Over 300 miles of Arctic in three days, on studded tyres, across the Dempster Highway and the frozen rivers of the far north.
The Fat Bike Weekend Warrior is three stages of around 100 miles each through Canada's Northwest Territories, on frozen rivers, remote highway and snow-covered wilderness, where the only warmth comes from moving and the only way is forward.
It starts and finishes in Inuvik, heading south down the Dempster Highway to Fort McPherson, north along the frozen Peel River to Aklavik, and back through the forest and over the river ice to Inuvik. You sleep in school halls in the communities along the way, and it's a small field, so for long stretches it's just you, your bike and a lot of Arctic.
It runs alongside the Northern Lights Ultra on the same ice roads, and it's the only one of our races on two wheels. If you've done the 6633 and you're looking for a different way back to the Arctic, this is it.
A 300-mile loop through the far north on a fat bike: south down the Dempster Highway to Fort McPherson, north up the frozen Peel River under the Richardson Mountains to Aklavik, then home to Inuvik through the forest, past Coast Guard boats locked in the ice.
3 STAGES · 300+ MILES · 2 SCHOOL HALLS · FAT BIKES ONLY
Kit checks and the race briefing happen at the Mackenzie Hotel the evening before, and the next morning you roll out of Inuvik, just above the treeline, into cold air, open land and serious distance.
South along the Dempster Highway, an undulating and unforgiving stretch of Arctic wilderness, battling the wind all the way to a warm school hall and a night’s rest in Fort McPherson.
An early start and north along the frozen Peel River, wide, quiet and starkly beautiful with the Richardson Mountains in view, reaching Aklavik under the Arctic stars and, if conditions allow, the Northern Lights.
The final push along frozen rivers and forest trails, and when you pass the Coast Guard boats locked in the ice, you know the finish isn’t far.
Your awards presentation is the morning after you finish, and you’re invited to stay on that evening for the Northern Lights Ultra dinner and presentations.
300 miles of frozen road, and every one of them yours to earn
Three things decide whether you ride into Inuvik on day three: the distance, your bike and the cold.
More than 100 miles a day for three days, carrying all of your food for each stage. Cut-offs are briefed every morning and set for a steady 6 to 7mph (10 to 11km/h), so the trick is to keep turning the pedals, even when your legs are telling you to stop.
Fat bikes only, with studded tyres at least 3.8 inches wide and pogies on the bars, both mandatory. The surface switches from packed snow on the Dempster to river ice, and your setup has to handle both for 300 miles.
Temperatures can drop to -44°C, and on a bike you make your own wind chill. Your face, hands and feet take the hit first, which is why an expedition down jacket and proper mitts sit on the mandatory kit list.
Both overnight stops are local school halls, in Fort McPherson and Aklavik, with heated communal tents to warm up in. You bring your own sleep system: a sleeping bag rated to at least -30°C and an insulated mat.
There’s hot water for cooking at every checkpoint. You also get one 30-litre drop bag, handed out at kit check, which meets you at each overnight stop with your spare layers, stove fuel, batteries and food for the next day.
We brief cut-offs every day. They’re set for a steady 6 to 7mph (10 to 11km/h), enough to get everyone safely to each checkpoint, and they can change if the conditions or the route need it for safety.
Quality kit matters at -44°C, but only if you know how to use it with frozen fingers on a dark road, so these are the three things to get right before you come.
Fat bikes only, with studded tyres at least 3.8 inches wide and pogies on the bars, all mandatory, plus a certified helmet, front and rear lights blinking at all times, and reflective material front and back. Carry the tools to fix it yourself: a spare tube, pump, multi-tool, chain breaker and spare quick link.
Wear wicking layers so sweat doesn’t freeze against you the moment you stop, and carry an expedition down jacket, insulated windproof trousers that go on over your boots, and proper expedition mitts. Goggles or clear glasses (clear lenses are mandatory at night), face protection, a bivvy and three sets of hand warmers complete the survival kit.
You carry all your food for each day, plus 1,000kcal of emergency food, and we check you still have 800kcal left at the finish line. Pack a multi-fuel stove that works in deep cold, 2 litres of insulated water and a thermos, plus a sleeping bag rated to at least -30°C and an insulated mat for the school hall.
We check every mandatory item at kit check in Inuvik the evening before the start, so ride with your full setup in training until nothing on it surprises you.
A fat bike with studded tyres at least 3.8 inches wide. Nothing else is allowed on the course.
In local school halls at the end of each stage. You bring your own sleeping bag and thermal pad.
We brief them every day. They're based on an average of 6 to 7 mph and can change with the conditions.
Expect -20°C and lower, with wind chill on top when you're moving.
The two run on the same ice roads at the same time, so if someone you know is running or skiing the Northern Lights Ultra, you'll be in the same part of the world.
Full payment is due by 5 December 2028.
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