It was a memorable experience for both Canadians at the annual Fulda Challenge Extreme Arctic Winter Adventure, which wrapped up in Whitehorse Friday.

After 10 separate events, Vancouver's Mike McCorkell and Yukoner Jeane Lassen placed second in a six team field. The remaining five mixed-squads were from Germany.

The Canadians just missed out on winning a pair of gold nugget's that were given to the first place squad. The placing at the Fulda challenge is determined by time in both the individual and team categories.

Lassen, who competed on Canada's weightlifting team at the Beijing Summer Olympics, didn't walk away empty-handed and was given $1,000 for coming in third place among the female participants.

A first place finish for both male and female competitors received $3,000, while the runner ups went home with $2,000.

"It was fun because everyone is laughing and cheering each other on the whole way through," said Lassen. "So I didn't put pressure on myself to have to perform like I did in China because, let's be honest, I am not prepared in any way for this. It was just a good experience."

Lassen's highlights included winning the skate across the ice bridge in Dawson City on Wednesday.

McCorkell, who is a former cyclist, said he also had a great time participating in the Fulda challenge.

He was selected as Lassen's partner in the competition after Yukon cyclist Zach Bell wasn't able to take part.

McCorkell's best result came on the bike, but he said he enjoyed a number of the challenges, including being on a snowmobile for the first time.

"I didn't know they went that fast and it was so much fun."

He laughed when asked if he planned on buying one, adding they are a little bit out of his price range.

McCorkell said he was pleased with how the lone Canadian team did this year.

"I wish, personally, I did a little bit better, Jeane did quite well," he said. "We said ‘OK, let's finish top 10 and then we said ‘OK, but if we finish top five that's even better.'"

The Fulda Challenge provides the European tire company an ideal location to test out their prototype winter tires, while giving participants a chance to see the Yukon.

Besides Whitehorse, some of the stops in this year's route included Carcross, Dawson City and the Tombstone area on the Dempster highway.

An estimated $1 million is spent locally each year during the Fulda Challenge.

The different challenges included a dog sled race, a mountain bike race, a snowmobile event, a rhino competition, a snow shoe race, a climbing contest, a skating event and a half marathon on Dempster highway.

On Friday, the final event was held, which was an ATV race by the SS Klondike.

This year, the challenge began with an unusual warm front, which forced organizers to switch some of its locations early on in the week. However, by the end of the week, temperatures had dropped to well below zero, allowing for a strong finish to the competition.

"In the end it went fine and I am happy that everybody made it without any accident," said Holger Bergold, the organizer of the Fulda challenge. "We are very happy always when everybody is safe and sound back in Whitehorse."

Bergold, who has been involved with the Fulda Challenge for 10 years, said he has never seen such warm temperatures in the Yukon as what they had to deal with for the first few days.

He said that because of the 2010 Winter Olympics being held in Vancouver, the Fulda challenge might be pushed back next year to the spring.

"The challenge would be right before the Winter Olympics and I think it's extremely difficult to sell it then," Bergold said. "So we will probably think about going for that one year into May, June, do something there, but it's still in discussion."