As part of preparing for the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra it makes sense to read books about cold weather races and adventures. There are some books that actually deal with…
As you may already have noticed I have stared to update the website with details for the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra 2019. The race will start February 3rd in Whitehorse.…
The MYAU marathon participants ran approximately 780 km this year. As promised, per km 1 CAD goes to Little Footprints, Big Steps. I have rounded up the total and just…
Jethro De Decker arrived at Pelly Farm 03:45 this morning. He is perfectly fine and could have easily gone back to Pelly Crossing. However, we decided to make the farm…
At 16:05 Jethro de Decker reached our McCabe checkpoint. Temperatures are still around - 40 degrees Celsius. He has got no frostbite and looked good when coming into the CP.…
Like on all the other days we have seen temperatures down to - 40 degrees Celsius during the day. In all 14 previous races we have not had anything like…
Back from Braeburn Lodge to a quick rest and some updates at race Headquarter. Michelle Smith finished the 100 mile race today to rank 4th overall and 1st in the…
Emanuele Gallo from Italy arrived in Braeburn February 3rd at 22:11 which makes him the overall winner of this year’s 100 mile race. The entire crew is really happy for…
As you all will have seen by now the race is continuing. As soon as we had functioning ski-doos at Braeburn Lodge we gave the “go”. All remaining athletes are…
This morning the crew at Dog Grave Lake re-checked if all athletes had the necessary kit to build a fire and operate a stove. They also checked the athlete's clothing…
Almost all athletes looked strong as they got to Muktuk Adventures last night. So, we were hoping most of them will get through the night without major problems. Unfortunately, this…
At 10:35 AM 48 athletes from 17 different countries hit the Yukon Quest trail in Whitehorse. Temperatures were around – 30 degrees. Local runner Kristin Daniel won the marathon distance,…
There are no major changes to the schedule. Just that the indoor part our training course will finish at 15:30 (instead of 15:00) and the outdoor part will then start…
Our crew of snowmobile guides went out yesterday, starting at Takhini Bridge to mark the trail for day 1. Normally this is done by the Canadian Rangers and we just…
Trackleaders have come up with a new and great way for MYAU athletes who are using their own SPOT/inReach or who are renting a SPOT to submit all relevant information,…
Expedition bread from the Alpine Bakery in Whitehorse
You are looking for some snacks for the long stretches between checkpoints? Then you should try the expedition bread from the Alpine Bakery in Whitehorse. It is one of their…
Right now the Dawson Overland trail is very icy until about 10 km south of Dog Grave Lake. There is also a significant amount of overflow. Furthermore, we have the…
Once again Primus will sponsor the fuel for all MYAU athletes. Please go to Coast Mountain Sports on Main Street Whitehorse in order to get your fuel. They have white…
Just a quick info re. the right sleeping bag for the MYAU. Our rule says that the sleeping bag needs to be rated to – 45° Celsius extreme temperature (by…
I would like to remind all athletes signed up for MYAU 2018 who live in Europe to send the originals of all their forms to my German address (Robert Pollhammer,…
I updated the pre-race schedule. You will now already see what rooms at the Coast High Country Inn we use for handing out stuff, etc. Important news for all marathon…
I just added information on our usage of SPOT trackers in the FAQ section. All athletes who participate next year should read it carefully. If you bring your own SPOT…
Many MYAU athletes use multi-fuel stoves. We recommend and rent out the Primus OmniLite Ti. Multi-fuel stoves are efficient and powerful. They get snow/ice melted quickly if need be. These…
If you want to buy some gear at Coast Mountain Sports in Whitehorse and you want to make sure that whatever you need is there for you, please email Corina…
Fall is here and temperatures are getting colder. This usually means I get asked more and more questions about the upcoming MYAU, e.g. re. timings, flight bookings, accommodation, etc. Therefore,…
In 2018 the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra Marathon Finish and first checkpoint will be at Muktuk Adventures! It will be a great place for the organising team, athletes and local…
If you followed the news on the MYAU 2017 you will have enjoyed a number of short films made by Yann Besrest-Butler and Thilo Klenz. Once again, thank you Yann…
The Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra 2017 is history. Our 14th edition of the world’s coldest and toughest ultra. It was a cold one indeed. Although the major challenge this time…
Here comes our MYAU 2017 Athlete Survey. If you participated in this year's race please do take a couple of minutes to answer the questions. Your feedback is very important!…
The last 430 mile athlete, Uwe Paschke, finished his race and was super happy. Once again, congratulations to all finishers! And a big thank you to all athletes who came…
