The brutal 65km Sámi Stage brings the runners ever closer to the finish, but has it taken a toll? Read the full race report.

This stage is the longest by a large margin – an early start and lots of time on feet were a huge challenge, particularly with three days’ worth of fatigue lurking behind them. That didn’t stop the runners though as they took to the mixed terrain with grit and determination, the Arctic Circle Camp awaiting them at the end of the day.

Stage four is named in honor of the indigenous Sámi peoples. Throughout the day runners have had the opportunity to take in the snow-covered lakes, forests, and villages that the Sámi have called their homeland for generations. The runners started by slogging across another frozen lake, with traditional log cabins dotting the shore, and then into the dense forest where Reindeer roam and thick snowdrifts blanketed the trail. A confluence of exposed lakes and dark pines followed as the runners approached the Arctic Camp and the final stage.

Alex O’Shea and George Bath crossed the line at the same time in Men’s stage, in a time of 11hrs 27mins. The two had travelled together for much of the course and with yet another stage leading performance Alex further extended his overall lead at the front of the pack. Heading into the final stage It’s unlikely anyone will be able to claw the time back in the overall standings.

In the Women’s race Tarryn Gordon-Bennet put in yet another determined effort, finishing the stage in 14hrs 19mins and retaining first in the standings. Tarryn further extends her lead, pushing ahead of second place Emma Roper, who finished the Stage in 16hrs 5mins.

As this section of the race is the longest, and with days of wear and tear on their now exhausted bodies, a number of runners had to take the short course option or retire entirely from the race. Short Course runners can still complete the whole race but forfeit their overall times and positions in the process.

The final three to make it past the time cut-off at checkpoint 5 were Olivia Keating, Tian Watson, and Dan-Emilian Croitoru, fighting brutal cold to finish the course in the dark of night. Dan-Emilian finally crossed the line at 2:45am, bleary-eyed and welcomed by our safety team.

The runners spent the night in camp atop the Arctic Circle, and have now departed onto the final 15km stretch to the finish line. The short distance is deceiving though, and tired legs will make it even tougher!

Head to our Instagram to see our updates and hear from Race Director Kris King by clicking the link here.

You can live track the runners as they tackle the course by clicking here.