The Montane Arctic Spine race was never going to be easy. A 293-mile non-stop race along the Kungsleden Trail in Arctic Sweden pulling or carrying everything you need to survive against temperatures as low as -35C. The challenge was so gruesome that only a handful of the most daring athletes set off from the starting line at Abisko Tuesday, February 6. By Sunday, there would only be one runner left.
After racing alone across frozen tundra and snowfields, Irish ultra runner Kevin Leahy was declared the winner of the Arctic Spine. Leahy crossed the finish line – which had been adjusted by race organizers as the race progressed – about an hour ago. A Youtube video, which you can watch below, shows Leahy finishing on cross country skis while pulling a sled. He says the course beat him up 5 km a day, but he "thoroughly enjoyed" the experience.
