Canadian ultrarunner Stephanie Case has become the first woman to complete a nonstop 100-mile race in Antarctica, establishing the continent’s inaugural women’s record at the distance.

Case finished the 2026 Antarctic Ice Ultra in 17 hours, 31 minutes and 39 seconds, placing second overall, according to the event’s official website.

The race was held at the Schirmacher Oasis on the Princess Astrid Coast in Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica. Competitors completed 38 laps of a 4.2-kilometer (2.6-mile) circuit, followed by an additional section to reach the full 100-mile distance.

Case faced severe winds and temperatures as low as minus 35C (minus 31F), the lowest temperatures recorded by the organizers.

The start was moved forward to 1 am Sunday because of an approaching storm.

The race was won by China’s Yusheng Ni in 17 hours, two minutes and 24 seconds. Case crossed the finish line about 29 minutes later. Ni also cut more than five hours from the previous men’s record he set in 2025.

Only four of the eight runners who started the 100-mile event completed it. Case was one of three women on the starting line and the only female finisher.

Case is also an international human rights lawyer and the founder of Free to Run, an organization that uses running and leadership programs to support women and girls affected by conflict.

She attracted international attention in 2025 after winning a 100-kilometer ultramarathon in Wales six months after giving birth. (AA)