Taiwanese ultramarathon runner Tommy Chen (陳彥博) clinched second at the Lapland 185-kilometer Arctic Ultra in Sweden on Tuesday, finishing in a time of 1 day, 19 hours and 13 minutes.
Competing in temperatures ranging from minus 10 to minus 30 degrees Celsius, Chen was among 35 athletes in the grueling race, which requires participants to push forward with virtually no rest, according to the organizer.
Chen said in a press release that he slept for about one hour after 40 hours on the course and completed the race in nearly two days.
Photo courtesy of Tommy Chen
He covered 110 km in the final 24 hours, but prolonged exposure to moisture caused symptoms of trench foot.
Chen said he had to change socks quickly at each checkpoint to keep his feet dry, enduring pain and swelling to hold on to his position.
"At one point, I almost couldn’t go on. I started hallucinating. I was exhausted, thirsty, my knees hurt and my whole body ached," he said.
After finishing, Chen reflected: "These past two years of experience have reshaped me. I may not be able to return to who I once was, but I was able to set off again as a more mature version of myself."
The race was won by French athlete Mathieu Blanchard, the 2025 Yukon Arctic Ultra champion, who finished in 1 day, 14 hours and 13 minutes.
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