Musher Ilana thought this would be worth a StinkyBlog posting. In 2024 I participated in several organized races.
February 4: Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra (MYAU). This is the race that I didn’t finish in 2022, due to developing frostbite in my right foot. In 2023, I ran the marathon distance, from Whitehorse to Muktuk Kennel – that route is almost entirely on the ice over the Yukon and Takhini Rivers.
In 2024 I ran the “100-mile” distance, which is actually closer to 95 miles, from Whitehorse to Braeburn. Conditions were excellent for the start of the race at 10:30am. We had a spring warm-up earlier in the year that was disastrous for dog mushing, resulting in the Yukon Quest starting from the end of Takhini River Road rather than the usual location in downtown Whitehorse. But for human-powered sports – run, ski or fat bike – the trail along the river and then from the end of Takhini River Road north was just fine.
The trail was hard and fast. The night before, Yukon Quest mushers suffered -50C temperatures on the trail. But the day of the MYAU dawned to more moderate temperatures, starting at around -16F (-27C) and warming gradually to around 0F (-17C) by the time I finished the race 33.5 hours later.
In the MYAU, racers need to be fully self-sufficient and well-equipped. Runners pull a plastic sled (a pulk) with an extreme weather sleeping system (sleeping bag, insulated sleeping pad, and bivvy), a cook stove with fuel and food, extra clothing, and various other supplies. My pulk was around 90 pounds (40KG).
I was the second runner to finish, and a fat biker finished before both of us. I saw few people on the trail once past the marathon finish in Muktuk. There was a great cheering crowd (perhaps 10 people!) in the Takhini River Road parking lot, then I was in the wilds of the Dawson Overland Trail, mostly alone, for the next 60 miles.
The trail was marked quite well. It was used just the day before by the Yukon Quest. There was no precipitation and little wind once I was off the river. Moving was fairly slow due to hauling the pulk and to the hilliness of the course. By the last 30 miles I was taking frequent micro-rests, when I would stop and stand for a minute. I even lay down on my pulk once or twice for 5 minutes, but otherwise did not stop for rest.
Having learned the hard way about frostbite in 2022, I changed my socks several times and also had whole-foot chemical warmers. I was more knowledgeable than in 2022 about frostbite, and also benefited from not having go through fresh deep snow like I did then. I also changed my top layers twice, changed my face mask and neck gator several times, and ditto for glove liners and over mitts. The temperatures were cold enough that by the time I was moving more slowly (3 m.p.h. or so for the last 25 miles) I needed to add extra layers. My preparedness with extra clothing kept me comfortable for the whole distance.
Notably, the check points in the MYAU are wonderfully staffed and very thorough. The race has distances of 26.2 (marathon), 100-mile, and beyond — 250 and 400 mile distances, depending on the year. At Muktuk, then again on Dog Grave Lake (around half way from Muktuk to Braeburn, along the Dawson Overland Trail), I was inspected and fed.
The checkpoints include medics to make sure your feet, face and hands are not showing signs of frostbite, and also to make sure your clothing isn’t soaked through. They serve tasty meals – including vegan options! They were not too busy when I passed through, so I was able to put on a new layer of socks etc. inside their heated wall tent, rather than needing to do it outdoors. Luxury!
After the Takhini River Road, along the Dawson Overland Trail, I didn’t see wildlife along the trail, didn’t see many stars due to overcast skies, and only saw one other runner who stopped to rest and then retired due to frostbite. I was overjoyed when, at the end of the race, I was greeted by Ilana and our handler. I had a snack and warmed up a bit in the wonderful Braeburn Lodge, and was home by around 9pm the day after I began in Whitehorse.
July 7: Reckless Raven. This is a local 50-miler that starts and ends at the Mt. McIntyre ski area in Whitehorse. It’s an extremely challenging race with massive uphill and downhill sections and a long traverse along a mountain ridge.