Jessie Thomson-Gladish crossed our Dawson City finish line at 01:04. It's the second time she finishes the 430 mile race. Once again she has amazed the entire crew with her…
Today Daniel Benhammou (at 19:42), Jan Francke (at 20:19) and Julian Hall (at 21:34) reached our 430 mile finish line in Dawson City. Daniel (USA) who already is a 300…
Enrico Ghidoni from Italy arrived at the Dawson City 430 mile finish line today at 08:40. Simon Reed from England arrived 11:40. Enrico had received a time penalty of 12…
Stefan Zahlten from Germany crossed the Pelly finish line yesterday at 19:30 to place 2nd. At 23:15 Laura Trentani from Italy finished for 3rd overall and 1st in the women's…
Bernhard Hasenbald from Germany crossed the Dawson City finish line late afternoon yesterday to take 1st place in our 430 mile race. Congratulations Bernhard! Enrico Ghidoni is currently in second…
Steve Hayes from Wales wins the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra 300 mile race. He arrived at the Pelly Crossing finish line on Feb. 12th at 11:20 local time. He is…
Just to let everyone know who is using Facebook, our group there is very active and features a lot of images and the more "quicker" news. It is now also…
As every year, once we close the checkpoint at Braeburn Lodge and are set up in Carmacks, McCabe and Pelly Crossing, things start to be a bit calmer. Time for…
Peter Thornton and David Hartley won our 100 mile race coming in today at 14:10. Alistair Cole and Tristan Brown came in 3rd at 17:15. All are from England. Congratulations…
Temperatures did go down to - 37 degrees Celsius in some places last night. As always this does cause problems for the athletes. Things that normally are not much of…
We had a really great first day! Cold but beautiful. The start was in time at 10:30 AM Shipyard's Park. Congratulations to all marathon winners and finishers! Local athlete Brendan…
Just a reminder that all athletes who bring their own SPOT should create and save a separate "Message Contact Profile" for MYAU. Under that contact profile, we recommend you do…
Regarding fuel pick-up at the Coast Mountain Sports, staff is ready now to help any MYAU athletes. Who needs liquid fuel can pick up 2 litres. You just need to…
Thanks to the support of Primus and Coast Mountain Sports we can once again offer free fuel to all MYAU participants. You just need to go to Coast Mountain Sports…
Just a quick reminder to all participants to send in the originals of ALL/any missing paperwork by mail (not email) before January 20th. Please send it to Robert Pollhammer Isarstr.…
Dr. Mathias Steinach will be back to conduct a study among MYAU athletes for the third time. He will study the effects the race has got on 430 mile runners…
Our world can be a strange place. The current US election results, climate change, wars, refugee crisis, ... Anybody in their right mind sometimes has to wonder. So, it’s great…
Almost everybody travelling to Canada now needs to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before the actual journey starts. I recommend going to the eTA Application to apply for…
Fraserway RV from Whitehorse will help us with one of their great winter ready RVs for the crew again! They also have a special offer for friends & family of…
Driving Force in Whitehorse have confirmed that they are happy to give a 10% discount again to anyone associated with the MYAU. So, if you have friends or family travelling…
Once again, the Downtown Hotel will be our exclusive partner for accommodation in Dawson City. We have a group booking number now which is # 627. If you already booked…
From 2017 onwards Stewart Stirling will offer a 4 day survival training course leading up to the race, i.e. participants can combine the course with the actual participation in the…
The 14th edition of the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra will start Feb. 5th, 2017. That is one day after the Yukon Quest starts in Whitehorse. Applications are already possible. Anybody…
Derek Crowe now has uploaded all his photos to: http://www.derekcrowe.photo/Yukon-Arctic-Ultra-2016. For a limited time his images are available for purchase online. He charges CAD 20 per image or CAD 250…
Apologies for the slow updates on the website. The internet in Pelly Crossing is a bit slow right now. If you follow the MYAU on facebook you will have seen…
This is just one of many great photos that Derek Crowe took during this year's Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra. This one shows Jan Kriska, winner and holder of the new…
Julie, Oliver and Jessie got into the Carmacks CP way before cut-off. And so did Kabasawa. Unfortunately, Kabasawa has got immersion foot with the risk of an infection. That's the…
This morning it was - 30 degrees Celsius and it has not warmed up a lot. However, all athletes are handling the cold very well by now. Unfortunately, James Innes…
At 14:45 today fatbiker Florian reached Pelly Crossing. Since he really cold feet going through overflow he decided to get another good rest before he leaves for Pelly Farm. Florian…
