100 miles in -35°C: Canada’s ultrarunner Stephanie Case becomes first woman to complete nonstop Antarctic race

Due to the harsh weather, organisers brought the race start forward to 1 am on Sunday (Photo: @theultrarunnergirl/Instagram)

Canadian ultrarunner Stephanie Case created history by becoming the first woman to complete a nonstop 100-mile race in Antarctica, setting the continent’s inaugural women’s record at the distance.

The 43-year-old finished the 2026 Antarctic Ice Ultra in 17 hours, 31 minutes and 39 seconds, securing second place overall in an exceptionally challenging race held at the Schirmacher Oasis on the Princess Astrid Coast in Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica.

The race required competitors to complete 38 laps of a 4.2-kilometre (2.6-mile) circuit, followed by an additional section to cover the full 100-mile distance, BBC reported.

Battled extreme weather

The report added that Case battled extreme weather conditions, including severe winds and temperatures dropping as low as minus 35 degrees Celsius. Organisers described the conditions as the coldest they had ever experienced during the event.

Due to the harsh weather, organisers brought the race start forward to 1 am on Sunday. Speaking to BBC Sport, Case explained how running for more than 17 hours in such extreme cold placed enormous demands on the body.

“When you’re out in that environment for 20 minutes it’s OK, but when you’re out in it for 17 hours or more, it can take a huge toll on the body because you have to expend so much energy just to keep yourself warm,” she said.

She also highlighted the importance of managing sweat in freezing conditions, explaining that runners had to maintain a careful balance between speed and body temperature.

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“The thing is that you need to run fast, but you need to do it in a way that you don’t sweat, because if you sweat, that’s a killer. It will make you cold instantly,” Case added.

Besides establishing a historic women’s record, Case had also been aiming for the overall world record. However, she faced a formidable challenge from Ni, an experienced ultrarunner who has completed more than 500 ultramarathons.

The two athletes pushed each other throughout the race, with Case at times coming within 200 metres of her rival. She said the close competition helped both runners deliver their best performances.

“There were parts where I was 60 seconds behind him, or I was sometimes just 200 metres behind him. It was a real race,” she said.

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Case previously attracted widespread attention after going viral last year for breastfeeding her baby daughter, Pepper, during her victory at an ultramarathon in Snowdonia.