Leighton Poidevin skied an incredible 402 kilometres in 24 hours, while hypothermia and dehydration cut Cyd Fraser’s world record pace short at the 2014 Ski Fest at the Canmore Nordic Centre, last weekend (April 5-6).
Poidevin wanted to break the 400 km mark heading into the race and nearly pulled out twice due to fatigue – once when the snow heated up in the afternoon and again in the middle of the night, but the 24 hour race veteran persevered with the help of his support crew and cheering section.
“With two hours to go, I didn’t think it was possible. My pit crew was yelling at me, saying ‘yes, you can do it.’ I was getting upset with them because I was feeling so much pressure, but they pulled me through. They knew exactly what to say. I would not have done that without them,” Poidevin said.
The endurance specialist had the biggest support section, with his daughters leading the charge to keep him fed and moving forward, while Biathlon Canada wax technician Richard Petit took care of his skis.
Temperatures fluctuated wildly during the event, as racers had to contend with 9 C and sloppy snow during the day, and icy conditions once the sun went down. Poidevin had his pacing game plan mapped out, but began to doubt himself as Tom Caslavsky pushed the pace.
“Everyone was pacing way too hard. I was second guessing my strategy. I was following a quick pace by Tom and had to regroup at one point and just let him go. I’ve done so many 24 hour races, I finally figured out it’s the guy with the most kilometres at the end that wins,” Poidevin said.
Matt Duggan finished second with 300 km, while Caslavsky ended up in third with 237 km.
Fraser was on pace to break the record until the 17-hour mark, when her body began to shut down. Unable to move her arms or legs, She still managed to ski 294 km in 24 hours. The world record, held by Kamila Borutova of Canmore, is 333 km.
“All the conditions were there. It was warm and fast enough. The first 17 hours, it was one of the best races of my life, but I didn’t have a good finish at all. I couldn’t have been better mentally or physically, but then I got dehydrated and moved into hypothermic conditions,” Fraser said. “I had an opportunity to get the record, but I didn’t make it.”
A veteran of endurance races, Fraser said will and power of the mind are the biggest factors in these races and said the weekend’s performance showed how quickly things can go south. Before she stopped, she was 15 km ahead of the world record pace.
“For the first 17 hours, it was so well orchestrated, it almost felt easy. But when I hit that point and my body seized, I thought ‘this can’t be happening.’” Fraser said. “The key factor in endurance racing is your mind. Unless your body absolutely collapses, it’s the power of the mind that makes the difference.”
Rocky Mountain Racers athlete and cat connoisseur Maja Zimmermann finished second with 252 km to finish off her ski career, while Glenda Zamzow was third with 150 km.
Ilona Gyapay won the 12-hour solo division, clocking 168 km, while Andrea Dupont won the six-hour race, finishing 102 km. Jerry Auld was the fastest male in the six-hour event, clocking 87 km on the three km course.
Co-organizer Richard Boruta said the race went well, but he doubts he’ll run it again next year. Even though participants raved about the event, attendance numbers were low as a mere 13 athletes attempted the endurance feat.
