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The Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra is off and running, biking and skiing again.

The 20th edition of the rugged race started Sunday at 10:30 a.m. from Shipyards Park in Whitehorse.

Forty six athletes, including the marathon runners, are participating this year.

The Star spoke with race organizer Robert Pollhammer about 20 minutes before the race.

鈥淭hings are looking really good,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit chilly this morning. It鈥檚 always challenging to put up a start chute when it鈥檚 these temperatures. Cable ties break. Everything鈥檚 cold.

鈥淥ur trail check crew came from Takhini bridge. We wanted to make sure the trail鈥檚 fine this morning and they said, 鈥測eah, it鈥檚 all good.鈥� The ice is thick enough. Everything鈥檚 fine. It鈥檚 hard, slippery. But all our athletes on foot have traction devices.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e super-early. That鈥檚 exciting. There鈥檚 no stress now. Everyone鈥檚 just anxious to get going.鈥�

When asked about the trail ahead, he replied, 鈥淎ll this day we鈥檙e going to be on the Takhini and Yukon rivers. It鈥檚 going to be kilometres of ice. So I don鈥檛 expect that to be any different further down the trail until we hit land From Overland (Trail) parking, that will be better.

鈥淔or us, the ice, it鈥檚 a hard trail and that鈥檚 actually better than a soft trail for speed.

鈥淎s far as speed is concerned, bikers will love it if they鈥檝e got spikes in their tires. It鈥檚 the skiers that will struggle the most. They may have to take their skis off and walk for quite a few kilometres.鈥�

Regarding coping with the cold Polhammer said, 鈥淲e always brief our athletes and tell them that in any kind of temperature, you can get frostbite and hypothermia. So you can get that at -5 degrees. Now we have about -25, -30, and they usually cope well with that. Certainly when they鈥檙e moving. And on Day 1. Everybody鈥檚 still super-fit and all motivated. It鈥檚 that first night when it then gets colder again. We will see. Even if it鈥檚 less cold, we have people 鈥� some problems comes up and they have to call it a day. I don鈥檛 expect major problems. They鈥檙e all experienced, they鈥檝e done a training course, they all have the gear that need. Now it鈥檚 a matter of making the right decisions at the right time and they鈥檒l be fine.鈥�

Without two-time defending champ Jessie Gladish competing this time, it could be a wide-open race.

鈥淲e have Jessie on the crew, so we鈥檙e all super-excited to have her now on the other side.鈥�

Gladish taught a pre-race workshop this year.

鈥淲e have some strong athletes who will try to win it,鈥� said Polhammer.

鈥淎lso a large group of people who are just here to finish it.鈥�

Polhammer said they have people from North America and Europe participating in this year鈥檚 event.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a good group of athletes.鈥�

Polhammer added, 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to be back.鈥�

Jeff Bond, from near Brandon, Manitoba, was walking his initial Ultra in the 100 mile distance.

鈥淭his is a part of the country I鈥檝e wanted to see. The best views are from your shoes, so get out their on the trails and you really get a piece of it. You just remember it really well when you鈥檝e physically experienced it.鈥�

Bond had a simple goal: 鈥淔inish with all my digits,鈥� he laughed.

鈥淚t should be fine. Even today it鈥檚 supposed to swing around a bit. The wind from the south and gently warm up the next couple days. At least, that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e telling me. We鈥檒l see if that holds true. But other than that, I鈥檓 fairly prepared for just about everything, I think.鈥�

Bond figured about 50 hours of moving time would get him to Braeburn.

He was planning on a couple of naps in-between.

鈥淟ooking at probably 60 hours in total,鈥� he figured.

There are no mandatory rest stops in the Ultra.

鈥淚 have a plan mapped out in my head. So as long as I don鈥檛 do anything silly, like not stick to my plan, then everything should be fine.鈥�

Bond listed the cold and long hours of darkness as his main challenges.

鈥淵ou just want to sleep. You really go into baby mode and it鈥檚 like, 鈥淭he sun went down. It鈥檚 kind of nappy time.鈥� It鈥檚 all struggling through that a bit. Those are the challenges.鈥�

As one can tell by the way he talks, Bond has done some other ultras in Minnesota and Manitoba. One of them that he鈥檚 attempted twice is the Arrowhead 135, an annual ultra marathon event that takes place in International Falls, Minnesota.

鈥淭he timeline is much shorter, so there鈥檚 really no time for sleep,鈥� related Bond. 鈥淚 do better with a little bit of rest.鈥�

Bond added, 鈥淕reat area. I appreciate all the hospitality. It鈥檚 been really fun that way.鈥�

Arrowhead 135 is a yearly ultra-marathon event which takes place in International Falls, Minnesota,

Oswaldo Moreno Terrazas came all the way from Mexico City to participate in the marathon.

鈥淎 friend of mine told me about this race. He used to live here. He told me, 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you run that race?鈥� So now I鈥檓 here. Let鈥檚 have some fun and enjoy.鈥�

This was Moreno Terrazas鈥檚 first time doing a race like the Ultra. He said next year, he might do the 100, depending on how the marathon went.

He has also ran in the cold in Chicago and Bariloche, Argentina.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 expecting -30. I was expecting -15, -10, not this cold. But I thought, 鈥業t鈥檚 OK.鈥欌��

Moreno Terrazas said he鈥檚 more familiar in cold weather with longer distances.

He figured it would take between four and six hours to complete the marathon.

鈥淚 just want to finish it and enjoy it. It鈥檚 an amazing place and amazing race. I just want to finish safe.鈥�

Moreno Terrazas鈥檚 father Tonatiuh came along on the journey to support his son.

鈥淰ery exciting,鈥� is how he described the experience. 鈥淭his is my first time. I鈥檝e never stayed in a place like this. We are expecting a big race.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very crazy race, but it鈥檚 exciting.

Tonatiuh said they will come back next year if they enjoy the experience.

When asked how he feels about his son racing in the Ultra, Tonatiuh replied, 鈥淚 feel nervous.鈥�

He added he was here for moral support.

As of 9:50 this morning, Serbia鈥檚 Jovica Spajic was leading the pack on foot at the 174 mile mark on the way to McCabe Creek, 41.3 miles away.

Polhammer posted on Facebook this morning that cold and injuries have been a challenge. They have already received three SOS messages but everyone is fine. Polhammer said they are also dealing with open water before McCabe, so they are now shuttling athletes to McCabe to restart there.