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Ice ultra marathon winner says 'anyone can do it'

Beyond the Ultimate Ice Ultra Marathon Alex walking across the ice, his back is to the camera, he carries red walking poles and a blue rucksack on his back with yellow strapsBeyond the Ultimate Ice Ultra Marathon
Alex Welch from Cheshire became the youngest winner of the Beyond the Ultimate Ice Ultra marathon

The hardest part of an ice ultra marathon was being "waist-deep in snow" and climbing a mountain using arms only, the youngest ever winner has said.

Alex Welch, from Cheshire, said the "entire right side of my body went numb" during the Beyond the Ultimate Ice Ultra Marathon, a 230km (143 miles) foot race through Swedish Lapland in the Arctic Circle where temperatures dip as low as -35 C.

The five-day event in February saw the 29-year-old race across snowfields, Arctic tundra and frozen lakes.

He said he hoped his achievement would inspire others to take on similar challenges because he believed "anyone can do it".

Beyond the Ultimate Ice Ultra Marathon Two people run across the ice, they look tiny against the mountain in the backgroundBeyond the Ultimate Ice Ultra Marathon
The 29-year-old said he broke the race down into "smaller consumable amounts"

"On day two I had to summit a mountain, I was waist-deep in snow and all I could do was use my arms to motor my way through," he said.

"The entire right side of my body went numb and all I could imagine was a helicopter roaring over head to come and collect me," he said.

"That was definitely the hardest part of the race."

Mr Welch, who regularly takes part in his local Parkrun in Wilmslow, said he broke the race down into "smaller consumable amounts".

"I didn't see it as a 230km race, I saw it as just 23 10km races," he said.

"It wasn't a case of 'can I get to the end":[]}