We have seen most athletes come into Braeburn today. Right now there is only 100 miler and xc-skier Thomas Keller still out there. He will be here a long time…
David Hirschfeld and Michael Faergegaard finish 100 miles
David Hirschfeld (USA) reached the 100 mile finish at 16:50 yesterday placing 2nd. Michael Faergegaard (Denmark) followed in the evening to take rank 3. Both were tired but in good…
Michele arrived at the Braeburn 100 mile finish line after 21h 56min. Only local athlete Justin Wallace managed to have a better time in 2012. Congratulations Michele! Really well done.…
The Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra (MYAU) 2016 started on time yesterday, at 10:30 AM at Shipyard’s Park in Whitehorse. It was very windy but relatively mild. The “warm” temperatures also…
White gas to be handed out at Coast Mountain Sports
From tomorrow onwards MYAU participants can fill their fuel bottles with white gas at Coast Mountain Sports in Whitehorse. If you want to make use of this free of charge…
The following trail update just came from Gary who marked the river trail from Whitehorse to Rivendell Farm: "I was out marking the river today. The warm weather last week…
Not much longer now. Feb. 4th at 10:30 AM this year’s Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra will start. So far things are looking good. It is a bit warm and that…
All rental sleeping bags will be handed out in Whitehorse. In the past some European athletes already got their sleeping bags shipped to them prior to the race. Not this…
Very important for anyone who wants to buy kit in Whitehorse, e.g. Neo Overboots: "Welcome to Coast Mountain Sports, Yukon’s largest outdoor store! Coast Mountain Sports is located in the…
Happy New Year everyone! Some things to remember for all MYAU 2016 athletes: If your name is still on the race roster but you already know that you can't come, please…
Not only did Derek Crowe help us with our new Fatbike. He also will be our race photographer for the MYAU 2016! Which is awesome because he is a Yukoner…
As of now we can offer a special edition fatbike to anybody who wants to participate in the MYAU and needs wheels for it. This fatbike is also available to…
All athletes who bring their own SPOT please note that you should create and save a separate "Message Contact Profile" for MYAU. Under that contact profile, we recommend you do…
For our 2016 MYAU we have a new local sponsor. Fraserway RV will support us with a winterized RV for our crew. And also friends and family from athletes can…
In 2016 we will work with SPOT satellite tracking devices again. As with any technology, there are pros and cons. But overall the positive aspects are more than the negative…
The Montane Extreme Smock is one of the first pieces of clothing that our title sponsor put into the market more than 20 years ago. Since then it has proven…
As the Official Fuel Supplier, Primus will supply the participants with either LPG gas cartridges or, for colder conditions, white gas. LPG Gas is not just any gas. Its the Primus…
Yesterday I updated race rule #13. The basic message of this rule remains the same. Anybody participating in the MYAU needs to have sufficient insurance cover for medical emergencies. The…
Our race in 2015 once again demonstrated that the low temperatures can bring the participants to their limit. -50 degrees Celsius caused a lot of problems. It it gets this…
The Application & Waiver for the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra 2016 is ready. Anybody interested in signing up please send me an email to info@thegreatoutdoors.de. Entry fees will go up…
All MYAU 2015 race photos taken by Yann Besrest-Butler are now available on www.yannbb.com for purchase. And there are a lot more photographs than what had been posted on arcticultra.de…
Another MYAU is history. It was a tough one. Temperatures of - 45 degrees Celsius, in some places on the trail possibly even down to - 50 degrees Celsius during…
At 13:52 today Bernhard Hasenbalg from Germany reached the finish line in Dawson City. He was all smiles of course and told me that several times he was close to…
At 15:15 today Niclas Bentzer and David Erixon reached the 430 mile finish line in Dawson. They rank 2nd in the xc-ski category and 8th overall. Jörn and his friends…
Mathieu Bonnier from France reached the Dawson City finish line at 18:55 yesterday. He ranks 1st in the xc-ski division. Overall he is the 7th athlete to finish the 430…
Pat arrived in Dawson yesterday at 16:30. She now ranks 6th overall and 4th in the overall bike category. She is first in the women's MTB category and the first…
At 10:30 this morning Joel crossed the finish line of the 430 mile race in Dawson. He placed 2nd in the foot category and 5th overall. It also makes him…
Tonight we saw the arrival of Hanno Heiss winner of the 430 mile foot race who completed the race in 9 days 8 hours and 55 minutes. Congratualtions Hanno, an…
by Lucy Tanner - Volunteer Support Crew Diane, Jo and Lucy set off on a trip up the trail late last night in search of the elusive Northern Lights. Departing…
