UK ultra athlete Alex Welch aims to make history in one of the world’s toughest arctic races
An intrepid and inspirational ultra athlete from the UK is preparing to take on one of the world’s toughest ultramarathons – the Beyond the Ultimate Arctic 2025 – between 18-22 February. Only 500 people have ever completed the five-day, 230km race, set across the snowfields, Arctic tundra and frozen lakes of Swedish Lapland – with temperatures as low as -40°C.
Driven by his remarkable past experiences and achievements, Alexander Welch, 29, is aiming to become the youngest winner of the race in 2025 – the current record is 31. Last year, Alex completed the Marathon des Sables, a seven-day, 257km ultramarathon across the Sahara Desert, having been medically withdrawn from the race at 100km in 2021.
That disappointment led Alex to engage in behaviour which he describes as “detrimental to work and relationships”, before a renewed focus and shift in mindset saw Alex resume training and re-enter the race, which is approximately the distance of six regular marathons.
He finished 30th overall and was the 3rd fastest Brit in Southern Morocco in 2023 – he had been aiming for top 200. Spurred on by his success, Alex is now taking on the Beyond the Ultimate Arctic 2025 with the ambition of “competing, not completing” and as the top international ranked athlete on the board.
Alex said: “Despite having being withdrawn from the Marathon des Sables on medical grounds in 2021, I viewed it as a failure; I couldn’t shake the disappointment of not having completed the course. In the immediate aftermath, I let the disappointment affect my work and relationships. However, by refocusing my mind, showing up every day and intensifying my training, I recaptured my passion and motivation – and re-entered the race simply with the aim of completing it.
“Finishing in the top 30 strengthened my mental confidence. Where once I felt out of place and fearful of failure, now I feel I deserve my place. I’m now training to compete, not just to complete, and my ambition is to win the Beyond the Ultimate Arctic 2025 as the youngest ever to do so.”
In his day job, Alex is a Senior Cyber Security Sales Specialist at leading European technology solutions and services provider SCC having joined the company as a graduate in 2018. SCC is sponsoring Alex and has provided him with performance kit and flexibility throughout his training.
Alex added: “I’m so grateful for all the support I have received from friends, family, and sponsors. I want to thank everyone at SCC – from my immediate colleagues right up to the board, the support has been overwhelming.
“Seven years ago I joined SCC as a graduate. Since then I have been fortunate enough to meet some extraordinary people, and I was part of the SCC team of colleagues from SCC UK and France who ran continuously from Paris to the Alps in 2019; I attended the Paris 2024 Olympic games, where SCC was a lead sponsor and also provided critical technology; and I have presented my story to colleagues twice at our mid-year kick-off event, sharing my experience of failure, resilience, ambition and victory.
“I only ever intended to challenge myself – but it is humbling to see the positive impact my achievements have had on colleagues and partners throughout the business community.”
Adam Clark, Chief Revenue Officer at SCC, said: “Alex’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience, determination, and the pursuit of excellence. His ability to turn setbacks into fuel for even greater achievements is truly inspiring. At SCC, we are proud to support Alex as he takes on one of the toughest ultramarathons in the world, embodying the same drive and ambition that we champion in our business. We’ll be following his progress closely and cheering him on every step of the way.” SCC will be tracking Alex’s progress in the Beyond the Ultimate Arctic 2025, beginning on Tuesday, 18 February 2024.
