7th Place
Joe Holland - 5:48:04

Joe describes himself as a recovering Olympic ski jumper.   Maybe jumping over blow down would have been an advantage for Joe at Wakely, but the course was just to clear this year so he had to rely on his athletic experience pull off his sub 6-hour finish.  Experience is one thing Joe has plenty of.

Holland is a two-time national champion, and Olympian in the Nordic combined (ski-jumping coupled with cross-country skiing).  More recently, Joe was the winner of "The Last Desert" stage of the 4 Deserts stage race which was held in Antarctica .  You've got to watch these guys - it looked like a once in a lifetime experience for Joe... yeah, kind of like running Wakely but colder.  NBC Sport's coverage of the event can be found here:  Part one; Part two.

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Emerging from the great Wakely Desert is Joe Holland.


Dam crossing.

"If only it had snowed a bit, I would have creamed them."