At the beginning of the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra 2024, German biker Florian Reiterberger was struggling. The trails were soft and he was forced to push his bike over long distance. Florian had already won the MLAU 500 km in 2022. This time, it looked like he may not finish at all. However, as the temperatures dropped and the surface got more solid, Florian was able to gain speed. Add to that his ability to go for days with very short breaks, it meant he soon was in the lead. And the Bavarian kept that lead until the end, arriving in Överkalix March 8th at 11:47. He looked a bit more tired than normal – mostly because those first couple of days took a lot of strength out of him. Also, he was not feeling 100% to begin with. Hard to imagine what crazy fast time he could do feeling perfect and having perfect trails … Now Florian is recovering and enjoying some free time in Överkalix, joining us whenever he can to welcome other finishers. As a matter of fact, when Peter Felten reached the finish line today, Florian was on the phone, giving Pat Cooke-Rogers advice on how to fix a problem with her bike on her way to Nattavaara. Amongst other things, Florian runs a bike shop (www.radlgarage-eggstaett.de). If you plan on doing a fatbike race in winter and want to talk to an expert, Florian Reiterberger is your man!
At 08:17 today (March 9th), our next two 500 km athletes reached Överkalix. Mathieu Bonnier and Thierry Corbarieu crossed the finish line togehter. Mathieu on skis and Thierry on foot. Both are from France and have a lot of experience. Mathieu was very happy about how it went for him and his skis. However, he had a rough day, not feeling great and having major back pain. So, it was good that he did not have to go back out. Thierry looked 100% fine. He still had enough strength in him to lift his pulk over his head – for that special finishing photo. They are now also resting here in Överkalix.
Next up, March 9th at 15:17, was Peter Felten, another fatbiker from Germany. Like Florian and all others on bike or foot, he had a tough couple of days at the beginning. But he found his rhythm and once the trails were hard, he had no more problems.
Last but not least, Taiwanese runner Tommy Chen arrived. Like Florian, Mathieu, Thierry and Peter, he is a veteran of our Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra race. Coming here with this kind of experience is of course incredibly valuable. Tommy is an elite marathon runner who also loves extreme races. He just goes and goes, always very happy when we see him and grateful for the experience, even if it involves some occasional suffering. Tommy came in March 9th at 17:05.
Congratulations to you all!
Copyright: Callum Jolliffe