This year’s edition of the paddle race on the Yukon River takes place June 25 to 28
“Ninety-eight teams … that’s 208 paddlers,” says race coordinator Cynthia Onions. “We’re really excited to have a full complement this year.”
It’s a big year for the Yukon River Quest (YRQ). The annual Yukon River marathon paddling race, from Whitehorse to Dawson City, is celebrating its 25th anniversary and will see 98 teams competing throughout its four-day run from June 25 to 28.
“Ninety-eight teams … that’s 208 paddlers,” says race coordinator Cynthia Onions. “We’re really excited to have a full complement this year.”
During the registration process, which ends in early June, the YRQ team helps national and international travelling teams sort out their accommodations and boat rentals if necessary. This year, 13 countries are represented in the race, with 134 Canadian paddlers and 74 international. Of the Canadian paddlers, 66 are local to the Yukon. Other countries represented are Australia, Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Romania, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, the U.K. and the USA.
“It’s pretty exciting,” says Onions. “It’s so wonderful because some are returning. There’s a contingent of Estonians who are returning this year, so some are repeat paddlers.”
The Yukon is obviously a long way from many of the countries with participating racers, but Onions says the territory’s lure is enough to convince the truly dedicated ones to make the trip.
“Many Europeans look to the Yukon as a place of authentic wilderness and adventure,” says Onions. “For people who love to paddle, doing 715 kilometres in a remote wilderness river is really appealing. The repeat paddlers, I think, are here to beat their time from last year. People say they want to beat their time or get to Dawson in 50 hours, and some say they want to get there before [Diamond Tooth] Gerties [Gambling Hall] closes.”
Kim Dodds is a third-time racer who will be competing in this year’s Quest. She has raced in the K1 women’s category for the past two years, placing third in her first year and second in her second. For Dodds, it was the community aspect that drew her into the race. She had never heard of the YRQ before moving up to Whitehorse from Winnipeg, but volunteered the first year she moved and became hooked on the idea of competing.
“I don’t consider myself a traditional paddle racer,” she says. “But, I really enjoy paddling and it seemed like a fun adventure to try.”
Dodds says even though it’s a race, and a tough one at that, steeped in deep competition, the racers are incredibly friendly towards each other and supportive of one another.
“When you’re looking at 715 kilometres, you spend a lot of time in the wilderness alone or paddling beside one or two other people and getting to know them,” she explains. “There’s an atmosphere and a vibe and a feeling that this is overwhelmingly positive and quite the accomplishment for anyone who actually makes it to Dawson.”
Because this year is the 25th anniversary of the YRQ, Onions crunched a few numbers, out of curiosity, and found that 3,981 paddlers, not including this year’s teams, have taken part over the years, paddling a total of 2,522,690 kilometres.
“That’s a lot of people coming just to see what the Yukon is about,” she says. Onions is in her third year organizing the race but says she is starting to get the itch to compete herself.
“I moved to the Yukon in 1999 and considered paddling it, but then realized just how intense a race it is,” she says. “But in the past few years, I’ve gotten the bug and might consider doing it in the future. I think it’s just a really fun event.”
Onions says it’s in large part due to the YRQ’s volunteers that the race is such a fun and successful event, year after year.
“They love to see the shining eyes when people drive in the Yukon and experience the community feel of the event,” she says. “We’re not high-gloss, glitz and glamour, big banners everywhere … We keep it pretty personal with the paddlers, and I think people really enjoy that and appreciate feeling like they are part of something and not just coming and participating and leaving.”
Onions also points out the economic impact the Quest has in the Yukon, with visiting paddlers renting hotel rooms, eating at local establishments and shopping in local stores around the territory, along with equipment and vehicle rentals.
Dodds also makes a point to acknowledge the hard work of the YRQ volunteers.
“There are hundreds of people that put this race together and spend untold hours in the pre-planning and during the race, making sure we are all safe,” she says. “Sometimes it’s a thankless job, but they really do make the difference of a lifetime.
“I think the primary goal is that everyone wants to make it to Dawson and be in good health,” says Dodds. “On top of that, of course, I want to do well and place, if possible.”
The 2025 edition of the Yukon River Quest takes place June 25 to 28, starting in Whitehorse and travelling 715 kilometres up the Yukon River to Dawson City. To learn more about the YRQ and access a race tracker during the race, visit yukonriverquest.com.
