For the past 21 years, the Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race has been an extremely popular event for all Yukoners, both participants and spectators.

But for the past two years, another event around the same time has been starting to attract some attention.

The second annual Yukon Arctic Ultra, which partly runs along the Quest trail, finished this past Saturday. More than 40 athletes from 12 different countries took part in the marathon (26.2 miles), 100-mile and 300-mile races, including nine Yukoners. Athletes in the 300-mile race could either run, bike or ski the distance.

Whitehorse resident Shelley Gellatly accomplished a great feat, finishing second in the 300-mile foot race with a time of 159 hours and 40 minutes.

Gellatly is quick to point out how well all of the Yukoners did in the event.

'I think everybody was pretty surprised (at how well the Yukon athletes did),' she said in an interview Wednesday. 'There were really some top class athletes from Europe and other countries.

'We were just kind of Joe Blows.'

Ross River resident Tammy Reis came in second in the marathon, finishing in five hours and 20 minutes.

The rest of the Whitehorse competitors also did well.

Joyce Kashman finished third while Kim Outridge and Janet Constable-Rushant tied for fourth.

In the 100-mile race, Rob McWilliam came in third overall with a time of 34 hours and 35 minutes. Michelle Christiansen-Toews was the fastest woman in the race at 36 hours, 19 minutes and finished fourth overall. Tunde Fulop claimed fifth spot while fellow Yukoner Lynda Campbell finished further back in the pack after stopping to help out another racer who was having problems.

'My goal was to finish,' said Gellatly, who was the only woman in the 300-mile race to do just that. 'There was another Canadian in the race so I was also hoping to be the first Canadian to finish.

'I had no idea I would be in the top rankings.'

All three races started in Whitehorse on Feb. 14. The marathon finished at SIR North Country Ranch while the 100-mile race ended in Braeburn and the 300-mile race was complete when athletes reached Pelly Crossing.

'Probably 90 per cent of it is mental,' said Gellatly. 'Physically, there is lots to endure, but mentally...there's a long distance between checkpoints (up to 45 miles) so you have to be prepared to sleep out and prepare more food.

'You have to be really patient.'

Gellatly said the part of the trail between Braeburn and Carmacks was probably the most demanding because it was quite a remote area with lots of overflow. One night, she ended up stuck on the lake and had to camp until another competitor came along to help her out.

'I was physically hurting a lot,' she admits. 'Then, getting to Carmacks, you're only halfway. So you're thinking, Can I really go another 150 miles?''

Gellatly competed in the 100-mile race of the Arctic Ultra last year and came in second. This year, she said all of the Yukon participants trained real hard together.

'It was great to have people to train with,' she said. 'Last year, I was out there (training) by myself.

'And then, I was really thrilled to see how well everyone did.'

Gellatly said she would consider doing the race again, but it's not something you do year after year, so she won't be on the start line in 2005.

'It takes so much energy and a fair amount of time getting prepared,' she said. 'I wouldn't mind trying to ski it, ski the 300-mile race.'

Gellatly said there were a lot of really interesting people from around the world in the race this year and everyone was really down to earth for the most part.

'It wasn't like a real uppity running crowd,' she said.

The Whitehorse resident said she was also very grateful to have the snowmobile guides during the race, two of which were Yukon residents Murray Fuller and Gary Rusnak.

'We saw them about once a day and they were just like our guardian angels,' she explained. 'When you heard the snowmobile coming you just wanted to cry.

'They couldn't help you, but sometimes they were the only people you would see the entire day.'

There were three other Canadian athletes in the Arctic Ultra this year. Scott Smith from Yellowknife had to pull out of the 300-mile race at Braeburn due to foot problems. Ray Zahab from Chelsea, Que. finished first in the 100 mile while Patti Clune from Toronto was sixth in the 100-mile race.