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Magdalena Paschke (GER) greeted at the finish line by volunteer crew member Pat Cooke-Rogers

Feb. 12th at 16:58 in the afternoon, Magdalena crossed the line at Johnson’s Crossing, completing the 645km Yukon Arctic Ultra and bringing her long journey south to a close.

Returning to the Yukon after her time here in 2019, Magdalena once again immersed herself in the vastness of the trail. She relishes being outside in this landscape – perhaps not every single moment, but certainly most of them – and that connection to place carried her steadily forward.

Rumour has it she may also have had the best cared-for feet in the entire race – a quiet but crucial skill over 645km. And like several athletes fortunate enough to benefit from this year’s terrain, she enjoyed more than a little sledding on the final downhill stretch into the finish.

A composed, determined performance across a demanding and ever-changing course.

Well done Magdalena – welcome back to Johnson’s Crossing.

Thomas Miller (CAN) at the Johnson’s Crossing finish line

Feb. 12th at 21:33 in the evening, Thomas arrived into Johnson’s Crossing, completing his 600km journey the hard way – on a fat bike.

Choosing a bike is never the easy option. Hard, road-like trail that lets you make quick headway? It’s probably -40°C and punishing both rider and machine. Warmer conditions? You’ll be walking and pushing more than riding. And in any year, mechanical issues are simply more likely than on foot.

This year offered everything. Soft, resistance-heavy snow. Wet conditions. A metre of snowfall in a single day… twice. For a fat biker, it was relentless.

And yet, Thomas truly earned his nickname: Thomas the Tank Engine.

Soft trail? He trudged through it. Wet feet? He managed them. Fresh snowfall burying the route? He found a way.

Steady. Relentless. Uncomplaining. Just keep moving forward. Once you make the decision to do something, you’ve made it. Thomas decided to get to Johnson’s Crossing.

In one of the toughest years for bikes, Thomas didn’t just survive the course – he forged through it.

Well done, Thomas. A hard-earned, thoroughly deserved finish.

What a day to close out a race.

Snow. Hail. Sun. Wind. Every weather system the Yukon could muster – and Maxime met them all head on. A long, tiring final push, the kind that tests patience as much as legs.

But the trail had one last gift to offer: a downhill run to the finish. A final sled. A moment of gravity doing the work at the end of 600 hard-earned kilometres.

Maxime crossed the line to claim 3rd place, completing this year’s 600km podium – and, more importantly, into the arms of his partner. After days of isolation and effort, what more could anyone need to refill the soul?

Well done Maxime. A strong race, carried through every condition the Yukon could throw your way.

If the Yukon rewards patience, it also rewards courage – and in the final days of her race, Yasmin showed both in abundance.

Gradually, then decisively, she lifted the pace. Faster. And faster still. A good portion of the closing stages saw her racing stride for stride with 604 Maxime Bachelot, pushing each other onward through the final miles.
And then came the finish.

At 10:30, after one final high-speed sled into the line, Yasmin hurtled across the finish with momentum, intent, and unmistakable strength. A powerful close to a hard-fought race.

Measured early, fearless late.

A superb run to the line.

Congratulations, Yasmin – what a way to finish. Second overall, and first female!

Feb. 10th at 12:52, Paul Clement crossed the line to win the 645km Yukon Arctic Ultra, welcomed by family, friends, and fellow athlete Guillaume Grima.

A race raced with intelligence, patience, and quiet confidence. Paul arrived looking composed and strong – running and sledding the final 10km, taking it all in, enjoying every last moment of the journey he’d earned.

More photos will follow once crew and photographers have had time to select and process their work. For now, we simply say congratulations.

A remarkable performance. A well-earned victory.

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!

Some races are measured in kilometres. Others are measured in what it takes to keep going. Alexander Davydov’s journey this year was firmly the latter.

After completing the 185km race in Sweden in 2023, Alex set his sights on the Yukon Arctic Ultra. He studied it, prepared for it, even came to observe in 2025 as crew and media. This race mattered to him long before the start line ever appeared.

