Sunny Stroeer Becomes First Female To Ski The Iditarod Trail Invitational 1000

LOWA Boots, the global footwear brand known for over 100 years of hand-crafted European heritage, today announced that its pro athlete, Sunny Stroeer, completed the Iditarod Trail Invitational on skis, the first female to accomplish this feat in the race’s 24 year history. Stroeer started in Anchorage, skiing 950 miles over 29 days, 22 hours, 06 minutes to finish Tuesday, March 26th in Nome, enduring brutal temperatures as low as -45 degrees.

“LOWA has worked with Sunny for over five years; each year her accomplishments are harder than the last,” said Peter Sachs, general manager of LOWA. “The Iditarod Trail Invitational is a test of personal endurance and mental fortitude, harsh elements, and unknown conditions. She completed the race with grace and grit, timely, as it is Women’s History Month. We are honored to share in this celebration with Sunny and extend our congratulations.”

Stroeer’s footwear of choice was the Renegade Evo Ice GTX, designed to keep feet warm, comfortable, dry and protected in the harshest winter conditions. The boot has a taller shaft for added protection against snow drifts. It features a high loft fleece Gore Tex Partelana lining and the Vibram Arctic Grip Trac® Outsole, engineered for low temperature use and grip on cold, icy or snowy surfaces. In Sunny’s case, the Renegade Evo Ice GTX was an unconventional choice since most cross-country skiers ski in cross-country boots with specific bindings. Sunny opted for warm boots that she attached to her skis with a universal binding set up that uses straps.

“I may have gotten frostbite on my thumb, as the temperatures hit -45F this past month; but the LOWA Renegade Evo Ice kept my feet warm and happy,” said Stroeer. “I am stoked to be working with such an incredible brand as an athlete for over five years now; their support has been wonderful.”

Previously, Sunny completed the shorter Iditarod Trail Invitational 350 Mile Race on skis in 2021 and 2022, and on fat bike in 2023.

Sunny Stroeer is a record-setting ultra-distance mountain runner, high altitude mountaineer, and advocate for gender equity in the big mountain realm. Prior to becoming a full-time mountain athlete, Sunny spent her twenties working in finance and strategy consulting after attending Harvard College and Harvard Business School.

Sunny’s passion is to push herself physically and mentally in the backcountry, in environments that push the limit of human endurance. In between ultra efforts and big climbs, Sunny resides in Kanab, UT, where she and her husband co-own one of the region’s premier backcountry outfitters: Dreamland Safari Tours. Sunny also launched AWExpeditions which offers women’s expeditions to high altitude peaks around the world. In addition, Sunny serves as the Executive Director for the AWE Summit Scholarship Foundation that breaks down barriers to entry to the big mountain realm for women from all walks of life.

Highlights:

• Iditarod Trail Invitational 350 Mile finisher, ski (2021, 2022)
• Grand Canyon Tuckup Fastest Known Time (2021)
• Grand Canyon R2R2R-alt women’s Fastest Known Time (2020)
• TransQilian 100km overall speed record (2019)
• Ouray 100 Mile Endurance Race, first place women (2018)
• Pfiffner Traverse - 76 miles with 55,000ft of elevation change, overall unsupported speed record (2018)
• Aconcagua 360 Route - 65 miles with 33,000ft of elevation change, first woman to complete the route in a single push (2018)
• Annapurna Circuit - 136 miles with 66,000ft of elevation change, women’s speed record (2017)
• Aconcagua Normal Route Basecamp-to-Summit - 6 miles with ~9,000ft ascent, women’s speed record (2017)