When a 400-Mile Canoe Race Isn’t Long Enough …
28 May
The Yukon Territory community of Whitehorse is already the starting point for a 400-mile canoe race. Apparently, though, that’s not long enough for everybody in the community.
Recently, local organizers announced plans for a 2009 event that would have racers paddle 1000 miles — from Whitehorse to the Alaska Pipeline Bridge on the Dalton Highway in Alaska. The new race would become the world’s longest canoe race, supplanting the record currently held by the town’s 400-mile event.
Organizers of the new race note that the 400-mile Yukon Quest’s finish line in Dawson isn’t even half-way to the finish of the 1,000-mile event to be called the Yukon River 1000.
Yukon River 1000 organizers are planning a high-tech event. Race entrants will be required to use GPS-enabled personal tracking devices to track their progress and confirm adherence to race rules.
You can find a comprehensive news story about the event HERE, from the Fairbanks Daily News – Miner.
An under-construction web page for the Yukon River 1000 can be found HERE.
Information on the Whitehorse to Dawson Yukon River Quest canoe race, scheduled to start on June 25, is HERE.