From the very beginning, the course tested him. At Brooks Brook he was unwell, struggling with stomach issues that made keeping food and water down difficult. Later came a painful ear, then an injured knee toward the end of the trail. Each setback arrived with its own question attached. Each time, Alex answered by managing himself, adapting, and moving forward anyway.

If there is an image of a lone soldier pushing on despite repeated hits, this was it.

When Alex finally reached the finish, all of that effort, frustration, fear, and determination surfaced at once. Raw, emotional, unfiltered.

The kind of moment that only comes when something has been held onto for a very long time. Supported by fellow 350km athletes and crew cheering him home, the weight of it all was finally allowed to fall away.

In the days to come, that release will no doubt give way to a calm catharsis. For now, it stands as a powerful reminder of what it means to commit to something fully, and to see it through.

Well done Alex. And yes, we did hear you saying you’ll be back for the 600km. We look forward to seeing you again, whether here or in Sweden, before long.

From the outside, it looked like Matt Smith spent the entire race smiling. We’re realistic enough to know that isn’t quite true, but at times, it genuinely felt that way.

Filled with good humour, an award-winning smile that stretches from ear to ear, and an optimism most of us would happily borrow, Matt carried himself through the race with a lightness that belied the effort beneath it.

At the finish in Faro, he was greeted by family – a welcome that stands among the greatest honours an athlete can receive at the end of something this physically and emotionally demanding. Applause followed him in, his son in his arms, as he crossed the line damp, tired, sore… and unmistakably happy.

He even found time to sled down one of the final hills… because of course he did.

Safe, surrounded by loved ones, and with the race now behind him, we can only say: well done Matt. It was an honour to have you out on the trail.

Finishing just behind Daniel, Victor Hugo Barros do Carmo arrived into Faro to complete his 350km race, welcomed in the very best way – by fellow Swiss athlete and close friend Patrick Sumi, who was forced to retire earlier this year at Brooks Brook.

As with Michaela before him, Victor Hugo was greeted with a silver 350 balloon, cheers, applause, and a crowd that knew exactly how much this moment mattered.

True to form, Victor Hugo brought with him the warmth, humour, and unmistakable energy that surrounds Team Out’Cha and their friends. Tired bodies, smiling faces, laughter cutting through the cold – the whole checkpoint felt it.

Now reunited with Michaela Senft and Patrick Sumi, the Swiss contingent waits together for the arrival of their final compatriot, 309 Hervé Acosta, sharing stories, warmth, and the quiet satisfaction that comes from seeing the job done.

Well done Victor Hugo, a finish filled with grit, good humour, and genuine heart.

There are athletes who race the Yukon Arctic Ultra, and there are those whose presence quietly shapes it. Daniel Benhammou belongs firmly in the latter.

With something like seven YAU finishes to his name, Daniel is a true veteran – calm, mild-mannered, endlessly good-humoured, and always glass-half-full. He has a way of lifting the people around him, crew and athletes alike, simply by being himself. His impact reaches far beyond his own race.

Year after year, Daniel arrives at the finish line looking cool, collected, and unflustered – much like fellow YAU stalwart Jessie Gladish, the only woman ever to complete the long distance in all three disciplines. This time, though, the Dena Cho Trail finally coaxed the first hint of a sweat from him, proving itself a worthy challenge even for the most seasoned.

We’re grateful, as always, to have Daniel as part of this race. We look forward to staying in touch as the year goes on – and, knowing Daniel, to seeing him back out on the trail again before too long.

This afternoon, Gerald Zechner arrived into Faro to complete his 350km race, securing third place and closing out a hard-earned podium alongside Alex Hoerniss and Michaela Senft.

Quiet. Focused. Fuelled by fire. Gerald crossed the line with an Austrian flag scarf, then let out a guttural roar that felt older than the trail itself – the kind that echoes far beyond the finish and wakes a few ancestors along the way.

A composed race, run with intent from start to finish. No fuss. No theatrics. Just deep effort, discipline, and resolve carried all the way to Faro.

We wish Gerald well as he begins the journey back to Whitehorse alongside fellow athletes – race complete, pulk finally down, and time now to let the experience settle.

Congratulations Gerald. A podium place, well earned.