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 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. 

21ST ANNUAL YUKON RIVER QUEST: JUNE 26 – JUNE 30, 2019 – Another race is in the books, and what a wild one it was! Pull up Results on our RACE TRACKER page, courtesy of Yukon 1000 Software, and watch for more photos posted on our YRQ FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM pages. Read our AWARDS PRESS RELEASE.   

RECORD FIELD IN 2019 – A record 117 teams started the race 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. See list of all teams on the TEAM BIOS page and check out the PRE-RACE PRESS RELEASE. 

THANK YOU  VOLUNTEERS – LIFEBLOOD OF THE YRQ:   More than 300 of you made our race shine under the Midnight Sun!  See our big THANK YOU AD from the Whitehorse Star on Friday, July 26, 2019, and be in Whitehorse on Sept. 13 for a Volunteer Party in the Grey Mountain Room at Mt. MacIntyre from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Want to get involved next year? Sign in on our new VOLUNTEER page and then view the different jobs available. We’ll even take early birds for 2020! 

RACERS & SUPPORT CREWS INFO: Racers please go through the RULES & PREPARATION part of our site to view our 2019 Rules, Racers Briefing, and see what you are required to carry on this journey, including a new First Aid Kit.  Check out the FAQs to learn more about navigation, insurance requirements, support at Carmacks, how to get back from Dawson, and more. Support crews should check out the SUPPORT link above to view a separate Support Briefing and learn more about what you need to do to help your team get to the finish line!  

 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 year’s BIB SPONSORS!  We have several sponsorship levels to show your support for the race. Our popular bib program is a great way for small businesses to both help the race and support a team. Click here for a Bib Sponsorship Form (due June 15th).   

BECOME A MEMBER OF YRMPA: Join the Yukon River Marathon Paddlers Association for just $20 a year (adults), $10 a year (juniors 18 & under), or $100 for lifetime. Email the race office for details or attend our December 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 list of officers and board members and read our Vision, Values and Mission statements on our ABOUT US page. 

YRMPA BOARD NEWS:  Upcoming meetings: YRMPA Board Thursday Sept. 12 at 5:30 pm at Sport Yukon; Rules Committee Thursday Sept. 26 at 5:30 pm at Sport Yukon. NEW EARLIER AGM: October 17, 2019 (details forthcoming).