28 February to 3 March 2029 · Northwest Territories, Canada

Northern Lights Ultra

Chase the Arctic sky

180 miles in five stages on the frozen Peel River, on foot or on skis, with a heated camp waiting at the end of every day.

Secure your place See the stages

180

Miles

Stages

-44°C

Down to

Heated

Camp every night

£3,000

Entry

The race

Where the aurora meets the trail

The real Arctic, one stage at a time

The Northern Lights Ultra takes you out onto the frozen Peel River in Canada's Northwest Territories for five days of racing on private ice roads, with the Richardson Mountains alongside and nothing but snow and sky in every direction. It starts at Fort McPherson, runs north through the old trading town of Aklavik and finishes in Inuvik, and you can take it on foot or on skis.

It's a staged race, so you race hard all day and then you stop. Each stage finishes at an organised camp with heated communal tents and your own space to pitch, your drop bag is waiting for you, and there's hot water at every checkpoint. At night, if the sky plays along, the aurora puts on a show over the ice.

It runs on the same frozen country as the back half of the 6633, so it's the same Arctic in a different format: race the ice by day and sleep warm by night.

The route

Fort McPherson to Inuvik

The route leaves dry land at Fort McPherson and follows the ice road north along the frozen Peel River, with the Richardson Mountains on your left. You camp by Aklavik at the halfway point and cross the delta on the longest day of the race, before a final marathon on the ice road brings you into Inuvik.

Start
Fort McPherson
Mile 0
Camp
Camp 1
Mile 30
Camp
Camp 2
Mile 64
Halfway
Aklavik
Camp 3 · Mile 92
Camp
Camp 4
Mile 154
Finish
Inuvik
Mile 180

5 STAGES · 180 MILES · 290KM · 4 CAMPS

The stages

Five days on the ice

Before the start

Kit checks and briefing
Before anyone steps onto the ice we check every piece of kit and brief the whole field, so on the start line the only thing left to think about is the race.
Stage 1

Fort McPherson
You set off onto the ice road along the frozen Peel River and feel the temperature fall with every mile, and if the sky is clear, tonight’s camp gives you your first chance to see the aurora.

30 MI48 KM
Stage 2

The Peel River
The route pushes north with the Richardson Mountains rising beside you, and the Arctic opens up in every direction for as far as you can see.

34 MI55 KM
Stage 3

Aklavik
You camp by Aklavik, once a hub of Arctic trade and still full of history and hospitality, and rest up at the halfway point of the race.

28 MI45 KM
Stage 4

The longest stage
The biggest day of the race tests your head as much as your legs, and it ends with your final night under the stars, with the Northern Lights if you’re lucky.

62 MI100 KM
Stage 5

The ice road marathon
We reckon it’s the coldest, flattest marathon you’ll ever run, and it finishes on the ice road in Inuvik.

26 MI42 KM

An Arctic Ice Road Staged Race Under the Northern Lights.

What it takes

Smaller days, same Arctic

The cold

Temperatures can drop to -44°C, the wind is strong and the daylight is short. The stages are shorter than the 6633, but the Arctic isn't any warmer for it.

The long day

Stage four is 62 miles on the ice, and it's the day that tests your head more than your legs. Everything before it is building towards it.

Your kit

Quality counts, but knowing how to use your kit matters as much as how fit you are. Turn up knowing every piece of it, even if it cost a fortune.

Support

Self-sufficient on the ice, never on your own

You race self-sufficient between checkpoints, hauling your own sled, and every night we’re waiting with heat, hot water and your drop bag.

Camps

Every stage finishes at an organised camp with heated communal tents to eat, warm up and swap stories in. You pitch your own tent on the ice at Camps 1, 2 and 4, and at Camp 3 you sleep indoors in the school hall in Aklavik.

Checkpoints and drop bags

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 every camp with your spare layers, socks and food for the stages ahead.

Cut-offs

We brief cut-offs every day. They’re based on a steady 3mph (5km/h), enough to get everyone safely to each checkpoint, and they can change if the conditions or the route need it for safety.

Gallery

Five days in pictures

Kit

Are you kitted out for the ice?

Quality kit matters out here, but only if you can work it with frozen fingers in the dark, so these are the three things worth getting right before you come.

Layer up

Temperatures can drop to -44°C, with strong winds and not much daylight. Build a system of high-wicking base and mid layers, a windproof shell and a down jacket, plus mitts and face cover, because sweat trapped against your skin chills you fast the moment you stop.

Your pulk and feet

Your sled carries everything, so it needs a proper harness and rope attachments, and no wheels on this race. Trail shoes or boots are both fine as long as they’re cushioned and you’re comfortable in them for the distance, and we recommend micro spikes for the ice.

Sleep and safety

A sleeping bag rated to at least -30°C and a thermal mat are what get you through the night, with a self-inflating mat the best choice for warmth and packing small. Your stove, 24 hours of emergency food, your head torch and two flashing red beacons stay with you at all times.

We check every item on the mandatory list at kit check in Inuvik the evening before the start, so train with your kit until using it feels like second nature.

Mandatory kit list (PDF) Secure your place

FAQ