY 1 : KUNGLEDSEN 50km with 840m Ascent
We survived the night in the teepee tent and then the craziness began . It was still dark as we did the final checks to make sure we had everything we needed and handed in our travel bags , which we would only see again at the end . Then it was breakfast and get ready for the start . After months of preparation , those three hours felt like 10 minutes , as we geared up for the start . The six of us took a start line selfie , and we were ready to get going .
Day One was about getting to grips with the snow , crossing the first frozen lakes , and climbing up snowy mountains . Spectacular scenes greeted us as we went higher and higher , and we were blessed with clear weather . In the build-up , Robin had said , “ When we
Pre-race briefing … tension , nerves and excitement .
The Ice Ultra is one of four ultra-distance multi-day , self-sufficiency stage races in the Global Race Series , organised by the British-based events company Beyond The Ultimate , which are designed to test the resilience and endurance of any runner . These races are set in some of the most remote and hostile environments on earth , but also some of the most beautiful .
The Ice Ultra is a race across the Arctic Circle in Sweden , in what is known as Europe ’ s last remaining wilderness . The Jungle Ultra in Peru is set deep in the heat of the Amazon Rainforest , while the Desert Ultra crosses the Namib , the world ’ s most ancient and hostile desert . And the Mountain Ultra climbs one of the largest and least-explored mountain ranges in the world , The Tian Shan Mountains in Kyrgyzstan . ( Beyond The Ultimate also organises the For Rangers Ultra in Kenya and the Highlands Ultra in Scotland .)
Click the video link here to see more on the Ice Ultra , or go to www . beyondtheultimate . co . uk to read more about all the races in the Global Race Series .
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