Norwegian runner Leif Abrahamsen has etched his name in history by becoming the first-ever finisher of the Montane Arctic Spine Race.
Organised by the crew behind the Winter and Summer Spine races, the 293-mile course follows Sweden’s legendary Kungsleden Trail from Abisko to Hemavan, with runners having to pull their supplies on a sled whilst temperatures can reach as low as -40°C amid wind speeds of 40 mph.
Completing the race in 200 hours and 14 minutes, Abrahamsen raced completely alone from Day 2 with no other competitors in sight as he became the first person to finish the race after no one was able to complete the debut edition last year.
“Beautiful, fantastic”
Hauling his 30kg supply sled behind him, Abrahamsen traversed the Arctic virtually alone for eight and half days.
“Beautiful, fantastic, more like an expedition than a race,” Abrahamsen said as he finally reached the finish line, the iconic Kungsleden sign.
“You can’t attack it like a race or you’d never get through.
“Being there with the environment, doing the right stuff, get your food in, get your sleep in, get warm, putting one foot in front of the other and you’ll get there at least.”
His favourite moment? When he could turn his head torch off thanks to aurora borealis – the Northern Lights.
“Up in the Mountains, crossing a high ridge, with a full moon during an aurora so I didn’t have to use the head torch.
“It was an amazing race.”
A well-earned drink
Waiting at the finish line was Race Director Phil Hayday-Brown, who waded through the snow to give Abrahamsen his medal and deliver the champion’s one request – a celebratory beer.
Few drinks have ever been more earned – in finishing the Arctic Spine Race, Abrahamsen joined a small recorded list of those who have completed the Kungsleden Trail in winter.
“I don’t know how to feel,” Hayday-Brown said.
“We’ve created something that is now a proper race. I feel very happy.
“Looking at the start when there was no snow, it was icy, it was warm and I was thinking there was going be lots of water and overflow… I didn’t think we’d get a finisher.
“But we did.”
Indeed there was more than one finisher – coming in seven hours after Abrahamsen, Joe Barrs and Ulf Nore came joint-second and became the second and third finishers in Arctic Spine Race history.
They completed the race in eight days, 15 hours and 19 minutes.
And they were followed in by Jon Shield and Keira Pavva who completed it in nine days, nine hours and 31 minutes.
