The price to complete the world’s hardest cross-country ski race is paid in toenails. Just ask Canmore’s Sarah Murphy.
Murphy was the fifth fastest woman to finish a three-day, 160 kilometre cross-country ski competition across barren Greenland as part of the Arctic Circle Race.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I lost all my toenails, I couldn’t walk afterwards and I couldn’t use my left arm on the last day,” Murphy said. “The whole time I thought I’m not going to finish.”
Situated 100 km north of the Arctic Circle around Sisimut, Greenland, the race attracts World Cup athletes and long distance racers bent on testing their mettle in the land of ice and snow.
Murphy trains alongside many of Canada’s national biathlon team members and competes for New Zealand. To put the Arctic Circle race in perspective, the longest race Murphy had completed before the 160 km odyssey was a 20 km skate-ski race. The Arctic Circle Race had been on her radar for some time, yet nothing prepared her for the undertaking.
“I couldn’t believe we were actually racing for 160 kilometres. I thought it would be like a walk or cruise.”
Each day entailed long climbs over snow-covered peaks and fjords in chilly temperatures. Dog sled teams dotted the horizons with nary a tree in sight.
Murphy was surprised by the pace and did her best to survive the tough 56 km course on the first day, despite falling on the first hill.
“The hills were easier to walk up than ski up, but I kept (my skis) on because it was a ski race,” Murphy said.
The second day began with a 12.4 km loop around a frozen lake surrounded by towering white peaks. Murphy powered herself through to the different aid stations, where she gained valuable calories, but lost precious time on the frontrunners, who took no breaks.
Whale skin, crabs legs and dried musk ox greeted her for dinner, and Murphy thought she’d have the strength to cruise through the final 56 km to the finish line.
She was wrong.
“It was 54 km of complete pain, close to mentally and physically collapsing and a lot of hoping and inner self-motivational speeches.”
The massive 1,300 m climbs took their toll, and Murphy lost the use of her left arm. Other competitors removed their skis for the ascent, but the Kiwi biathlete stubbornly left hers on. After 14 hours, 36 minutes and 51 seconds, Murphy crossed the finish line.
“The feeling of finishing the Arctic Circle Race is nothing I have ever felt before. The joy you feel at that moment is amazing – the emotions one has after actually completing this inconceivable race were overwhelming… this race is something special and I feel so honoured to have been a part of it, and finish it, albeit half alive.”
Across a landscape that left the Canmore resident speechless, bonds formed between the 156 racers, and Murphy said they did help each other out. She did sympathize with several athletes who entered the race without previous cross-country ski experience. For them, the arduous journey lasted more than 30 hours.
“This year we were a close family. We all talked and hung out. It was a special kind of year.”
The landscape left her speechless, and she vows to return after working on her classic technique.
“It was a dream come true. I hope to do it again,” Murphy said.
Murphy’s next stop will be Switzerland, where she’s been invited to train with their national team.
