Yukon Sled Dog Race

This international endurance event has been run every February since 1984 across 1,000 miles/1,600 km of wilderness trail between Whitehorse, Yukon and Fairbanks, Alaska.

Yukon weather conditions are at their coldest and most challenging in February, but this legendary race, which has earned itself the moniker 'the toughest sled dog race in the world’, is run through some of the harshest and most unforgiving wilderness on the planet regardless of weather conditions. The race lasts 9 to 14 days depending on weather, trail conditions and team speed, until the last team crosses the finish line. This challenging race is an incredible test of the capacity of both dogs and humans and reflects the strong bond between them.

The Quest trail follows historic Gold Rush and mail delivery dog sled routes that were once the transportation highways of the North. Click on the following link to learn more about Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race from their official website.

This international endurance event that attracts up to 50 dog teams from around the world, is made up of one human 'musher' and up to 14 canine endurance racers. A maximum of 50 mushers can enter the Yukon Quest and dramas unfold on the trail daily as teams running neck and neck and racers helping one another out of perilous situations. Sometimes exhausted mushers are seeing apparitions on the trail.

Some of the dogs are descendants of dogs that thrived during the Klondike Gold Rush and are unmatched in their dedication and feats of endurance – ideally adapted to this harsh landscape.

The dogs in the race are elite athletes, and just like their human counterparts are monitored closely during the race by a team of doctors (or in dog case, veterinarians).

Visitors and media gather in Dawson City, the halfway point and mandatory layover, to see and hear first-hand the rigours of the race. There are also road accessible points along the race route between Whitehorse and Dawson City where competitors can be viewed.

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