Welcome to the official Yukon River Quest web site. The Yukon River Quest is an annual marathon paddling race. Paddlers come from around the world to test their endurance, racing day and night to the Klondike on one of North America’s great rivers. It is open to solo and tandem canoes and kayaks, solo stand-up paddle boards (SUP0, and bigger C4 and Voyageur canoes. Please fully explore our site for information on how to participate in this great event, whether as a racer, a member of a support crew, or as a volunteer. The Yukon River passes through Five First Nations on our race route: Kwanlin Dun, Ta’an Kwachan Council, Little Salmon/Carmacks, Selkirk, and Trondek Hwechin. Our race honours their culture and those who have lived off the river and nurtured it for centuries. For an in-depth account of Yukon First Peoples, read this ECHO (Ethnographic, Cultural, Historical Overview) handbook.

RACE WEEK THOUGHTS (June 22-28, 2020) – LOOKING TOWARD 2021 • This is a tough week for us. We’d normally be absorbed by the excitement of YRQ Race Week. We’d like to take this time to let you know that we’re all looking forward to the 2021 River Quest and understand that you are too. We also understand that many of you are looking for more information about that race. At this point, there are still many unknowns for us in the Yukon. While we are slowly opening up, our borders are still under fairly strict controls. If we are able to welcome visitors to the Yukon next summer, we are as yet unsure about how large a race we may be able to offer. The Board is constantly looking at options for the 2021 race and will keep you informed as things are determined. Check here and on our Facebook page for updates. In the meantime, keep paddling, try one of our virtual races (see below), keep safe, and keep your fingers crossed for a COVID-free 2021 race! During our usual race week, we posted to our Facebook page many e photos from our archives of racers and volunteers and support crews doing what they normally do at this time of year. Check it out. You are all so valuable to us!

NEW VIRTUAL RACE! Paddle at a safe distance in the VIRTUAL YRQ or VIRTUAL HALF YRQ this summer. See INSTRUCTIONS and find registration links for both races HERE!  No race open time, no race close time.  But everyone’s tracks get mapped on to the Yukon River starting from Whitehorse at 12:00 June 24th. See PRESS RELEASE.

March 20, 2020 statement by YRMPA on 2020 race cancellation due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and concerns for health and safety of paddlers, volunteers and communities:  “The 2020 Yukon River Quest has been cancelled. The board of directors of the Yukon River Marathon Paddlers Association regretfully decided last night that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the race cannot go ahead.  The 22nd annual marathon paddling race from Whitehorse to Dawson City was scheduled to be held June 24 to June 28, 2020 with a full roster of 125 teams from 15 countries.” Registered racers may defer their entry to the 2021 race (dates will be June 23-26, 2021). See more in our PRESS RELEASE.

22nd YUKON RIVER QUEST – June 24-28, 2020 (MOVED TO 2021) – Registration opened on November 1, 2019 at 18:00 (6 PM) PDT. We had 99 teams registered in the first hour, and the field was full by 03:37 on Nov. 2nd (a record)! There is a total team limit of 125 teams, and limits on the number of solo (50) and voyageur (15) teams. Teams were added from the wait list as teams dropped and it remained full when the decision to cancel the 2020 race was made on March 20, 2020. There were 15 countries represented. Teams were offered a choice of deferring their registration to the 2021 race or receiving an 85% refund. As of June 18, 2020, we had seen only 8 cancellations, and there were 117 teams listed under the RACERS tab above. Teams on the wait list at the time of cancellation were shifted to a 2021 wait list. Further registration decisions are on hold for the time being and will be updated after our September meeting.

BE PREPARED – THIS IS A TOUGH WILDERNESS PADDLING RACE! READ 2020 RULES & RACER GUIDE: Become familiar with the RACE RULES. (Note: These rules will be updated for 2021; watch for changes late fall/early winter). Read the Preamble about what you will experience out there, and how to prepare for this tough wilderness race.  Also check out the new RACER GUIDE and various items under the RULES & PREPARATION drop-down menu above (currently being edited), such as how much food and fluids are needed to sustain you in a long river race and other essential tips to help you finish;  racer and support crew briefings (they will be updated in April); and our FAQs to learn more about navigation, insurance requirements, support at Carmacks, how to get back from Dawson, and more. Support crews need to become familiar with all of this information to help your team prepare! Check out the SUPPORT link above.

PREVIOUS RACE REVIEW: RECORD FIELD IN 2019! – A record 117 teams started the 21st annual YRQ at noon on Wednesday, June 26, and 86 teams finished by 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 30.  A total of 31 teams (26.5%) scratched during the race (an additional team withdrew just before the start). Most of the scratches were in Carmacks, as several teams were fatigued and/or unable to make the cutoff time there on the evening of June 27. Only 3 teams scratched past Carmacks. Thirteen countries were represented: Canada, USA, New Zealand, Australia, Netherlands, Norway (new), United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Papua New Guinea (new), France, Austria, and Ireland. Pull up 2019 Results and replay the race on our RACE TRACKER page, courtesy of Yukon 1000 Software, and see photos in our GALLERY and posted on our YRQ FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM pages. Read our AWARDS PRESS RELEASE.   

THANK YOU  VOLUNTEERS – LIFEBLOOD OF THE YRQ:   More than 200 of you made our race shine under the Midnight Sun!  A Volunteer Appreciation Party was held in Whitehorse  on Sept. 13 at Mt. MacIntyre and we gave out lots of Air North tickets and other door prizes. Thanks to those who donated! Also see our big THANK YOU AD from the Whitehorse Star published on Friday, July 26, 2019,  Want to get involved for the 2021 race? Sign in on our new VOLUNTEER page and then view the different jobs available. It’s never to early to volunteer, and it’s fun! 

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS – SUPPORT THE YRQ:  We have a lot of great sponsors who help us immensely in making this a great race. Please view our SPONSOR PAGE for a list of everyone big and small, including this past year’s BIB SPONSORS!  We have several sponsorship levels to show your support for the race. Our Sponsorship packet and provisions are currently under revision and should be available some time later in 2020.

BECOME A MEMBER OF YRMPA: Join the Yukon River Marathon Paddlers Association for just $20 a year (adults) or $10 a year (juniors 18 & under). Email the race office for details or attend our fall AGM and consider joining the YRMPA Board to help us plan the race. Meetings are monthly most of the year, and more frequent the two months before the race. See our current board & executive and read our Vision, Values and Mission statements on our ABOUT US page. 

YRMPA BOARD NEWS:  See our ABOUT US page for our new YRMPA Vision, Mission and Values statements from our recently passed 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. The board in April cancelled the 2020 race due to COVID-19 (see statement above) but has since initiated a Virtual YRQ and Half Quest that is ongoing all summer. Plans for 2021 will unfold as we move into fall.  NEXT MEETING:  Thursday, September 17, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. If you have questions for the board, email them to info@yukonriverquest.com. Note, our AGM this year will be held in early December.