A top ultramarathon runner from Taiwan, Chen Yanbo, completed the 700-kilometer Yukon Arctic Ultra in Canada in 11 days, finishing third. At the age of 26, he became the youngest participant ever to finish the race, as well as the first Asian to complete it.
Chen Yanbo said goodbye to his family in Taiwan at the end of January and flew to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. On February 3, he began his journey on foot and by running from Whitehorse toward Dawson City, 700 kilometers away. Along the way, temperatures dropped as low as minus 55 degrees Celsius. He had to cross icy tundra and glaciers, navigate through forests and mountains, and—most grueling of all—drag a sled weighing 40 kilograms that carried food rations, a sleeping bag, fuel, and survival gear.
Reflecting on the emotional journey of surviving 11 days while traveling 700 kilometers through snow and ice, Chen said he cried many nights during the race, but was also comforted by five days of the aurora borealis. In the end, it was his determination not to conquer nature but to coexist with it, along with thoughts of his family’s silent support, that helped him endure the physically and mentally challenging Arctic ultramarathon.
On Lunar New Year’s Eve, February 9, Chen continued running alone in the dark somewhere in the Yukon Territory, pushing steadily toward the finish line. Thinking about how he should have been gathered with family around a hot pot in his grandmother’s traditional home in Yunlin, Taiwan, setting off firecrackers, he broke down in tears. The extreme cold and fatigue, combined with blisters on his feet that had frozen into blood blisters, plus painful swelling in his Achilles tendons, made him consider quitting multiple times. But each time he gritted his teeth and pushed on, eventually covering another hundred kilometers.
The toughest part of the race was the long polar night, with up to 17 hours of darkness each day. Chen had to run with just the beam of his headlamp, completely alone across vast, desolate stretches. In the final days, as his physical strength waned, he was overtaken by two competitors while suffering from hypothermia and falling asleep midway on the second-to-last day. However, he calmly rallied, overtook them again while they were resting and eating, and finished the full 700-kilometer course just 14 minutes ahead of fourth place.
Organizers noted prior to the race that the Yukon Arctic Ultra is more a mental challenge than a physical one, making it suitable for seasoned and mentally resilient athletes. The youngest previous finisher was 30 years old. Previous Japanese and Hong Kong participants had both dropped out midway.
According to reports from the World Journal, Chen Yanbo was born in 1986. In high school, he joined the track team and became a skilled long-distance runner, later beginning to compete in marathons. In March 2008, he joined the Polar Challenge as part of a team and secured third place, setting the record as the youngest participant to complete the event. After that, Chen embarked on an ambitious journey to complete seven ultra-marathons on seven continents and eight major races within five years.