From Nuuk to Kapisillit: Mara Krebs’ 100Kilometer Journey
Mara Krebs approached her monumental challenge prepared. With her running rucksack stuffed with snacks, well-trained legs, and carefully organized gear, she felt ready. Yet, as she awoke at 6 a.m. on July 3, the gravity of the task ahead settled in: running 100 kilometers from Nuuk to Kapisillit, all in a single day.
She had envisioned tackling this daunting run alongside a trusted colleague, but misfortune struck early. Before they reached Kobbefjord, her partner sustained an injury, leaving Mara to complete the journey alone. “We had to slow down, and in the end, we lost sight of the others entirely,” she recalled.
Mara documented her journey in a video diary, capturing her thoughts and the stunning landscapes along the way. You can catch the first segment of her vignette here.
After her partner was picked up by a boat, Mara took some of her supplies and pressed on alone. By evening, she found herself beneath the Qassi glacier, enveloped in rain and fog. “It was incredibly daunting,” she admitted. “My legs were a bit shaky, and I feared what might happen if I stumbled off track.”
As night turned into morning, reality struck: Mara had never felt this keenly the isolation of her endeavor. Arriving at Qooqqut around 2 a.m., she had covered roughly 60 kilometers but was struggling. “I’m not feeling so good; I’ve slipped, fumbled about, and even one of my poles has broken,” she described, admitting that completing the race in 24 hours now seemed unlikely.
Amid the thick fog at Aqajamerngit, uncertainty crept in. Though equipped with a map, she questioned her route until faint voices reached her ears—runners participating in a three-day version of the race. Finding solace in their presence, she stayed close, even as her body protested, her mind eager to push ahead.
“I feel like my legs don’t want to move as quickly as I’d like,” she remarked, swinging between tears and laughter. “I really wished I had someone to run alongside me.”
Determined to finish, Mara was buoyed by her commitment to raise funds for Nanubørn, an organization she felt passionate about. “It would be embarrassing not to complete it,” she mused.
As she neared the end of her race with just five kilometers remaining, exhaustion set in. “Every step felt painful, and the closer I got to the finish line, the more fatigued I became,” she confessed.
It was during this phase she encountered another racer, an experienced participant who offered to assist her. “She looked at me and said, ‘Let me help you through the last part,'” Mara recalled, the memory bringing fresh tears. “That was exactly what I needed.”
With her new companion lending physical and emotional support, Mara pushed through the final stretch. However, her recollection of crossing the finish line was clouded by fatigue. She was chilled and dehydrated; her first instinct was to head straight to bed.
Over the grueling 38 hours and 19 minutes since departing Nuuk, she hadn’t found a moment to rest. Back home, fatigue caught up to her, prompting a visit to the hospital for assessment.
When asked if the experience was worth it, Mara reflected, “It wasn’t worth it to run alone, but I’m glad I did it. The care I received from others truly touched me.” Her advice for aspiring runners? “Don’t attempt the journey alone unless you’ve done it before. If you start together, finish together.”
As for the Nuukkap organizers, they might not expect her registration next year. Instead, Mara expressed a desire to volunteer and gain training as a Wilderness First Responder, ready to help others undertaking such adventures in the future.