15th February 2015 16:50 Enrico Ghidoni crosses the finish line to become the winner of the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra 2015. He has achieved a hatrick having won this event…
So having established our new office in a room at the Downtown Hotel, we have been watching Enrico’s progress with bated breath. We are all rooting for him…. did you…
by Dr. Mathas Steinach, Center for Space Medicine and Extreme Environments Berlin, Germany Humans are homeothermic mammals, which means that a stable internal temperature (the body core) is maintained regardless…
Amongst other media we have with us a Canadian production team from Al Jazeera's worldwide English channel. Below you will find two very nice features that were already broadcast:
All athletes are accounted for and have left Ken Lake checkpoint. Unfortunately, we had an athlete scratching there. And it's an unexpected one. Nicole Dörr from Germany could not continue…
Well, it has certainly been an interesting couple of action packed days. Not just for the athletes of this, the World’s Toughest and Coldest Ultra Marathon but for the support…
Kyle McCoy from the USA arrived at the Braeburn finish line at 14:11 on Feb. 9th. Considering the circumstances that is a very, very good time. What is even more…
We have some really great team spirit going on amongst the front running mountain bikers. Derek Crowe was clearly in the lead when he got to Braeburn today. But instead…
I am finally in Braeburn and now have the time to write a quick update. First of all I want to let everybody know that Michal Kielbasinski, 430 mile athlete…
Just a quick reminder that a little while ago we changed the timing for the training course a bit. The indoor part takes place from 12:30 to 15:00. And we…
Quite a few athletes have already arrived. And almost all of their luggage, too. At least last night when i was at the airport to welcome eveyone. More athletes are…
The Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) plan to conduct measurements for the first time – during the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra 2015. Robert H.…
Trackleaders.com has confirmed all our rental units. Those of you who bring their own SPOTs, please email me (info@thegreatoutdoors.de) following information: ESN (serial #) which you will find in the…
I wish all of you a Happy New Year and many great adventures in 2015! Montane Extreme Smock The Montane Extreme Smock is one of the first pieces of clothing…
Dr. Mathias Steinach who will be with us for the second time to study the effects the 430 mile race has got on runners is still looking for athletes. He…
Primus has been appointed Official Fuel Supplier to the MYAU
Swedish company Primus has been creating products for outdoor use since 1892. They have been tested on expeditions by such pioneers as Fridtjof Nansen, Roald Amundsen and Sir Edmund Hillary.…
In 2015 we will work with SPOT satellite tracking devices again. As with any technology, there are pros and cons. But overall the positive aspects are more than the negative…
Yann Besrest-Butler will be official race photographer of the MYAU 2015. He already helped with race photography in 2011 along with Mark Gillett. In 2015 Yann will be back and…
First of all, I want to welcome all athletes who have signed up for the race so far! I hope you all enjoy your training and preparation phase. Less than…
Der Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra 2015 startet am 8. Februar. Die Teilnehmer werden dann auch wieder die Chance haben, am 7. Februar den Start des härtesten Hundeschlittenrennens der Welt mit…
The 11th edition of the Yukon Arctic Ultra is history. Once again the Yukon has shown us everything it has in store. From warm temperatures down to – 40 °…
Eliot Caton and John Greenslade reach finish line at 04:55 on Feb. 7th
Eliot Caton and John Greenslade arrive back in Pelly at 04:55. John is still in pain with his feet and both are exhausted but also really happy to have made…
New gallery with pictures taken by Anaïs is online
Anaïs Marceau who is here together with her friend Laure-Anne Bouthemy to volunteer at the YAU 2014 gave me some more great pictures to put in our gallery. Later on…
Brian Bell from Ireland arrives at 300 mile finish
Brian really impressed us all with his steady pace and the fact that he crossed the finish line in great shape. Tired of course but no blisters to speak of…
While Glenn and Spencer were in Pelly Crossing last night, the entire rest of the remaining support crew went to Pelly Farm. It was great there! More news about it…
At 16:13 Torben Jensen from Denmark arrives at the 300 mile finish
One of Torben's knees is hurting and he still has got shin splints. I have always had the impression it would not stop him and I was right. He arrived…
Gary and Josh checked on all athletes on the course just now. They are all doing good. Their SPOTs are working. So, you can follow them on their final stages…
Danish athlete Johnny Andersen arrives at the 300 mile finish February 4th at 14:10. Not only does this mean he won the race but with this time he also broke…
Johnny Wulff Andersen trying to break the 300 mile record
Johnny did not have spare batteries. That is why his SPOT stopped working. He made it to Pelly Farm, slept there and left early this morning. He wants to get…
