Over the past few years, the Yukon has been building a speedy reputation on the national and international running circuits.

Last month, two Whitehorse women ensured that reputation would stay intact with their impressive performances at the Lost Soul Ultra near Lethbridge, Alta. Billed as Southern Alberta's ultimate trail run and the toughest race on the praries, the Lost Soul Ultra offers participants lengths of 50 kilometres, 100 km and 100 miles.

Shelley Gellatly opted for the toughest of the three, the 100-miler, while Sue Mackinnon-Dunn gave 50 km her best shot. Gellatly was the top woman in her division, sixth overall, with a time of 26 hours and six minutes the third fastest time for a woman in the eight years of the race.

Mackinnon-Dunn successfully completed the 40 km event with a time of 10 hours, 52 minutes. There were a total of about 170 participants in all categories combined.

'It was a really, really great race,' said Gellatly, back home in the territory Tuesday. 'The support in that town for the race was unbelievable. It's kind of like the (Yukon River Trail Marathon) but with more people.'

Gellatly learned of the event through a couple from Lethbridge that she met in Whitehorse a few years ago. They were here for the river trail marathon and told her all about their own local event, encouraging her to check it out.

Mackinnon-Dunn decided to join her and try the 50 km run in honour of her 50th birthday.

'My first goal was to finish,' said Gellatly. 'I had no idea how I would do, because it's such a big running community down south. Since I don't race much, I really wasn't sure.'

While both women were familiar with trail running in the Yukon, Gellatly said the course at the Lost Soul Ultra seemed a lot tougher. In the 100-mile category, participants gained and lost a total elevation of 9,000 feet. The frost overnight also made the grass on some parts of the course extremely slippery.

'The weather ... it was stunning,' she said. 'It went up to 30 C at one point during the day and then at night, down below zero.

'There was no moon so running at night was tough, even with the headlights.'

What's unique about the Lost Soul Ultra is one third of the course is on private land. Farmers and excavators allow the competitors to run through their field and rock quarries, which can make for some interesting animal sightings.

Once she crossed the finish line, Gellatly said her initial reaction to the news she was the top woman was one of shock.

'Oh my god, I just about passed out. I couldn't believe it. One of the women behind me had won one of the big races in Ontario and was about 10 years younger, so there was some pretty tough competition.

'Sue had a really great race too, so it was pretty cool.'

Gellatly was told the two were the first Yukon residents to run the race, although a former Yukoner and old friend of Gellatly's was taking part in her third edition of the event. Susan Lucas used to live in Mayo and this year she posted a second-place finish in the 100 km race.

'It was a pretty good high for all of us.'

Gellatly said a lot of people in the event were familiar with the Yukon and a couple even remembered her from the Yukon River Quest this past summer, when she assisted with athletic therapy and first aid.

Some of the participants were already well aware of the territory's athletic prowess.

'I was running with these two guys for part of the race and when they found out I was from the Yukon, they were like, Oh man, a woman from there kicked our butts in Edmonton (at the Blackfoot Ultra Marathon),'' Gellatly laughed.

'I said, Oh, that's Denise (McHale). I'm not as fast as her, so you don't need to worry about that.'

Asked if she would go back to Lethbridge and try her hand at the race again, Gellatly was confident in her answer.

'I'd do it again for sure. It was really enjoyable, regardless of how I did ... the big prairie sunset and the sunrise.

'It's a really good bargain for the money (entrance fees range from $105 to $150). We got vests and all the finishers got rocks, engraved with your name and finishing time. They're 30-40 pound rocks. And all of the trophies were also made out of rocks from this quarry you run through on the course.'

For more information on the Lethbridge trail event, visit www.lostsoulultra.com.