Patagonian Expedition Race
At the Finish Line in Estancia Perales
Anne-Marie Dunhill / 25.02.2016
It is difficult to describe the ambiance at the finish line of a race as extreme as the Patagonian Expedition Race. It is a long one and the 2016 edition has had so many plot twists that it must be nearly impossible for those trying to follow the race back home to understand what these extraordinary athletes have pushed themselves through to reach the finish line.
In many ways Patagonia is a place that shifts perceptions. For example, prior to arriving in Patagonia the South African team, Merrell Adventure Addicts, had spoken of their apprehension of the cold. In Estancia Perales, sitting around the table after crossing the finish line with GODZone and East Wind, Robyn Kime remarked, “It’s amazing how our definition of good weather has changed completely!”
Team captain Graham Bird said that it was “relentless, you get nothing for free. You were fighting the terrain all of the way.”
Hanno “Smelly” Smit added that the last section of the course, the 41km trek over the Ultra Fiord race route, was “Such a treat today, like the icing on a cake. It was spectacular and damn dangerous and without that section this race would have only been a fourth of what it was for us.”
Analyzing their race, Graham said that perhaps the team had slept too much; he estimated that they’d slept between 57-58 hours. “We didn’t go out of our comfort zone, maybe we should have pushed it harder.”
Team Merrell Adventure Addicts crossed the finish line at 20:57 on the 24th.
The Japanese team East Wind has surely pushed everyone’s perception of what is possible to achieve in adverse conditions. When the team crossed the finish line yesterday, there was cheering but also a deeply profound sense of respect for what all involved in the race had witnessed. Something much larger than any individual had been played out.
Masato was the only member of the team wearing sunglasses when they crossed the finish line and they effectively masked his emotions as the team received warm hugs from the race director and posed for photos. There was a brief unguarded moment when he surreptitiously wiped his eyes; the only outward emotional of what this extraordinary man had endured.
When asked about the last section East Wind team member Michitomo Yamakita said that it was “very smooth and easy to run with beautiful scenery.” When asked what he felt having crossed the finish line, he said “It’s finished, we’re done.”
Team East Wind crossed the finish line at 20:45.
The 2016 PER winners, GODZone, crossed the finish line at 21:38.
They came through holding a flag of the United Kingdom and when asked to group together for photos they joked, “We do actually like each other, we just smell more than usual.”
Nick Gracie's record of consectutive wins remains unbroken. Jari Hiatt raced in 2013 with a team that came in 2nd and Chris Hope and Warren Bates had never done the PER. Chris, Warren and Jari had to overcome a nasty stomach bug that had hindered their progression in the beginning of the race.
There is something about this race that makes Nick Gracie keep coming back; he has said in the past that he rarely goes back to the same race twice and last night at the finish line he was already talking about coming back for a sixth win, saying that would be a nice, even number.
The Canadian team, M.O.B, crossed the finish line at 04:13. We will be publishing an interview with the team once they have rested.
As the racers sort their gear before the closing ceremony and process their experience, one thing is abundantly clear; the 2016 Patagonian Expedition Race has once again proved that it is the last wild race.
The prize giving ceremony is tomorrow, February 25th in Puerto Natales.
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