Yukon River Quest Underway!

One of the best long distance kayaking races in the world, the Yukon River Quest, got underway yesterday at Whitehorse, in the Canadian Yukon, where teams and solo paddlers hit the water to compete in a race that will run through Saturday.

As of this morning, the first paddlers were into Carmacks, one of the checkpoints along the way. Defending champion in the solo division Carter Johnson, led the way, but a number of other competitors were not far behind. Three teams did scratch over night, but 75 remain out on the water.


This is the 12th running of this great event, which is the longest canoe and kayak race in the world. By the time they reach the finish line in Dawson City, a few days from now, the competitors will have covered 740km (460 miles) of river.


A big thanks to Adventure World Magazine for reminding me that the Yukon Quest had kicked off. If you're considering doing a similar event, you may want to checkout AWM's Tips for Endurance Paddling before you go.