Gary Marvin (UK)
Plenty of swearing. Stiff determination. And a pulk suspiciously full of brand-new kit following a Zoom call with Jessie as part of her training course. A solid head start, by anyone’s measure.
There was a burnt pair of shoes at Evelyn Creek. Some classic checkpoint kit faff. Only one genuinely good night’s sleep.
And yet… not a single blister. The tape job? Flawless. Textbook. (See the photos – we checked.)
Gary crossed the line without issue, save for the very convincing faux collapse over the finish, which deserves its own quiet round of applause. Beneath the grit and the grumbling was a race run with care, attention, and just enough stubbornness to keep everything moving in the right direction.
Thank you, Gary, for a brilliant race and for being an absolute pleasure to follow along the trail. We can already hear the cogs turning as we gently work on persuading you to come back next year… tattoo or no tattoo.
Hervé Acosta (SUI) greeted at the finish line by fellow Out’Cha team member Michaela Senft
If there were such a thing as the soul of a race, Hervé Acosta would be carrying a large part of it. Arguably the most expressive member of Team Out’Cha, a YAU without Hervé would be missing something essential – and we’re very glad that wasn’t the case this year.
A veteran of the Lapland Arctic Ultra and a returning YAU athlete, Hervé brings more than just experience to the trail. Smiles and grins. Cheeky glances. Practical jokes. The unmistakable signs of someone who works hard, plays hard, and lives fully in between. Someone who works to live, not the other way around.
The final stretch of the Dena Cho demanded a little extra fight this time, but Hervé dug in and crossed the 350km finish line at 12:14, safely ahead of the cut-off. Waiting for him were Michaela Senft and Patrick Sumi – arms open, smiles wide. Having your people there at the finish line means more than words ever quite manage to capture.
Well done Hervé. Enjoy the time in Dawson, soak it all in, and we’ll see you again at the end of the race to carry on the celebrations.
Now, the race turns its full attention south. The 600km athletes begin the long mental battle of retracing their steps, heading back the way they came toward the finish at Johnson’s Crossing.
All eyes on them!
