Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Inuvik Drum

Inuvik women take on Arctic Ultra for a good cause

Samantha McKay

Inuvik's Jennifer Stronge and Marie-Josee Martel are participating in the 2018 6633 Arctic Ultra marathon and raising money for Inuvik's John Wayne Kiktorak Centre while they're at it.

Jennifer Stronge, left, and Marie-Josee Martel demonstrate how they will run with their gear during the 2018 Arctic Ultra.
Samantha McKay/NNSL photo

Martel said throughout the five years she's lived in the North, she has witnessed many people struggling with homelessness who have to walk around all day and night to stay warm.

"That's given me the strength to be out there all winter and train for this race, and actually compete in this race, and at the same time raising the funds for the Inuvik warming centre," she said. "In the last few years, Inuvik has come up with the warming centre, which allows people who are homeless or near homeless to have a roof over their heads."

Marie-Josee Martel, left, and Jennifer Stronge are raising money for Inuvik’s emergency warming centre with their participation in the 6633 Arctic Ultra.
Samantha McKay/NNSL photo

As an RCMP officer in Inuvik, she said that for her, the race isn't about competing.

"I'm not in this race to compete, I'm in for the adventure," she said.

Jennifer Stronge, an Inuvik-based nurse, said she has participated in races like this before and agrees that it isn't about winning.

"It's about competing with yourself," said Stronge. "You're asking yourself what you can do and how far you can go."

Martel and Stronge are the first people from Canada's North to participate in the 6633 Arctic Ultra. The foot race begins in Eagle Plains, Yukon, and passes through Fort McPherson, Aklavik and Inuvik before ending in Tuktoyaktuk.

Stronge and Martel agreed that it is an honour to be some of the first Canadians to participate in the race.

The race, which brands itself as "the world's most extreme ultra marathon," is 612 km long, 50 km longer than in previous years because competitors will be racing on the new Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway instead of the ice road to Tuktoyaktuk.

Jennifer Stronge, left, and Marie-Josee Martel will donate 100 per cent of the donations they receive to Inuvik’s John Wayne Kiktorak Centre. Samantha McKay/NNSL photo

In the first week of fundraising, Stronge and Martel raised approximately than $1,500 for the warming centre.

"I find the community in Inuvik pretty amazing," said Martel. "Everybody's been super supportive."

Aside from raising money, Martel said their goal is to complete the race.

"Our ultimate goal is definitely to finish and meet friends in Tuktoyaktuk," Martel said. "And to finish it safe and sound with all my toes and fingers!"