Yukon Arctic Ultra Race Report

The Yukon Arctic Ultra, “the world’s coldest and toughest ultramarathon,”  kicked off in Whitehorse yesterday morning at 10:30 a.m. For most participants, the race is still going on and will continue to do so for as much as 12 days as runners attempt to make it as far as Dawson, some 430 miles away. Race day weather was unusual for Yukon in February: low twenties for the high, skies were overcast, wind was negligible.

Hot Diggity Dog

This is the biggest weekend of the year for Yukon sports, but it may surprise faithful readers of My Polar Adventure to learn that the race I’m participating in, the Yukon Arctic Ultra, isn’t even a blip on the local radar. Here in Whitehorse, dogs are king. This morning it appeared that half the residents of the town, as well as tourists, photographers and journalists from Japan, Germany, England, Brazil, Australia and other points along the globe, filed out in the morning chill to watch the start of the Yukon Quest.

Hiyuh!

Compared to Kangerlussuaq, where I ran in 2011, Whitehorse is a metropolis. It has roads. McDonald’s, Starbucks and Walmart, the three pillars of Western Civilization, each have franchises here. There is even a public library. Kangerlussuaq only had a book.

Me standing in front of the Sacred Totem of Whichikaka.