Frozen Otter Ultra

Description:

The Frozen Otter Ultra Trek is by far one of the toughest races in the Midwest and with roughly a 20% completion rate, possibly the country.

Participants traverse 64 miles of Wisconsin’s hilly terrain left in the wake of the great Wisconsin Glacier. As if the sheer feat of conquering the mileage isn’t enough, racers must do it without outside support, on trail, in the dead of winter.

Racers may only register as a solo racer, although participants are encouraged to race with others, and must carry a variety of gear to ensure their safety during the event. Racers have 24 hours to conquer the distance. Those that do are then part of the elite Frozen Few. Conditions are a huge factor in the race and are highly unpredictable. Past years have cursed racers with conditions including temperatures dropping down to 20 degrees below zero and knee-deep snow. The race is truly the ultimate test of both physical and mental endurance.

The race will begin at the Mauthe Lake Picnic Area at 10:00am on January 19th. There will be a MANDATORY pre-race briefing 30 minutes prior to the start (9:30am). Check-in will take place between 7:30am and 9:15am and will include a full GEAR CHECK. Early Check-In will be available the evening before the race at the Mauthe Lake Shelter.

Racers will start near the lake, head to the trail, and head North. Checkpoints will be at Butler Lake, Greenbush, and Hwy P. The first out-and-back leg will total roughly 46 miles. Racers will then have the option to return to their car before continuing on, or they may leave a gear box at the Mauthe Lake trail crossing prior to the start and access it at this point. No other gear drops will be allowed. The second out-and-back leg will head South to the Hwy H trailhead and back to Mauthe for the finish.

All racers MUST be back to Mauthe Lake by the 24-hour cutoff on Sunday or face disqualification. Trail maps and mileage breakdowns will be provided to all participants. Participants must travel under unassisted foot power only. No snowshoes will be allowed. Foot traction devices such as kahtoola or yaktrax will be allowed.

All racers must carry all mandatory gear at all times. The required content of the gear list is dependant on weather. The list of mandatory gear is available in the files section of this event. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the race director. Gear will be checked when you check-in as well as by a volunteer a minimum of 1 time during the event. Failure to carry all required gear will result in immediate disqualification. Mandatory gear exists for your safety.