Yukon Quest
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The Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race, or just the Yukon Quest is an international dog mushing race held every February. It runs from Whitehorse, Yukon to Fairbanks, Alaska in odd-numbered years, and from Fairbanks to Whitehorse in even-numbered years.
The Yukon Quest is 'The Toughest Sled Dog Race in the World'.
A single musher and a team of 12 to 14 sled dogs race for 10 to 14 days, following the historic 1890's Klondike Gold Rush and river mail delivery routes. The mushers, who must pack up to 250 lbs of equipment and provisions for themselves and the sled dogs, are permitted to drop the sled dogs for rest, are not allowed to replace the sled, and cannot accept any help except when they reach Dawson City, Yukon, the halfway mark of the race. Ten checkpoints, some more than 200 miles (300 km) apart, and 4 dog drops lie along the trail. Veterinarians are present at each checkpoint and dog drop to the health and welfare of the dogs, advise drivers in caring for their dogs' medical needs, and provide veterinary for dropped dogs, if needed. The veterinarians, in conjunction with the Race Marshall or a Race Judge, has the authority to remove a dog(s) from the race for medical or other reasons.
The race route runs on frozen rivers, across open water and bad ice; over four mountain ranges, reaching an elevation of 3,800 feet (1,160 m); and through isolated, northern villages. Racers cover 1,020 miles (1,643 km), as temperatures commonly can drop to −40 to −60 °F (−40 to −60 °C) on the rivers, and winds can reach 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) on the mountain summits .
The 2007 race purse of USD $200,000 will be divided among the top 15 finishing teams and the winner takes home $40,000.
The first musher to win the Yukon Quest was Sonny Lindner in 1984. The fastest run was completed in 2007, with Lance Mackey winning in 10 days, 2 hours, and 37 minutes, beating his own record of 10 days, 7 hours, and 47 minutes set in 2006. Mackey is one of only two mushers to have won the race 3 times. And in 2007 Mackey went on to become the first musher ever to not only complete the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod in the same year but to win both races. The longest finishing time was in 1988 when it took Ty Halvorson 20 days, 8 hours and 29 minutes. The closest finish was in 1991 with Bruce Lee a mere 5 minutes behind winner Charlie Boulding. Aliy Zirkle became the first woman to win the race in 2000, in 10 days, 22 hours and 57 minutes.
