Stage Three of the Ice Ultra has drawn to a close here in Sweden.

The runners set out this morning into the frozen wilderness, beginning with a brief climb through pine trees dripping with icicles. Bathed in the russet hues of a gorgeous sunrise, they tackled a woodland ascent leading onto a series of frozen lakes—the dominant terrain of this marathon-length stage.

Crossing these vast, wind-blasted expanses tested both physical and mental endurance. The frozen surfaces groaned underfoot, shifting and cracking with temperature changes. Running endlessly on a frozen lake plays tricks on the mind, with distances difficult to judge and the checkpoints seemingly unmoving. Like running on a freezing cold treadmill.

At last, the runners reached Laxholmen Island, a secluded outpost surrounded by ice on all sides. Warm cabins provided much-needed respite after another punishing day on the course.

First over the line was Men’s stage winner Alexander Welch, finishing in an impressive 5:24:00. Following him was Women’s stage winner Ioana Barbu, completing the stage in 6:20:00. The pair continue their dominant runs.

Dave Benison took second in the Men’s race with a time of 6:09:00, while Marc Rhodes rounded out the top three at 6:28:00. In the Women’s field, Katie Hislop put in a strong performance to finish second in 7:23:00, with Frith Hudson Graham coming in third at 7:57:00.

Further down the field, Harry Edmonds put in a determined effort, crossing the line in 7:09:00, with less than 100km to go until he becomes the youngest ever Global Race Series Finisher. Mads Heinkov put in a great effort, battling the icy conditions to finish in 7:46:00. At the back, Grecia Ballard and Dalip Shekhawat showed resilience, reaching the finish together in 11:48:00 just ahead of final finisher Gitta Jensen.

As darkness falls over Laxholmen island, the runners bed down by the fire and rest.