Finishing the Coldest and Toughest Ultra - An ElderActive Member Story

Written by Jeffrey Mackie-Deernsted

On February 4th, I ran the Montane Arctic Ultra Marathon. The marathon is part of a collection of races, including the 100, 300 and 430-mile Ultras in the Yukon in February. While all racers begin at Shipyards Park, they ultimately finish at different locations (depending on chosen distance). The longest distance is from Whitehorse to Dawson. I finished at Muktuk Adventures, where the marathon distance ends.

I had read about this race four years ago before moving to the Yukon. The idea of running an ultrarace in the Yukon winter captivated me, even though my furthest was a half marathon in the not-very chilly Montreal springtime. I held onto the idea of attempting it one day after I moved to the Yukon in 2020. I had to hold on to that vision as the world struggled with the pandemic.

Finally, in 2022 I lined up with other runners in Shipyards Park. My goal was to finish the marathon. The trail follows that set for the Yukon Quest. Athletes go by foot, ski or fat bike. I had a fully stocked backpack, as there were no aid stations along the way. I later learned that I had overpacked, and my pack was cumbersome. We started on a clear day, but heavy snow quickly came in, and I found myself trudging through ever-deepening snow. While it wasn’t cold, it was a hard slog. It tested my conditioning to continue; I was a walking snowman when I reached roughly the halfway point. While it hurt my ego to withdraw at this point, I knew it was the right thing to do. I tested myself and learned more about myself and what I needed to do to complete the distance in these conditions.

As soon as I could, I registered for the 2023 race. As the race is run on trails, the terrain around Dawson is ideal for training, and the hills add extra conditioning. I had my mind on this race when I pulled out last year. I worked to train consistently and added other workouts to prepare my whole body. I am not fast, but I am persistent; I essentially speed walk and know I will be out for an extended period. At 57, this challenge is essential to me, culminating in returning to fitness and sports in my 40s. A few times out on the trail, when I was tempted to stop or frustrated, I told myself that my previous out-of-shape, smoker self would be astonished at what I was attempting. Like other runners in the Ultra, I also had a story that led me to the start line and pushed me to persevere. It took me a long time to finish the marathon. I started in the morning and finished in the dark. For many of those hours, I was alone, turned to prayers, and focused on going forward, reminding myself what my goal was. Even though there were challenging moments, I ultimately crossed the finish line. I had accomplished a dream I had set four years before when I hadn’t yet moved to the Yukon.

Jeffrey after the race with his finisher medal