I choose this race because I wanted to visit Finland. It is meant to be the happiest country in the world; for 6 years it has been ranked so.
Is it because they are biggest coffee drinkers in the world; they like a naked sauna; they don’t fill pauses in conversation just opt for silence; they have a National Day of Failure to learn from their mistakes; they like wife-carrying and ant- nest sitting competitions, heavy metal music, pornography (63% apparently!); that 74% of the country is forested and the air is so clean; they have lower income inequality, high social support and trust, freedom to make decisions, and low levels of corruption; or perhaps it’s their 500-year-old mindset, Sisu, focused on determinationand fortitude, a concept and way of living that has been interwoven into their culture? I’m guessing it’s all of it!
We left Devon; car to Heathrow, plane to Helsinki and another plane to Rovaniemi. One day of travel and they are two hours ahead and already the nightless night was apparent. We stayed the night in the Lapland capital and, on recommendation from our super friendly taxi driver, ate at Yuca, a fantastic Mexican street food bar.
The next day had a shake out run along the Kemijoki river before catching a coach to Äkäsompolo which took 2.5hrs; sleep, reindeer spotting and nothing but road and spruce, pine and birch trees.
On arrival at the race venue we registered and headed to our Airbnb. It was so picturesque with a sauna too!
Food and sleep. Eye masks compulsory!
Clare started her race at 1200 (66km) and I started at 0000 (100km) so had all day to wait it out. I tried to sleep but couldn’t so just ate, rested up and watched the tracker. She finished 50th!
The 100km start was in Pallas, an hours coach ride away. It’s amazing how it being daylight at night fools your mind.
Countdown in Finnish and then we were off escaping all the mosquitoes! Straight up Pallas ski slope to 800m. The views from the top were panoramic; a carpet of forest and the suns rays bursting through the clouds colouring all beneath it a rich red; breathtaking.
Down to the first aid station in Pallas at 8.5km where I filled up another flask as I knew the next one at Rauhala was about 20km away. It took me nearly 2.5hrs as I wiggled through single track technical tree roots. I wore my SCOTT Carbon Ultra RC and this part of the trail was on the brink of my skill set in them. I had to concentrate so much.
The next aid station, Pahtavuoma was 11km/ 90mins away and it was here I started running alone and would continue for the rest of the race. I felt a bit rubbish; I guess a combination of it being the middle of the night and the niggling thoughts of had I gone off too fast and was there still some Cape Wrath Ultra in my legs? From there it was 13km/ 1hr 40mins to the drop bag location. There had been last minute course changes but I didn’t fully read the detail so essentially I based my pace and timings on the wrong information.
Last years race was 98km and this year it was 104km with 800m more elevation. They had added this in at the start so once I realised what I’d stupidly done I just had to run roughly guessing when an aid station would appear. It kept me occupied!
At Peurakaltio, 54km/ 6hrs 30mins all the drop bags were laid out in number order to it was easy to find. I only had to drop two flasks and litter and pick up two more full ones and my gels. As I was leaving I saw the next two girls, Eevi and Dagny, arriving. I heard them behind me earlier so I knew they were catching me. I gave myself two options: let them catch me and then run together for sometime (= a nice enjoyable run through the beautiful countryside with company) or push on (= emotionally draining concentration, feeling sick, stop all blood flow to my stomach as it went to my legs and absolutely blow my quads on the ski slope descents!). Yep option 2! If they caught me they were just better than me and I could live with that. I ran a much calmer race with the mantra information not judgement (thank you coach, David Roche for helping me with that).
I pushed on for the next 30km. It felt horrible but rewarding knowing I was giving it 100%. It was just over 3hrs to Ylläsjärvi at 80km/ 9hrs 39mins which was a welcome site for some fresh water. The temperature ranged from 7-16degs although it actually felt hotter but I guess that was from the lack of wind.
Then it was up and down a 700m rocky ski slope to Kellokas where the route weeved through the visitor centre (which apparently shows all the local links between nature and culture- now I think back I did clock a picture of a man fishing!). Then it was the home straight, 20km/ 1hr 43mins, interspersed with 4 very immediate toilet breaks. There was a totally unnecessary sting in the tail with a scree climb of 467m before descending to the flat path around the lake to Äkäslompolo.
I was desperate to finish by now and there were a few tears of relief/ happiness/ pride shed at the finish line. 1st place, 6th overall, 12hrs 31mins.
Thank you for having me. It was an incredible location with many races to choose from (15, 37, 66, 100, 300km) and everyone was so friendly. Congratulations all those who raced!
Jo Meek 