John and Eliot arrived in Carmacks at 03:20 AM. They are tired but overall I would say in very good shape. "You learn a lot of lessons out there" Eliot…
Robert Hodges arrives in Carmacks at 23:22. He is feeling good and I would say he also looks like it. James Binks is not far behind and after him Eliot…
When Glenn and Spencer went in to Ken Lake to bring out Stefan and Jorgen, they saw Tim. Initially he said he would try to continue. But the hills were…
Unfortunately, this afternoon three athletes had to scratch. Linda Pomeroy asked guides Glenn and Spencer to bring her out as she had a bad cough and stomach problems. Her team…
After a good ret Torben looked a lot better and he left Carmacks. Johnny is very fast as the trail is hard packed. He continues to have shin splints and…
The rest of the volunteer crew just arrived with me in Carmacks. Now we can help Nic who did a great job welcoming Johnny and Torben upon their arrival. Athletes…
It is - 28 degrees C right now. Slowly warming up. Looks like it will be another incredibly sunny day. That should give all remaining athletes lots of energy. Everyone…
Jim Moonie and Roger Norris were the last 100 mile athletes to reach Braeburn. They were in very good shape and said they really enjoyed the experience. Diane gave them…
Johnny Wulff Anderson leading in the 300 mile race
Johnny Wulff Andersen from Denmark arrived at Ken Lake at 12:25 and left exactly one hour later. He surprised the crew there as his SPOT is not working. They tried…
In 12 years of organising this race we have never had zero scratches at Dog Grave Lake. So, the trail is in pretty good shape and so are the athletes.…
Day 1 was busy at the Takhini Hotsprings. The crew did a wonderfull job helping everyone at the checkpoint and it was a great location for us to be in.…
Turbo arrives at the Braeburn finish line at 3:36 AM
Paul Trebilock arrived at 3:36 AM on January 31st at the 100 mile finish. So, he is our overall winner for this distance. Due to hard trails and an incredible…
After winning the 100 miles in 2013 Stefano Gregoretti from Italy came back in 2014 to win the marathon. He finished at Takhini Hotsprings after 3 h 35 min. Considering…
Thanks to an incredible effort by Matthew from Trackleaders.com and the services of Air North Cargo all rental SPOT units will arrive in Whitehorse in about 1 hour. This means…
Today's logistics before the start worked perfectly. Thanks to perfect service at the Coast High Country Inn, great help from Takhini Transports and the best crew in the world we…
As already announced yesterday, we will have our race start at Takhini Hot Springs. Athletes were informed today at the pre-race dinner that there is only one change to yesterday's…
Our original plan was a start of the race at Rivendell Farm since the owner, Rolland and Mary Girouard, once again have prepared the checkpoint for us and we already…
Due to more open water on the Yukon River, overflow and ice without snow (which makes marking pretty impossilbe) and generally bad trail conditions we have decided NOT to start…
The Yukon Quest seems to have decided that the final stretch into Whitehorse at this point is unsafe for dog teams. One of the reasons is the partially very slippery…
Just as a reminder: the schedule for the next few days
This is the schedule for the next few days. With the updated timing for the indoor part of our training course January 27th, 2014 17:00 - 18:00 Hand-Out of the…
During the race I will write regular updates in this „News“ section. The frequency of news will not be consistent as we move north. More places now do have internet…
The YAU training course on January 28th will already start at 11:30 in the morning (NOT as originally planned at 13:30). At 12:30 we will get sandwiches served. That should…
Every year for some athletes the last couple of days before the race are more stressful than they should be. So, here is a list of things that will hopefully…
It is a bit early but at this point one thing is pretty certain. With the high amounts of snow on the trail and the relatively mild weather right now,…
Like in past years at Ken Lake Checkpoint (300 miles only) we will serve expedition food there. The choices are: Spaghetti Bolognese Beef Chili (or Vegetarian Chili) Lentil Curry Chicken…
January 27th, 2014 17:00 - 18:00 Hand-Out of the rental gear, Coast High Country Inn. If you can't be there during that time please leave a message for me at…
As alread mentioned in the news update from November 25th, we will be using SPOT tracking devices again. For the 300 the SPOTs are mandatory. For the 100 miles the…
There are currently many interesting discussions on our facebook group, e.g. regarding the right type of shoes, flights, etc. If you have signed up for the race and are interested…
Once again the Coast High Country Inn will be supporting the YAU. It means we get space for handing out race bibs, maps, rental gear, etc. and YAU athletes get…
As you may have already seen on our "Welcome" page next year's start date has been confirmed. The YAU 2014 will take place from January 30th to February 7th. All…
