Following a successful Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra in 2023, which saw Italian Sergio Minoggio and Spain’s Alvaro Molinos Domene emerge as winners. The event returned this year to pit the next group of hopefuls against one of the world’s toughest ultra races in some of the most extreme and hostile conditions on the planet.
Warm weather resulted in challenging conditions, with the high temperatures causing the surface to turn wet and soft, which is far from ideal for travelling the long distances required in the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra.
The event had two routes on offer – a shorter 185km route and the full 500km route. Both routes started at the same location of the small town of Överkalix, in the Swedish province of Norbotten, heading to the north and then back again to Överkalix, crossing the Arctic Circle twice.
The 500km route then undertook a second 315km loop, travelling across rivers, lakes and through forests. Entrants had the choice to compete either on foot, ski, or fat bike.
Despite the conditions, it was an event to remember for Germany’s Florian Reiterberger, who claimed his second win in the event after winning the 2022 race. Florian crossed the fine line on Fatbike in Överkalix in a time of 122 hours, 7 minutes, which was faster than his winning time in 2022 and over 20 hours ahead of joint runners-up Mathieu Bonnier and Thierry Corbarieu, who crossed the finish line hand-in-hand.
Mathieu completed the event on ski, while Thierry completed the event on foot, which saw the podium consist of three different disciplines.
Florian started off slowly, with the soft trails forcing him to push his bike over long distances. However, lowering temperatures caused the surface to harden, allowing him to pick up his pace. This, combined with his ability to go for days with only short breaks, saw him soon take the lead, resulting in victory.
Speaking on the conclusion of the event, race director, Robert Pollhammer, commented: “Once again, our athletes were able to enjoy a great adventure. We have seen a lot of happy faces – both at checkpoints and of course at the finish line.”
Elsewhere, the shorter, 185km route was won by Guy Belchier, who completed the race on foot. Guy crossed the finish line at Överkalix in a time of 46 hours, 5 minutes, overcoming the very challenging wet and soft conditions to claim the win. Of the starting twelve, three athletes were unable to finish the race. Steve Bentley and Marc Frantzen finished second and third respectively.
Montane’s Marketing Director, Matthew Hickman, commented: “After two hugely successful years, the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra now plays a huge role in the Montane race calendar, offering a truly brutal challenge in of the most hostile yet beautiful locations on the planet.
Over the 11 days, we have seen athletes dig deep within themselves, journeying into the unknown in order to prevail in the face of highly challenging conditions, pushing themselves Further. Faster, in what is a true hallmark of Montane’s brand ethos. Tackling this course is no mean feat, and so I’d like to offer my congratulations to all participants at this year’s Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra.”
The race, a sister event of the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra (MYAU), was back for its third year after a successful inaugural event in 2022. The event began on 3rd March 2024, and was open for runners, bikers, and skiers who wished the tackle the Heart of Lapland.
Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra 2024 Final Results
500km
- Florian Reiterberger, Germany, Fatbike, 122 hours, 7 minutes
=2. Mathieu Bonnier, France, Ski, 142 hours, 37 minutes
=2. Thierry Corbarieu, France, Foot, 142 hours, 37 minutes
185km
- Guy Belchier, UK, Foot, 46 hours, 5 minutes
- Steve Bentley, UK, Foot, 52 hours, 18 minutes
- Marc Frantzen, Germany, Foot, 58 hours, 52 minutes
More information on the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra can be found here:https://montane.com/pages/lapland-arctic-ultra.