It would be impossible to tell the story of the Yukon Arctic Ultra without mentioning Enrico Ghidoni. His relentless determination and remarkably steady, fast pace earned him the nickname “The Locomotive.”

Even more impressive, Enrico finished in 1st place every single time he completed the race. His 430-mile ski finish took two attempts, following a DNF in 2011. But he returned, succeeded, and completed his remarkable triple across all three disciplines.

And even that wasn’t enough for Enrico. In 2017, he returned to tackle the 430 miles on foot once again, claiming another victory in 226 hours and 10 minutes. In 2019, he was back yet again, this time on skis. Although he did not finish on that occasion, his extraordinary achievements and determination have firmly established him as one of the legends of the Yukon Arctic Ultra.

One of the most remarkable things about Jessie Gladish has always been how she arrives at the finish line looking as though she has barely started. No matter how many hundreds of miles she has covered, she somehow makes it look effortless.

And her achievements go well beyond completing the 430 miles in all three disciplines. Jessie finished the 430-mile race on foot a second time in 2017 (278:34). As a little “training” in between, she also completed the 300 miles on foot in 2016 (187:35) and returned to finish the same distance on a fatbike in 2022 (138:12).

Naturally, when the Yukon Arctic Ultra introduced its new trail in 2025, Jessie couldn’t resist another challenge. She took on the 600 km race by fatbike and, despite battling a nasty chest infection, made it to the finish line once again.

Jessie’s resilience, versatility and seemingly endless enthusiasm for the Yukon Arctic Ultra make her a true legend of the race.

Joaquin Candel, an airline pilot by profession, began his Yukon Arctic Ultra “career” in 2016, tackling the 300-mile race on foot. He finished in 156 hours and 12 minutes, placing 7th in his discipline.

Having fallen in love with the Yukon, Joaquin kept coming back, eventually setting his sights on completing the race in all three disciplines. Always smiling and in good spirits, he has a wonderful way of lifting everyone’s spirits, whether out on the trail or at the checkpoints.

In 2024, when we didn’t offer the traditional 430-mile race to Dawson City, Joaquin joined us instead for the 600 km challenge from Teslin to Faro. And yes, I think we can all agree that this counts towards his remarkable triple!

Knowing Joaquin, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the start line again when we return to Dawson City — hopefully in 2028. After all, once the Yukon gets under your skin, it’s hard to stay away!