Ilana and I both ran the race. I was ahead until we reached the top of the first ridge, up to the summit where the new windmills overlook Whitehorse. She pulled ahead of me at the end, for the last 15 miles or so.
This race is extremely well-supported, with fully-stocked checkpoints with a cheering section, snacks, drinks, and usually some music. The race offers a 2-person relay option. Ilana did the relay in the past, and this was her first year doing the full 50-mile distance.
The trail is very scenic, with high sections overlooking the vast Whitehorse wilderness and Whitehorse itself. That first hill, up to the windmills, is barely runable: you need to scramble up some sections, grabbing trees and roots to keep moving forward. After that is the long ridge traverse – it’s only around 9 miles but feels like 15 and is often pockmarked and tough to follow.
After descending the ridge there are some ATV trails and single-lane gravel roads, followed by two big hills going into, and then out of, the Fish Lake bowl. These hills seem endless going up, and then endless again going down.
The final section goes along Copper Haul Road for a couple of miles. We use that in the winter for dog races! Then, the trail enters the Mt. McIntyre ski area for a very pleasant 6 miles of gladed trails that are relatively flat, nicely groomed, and include some nice views.
Ilana finished almost a half-hour ahead of me. I just missed the 15-hour cutoff, finishing in around 15h15m hours. Thankfully, the finishing station was still set up. Each checkpoint has a cutoff time, and I was comfortably in time for the last checkpoint but was moving pretty slowly through the last section, more like shuffling than running properly.
Weather was excellent for the race. The skies were clear but it wasn’t too hot, and the trail was dry except for some creek crossings.
August 4: Yukon River Trail Marathon. This is a local tradition in Whitehorse, featuring marathon, half-marathon, and 4x relay options. Ilana and I ran the full marathon, and like with the Reckless Raven we ran together some of the time but mostly I was ahead for the first part, and she was ahead for the last part. This year the start/finish of the race had changed, adding an extra mile to the race. A traditional marathon is 26.2 miles and this one was approximately 27.5.
This is a true trail marathon. It’s mostly single-track and some double-track, with some relatively short sections on paved roads and trails. There are few flat sections – mostly the trail rolls up and down, and has long sections along the Yukon River with rocks and roots to snag your feet.
This race has two huge hills in the last few miles – one is called Heartbreak Hill, which gives you some ideas about how steep it is. These are not as challenging as the big hills in the Reckless Raven, but they’re challenging enough, especially towards the end of the marathon.
Ilana finished 1 minute ahead of me with a time of 6:05:12, my time was 06:06:23. Our run times were longer than last year (Ilana was 5:38:33 and I was 5:38:03), and that’s probably because of the extra mile. This is not the type of marathon anyone expects to complete in a personal record (PR) time.
This marathon has plenty of participants (over 100) so there is constant passing and friendly greetings, as well as crowded checkpoints where the relay handoffs happen. At the end there is a bit of a party, with some drinks (canned mocktails) and festivities. It’s a great community event, starting and ending at Shipyards Park in downtown Whitehorse – the same location as the MYAU start earlier in the year.
September 7: Klondike Road Relay. This was the third year I ran “solo” in the KRR. This is a relay race that starts on Friday night in Skagway, Alaska and ends 109 miles later in Whitehorse, Yukon. It goes along the South Klondike Highway, then a section on the Alaska-Canada Highway (usually called the Alaska Highway), and then finishes along the Miles Canyon roads and trails into Whitehorse.
The solo runners – there were 5 of us registered – start after 6am in Carcross. This is Checkpoint 7 on the the KRR, for a 45-mile run into Whitehorse. It’s entirely on the highway, with runners on the left-hand margin. The highway isn’t closed, but is dominated by slow-moving racer support vehicles and cheering sections, so traffic isn’t moving at full speed.
At least, until the AlCan, which is busier and faster. There’s a wide shoulder to run on and, again, lots of signs warning drivers of runners on the road. The KRR is a big race with perhaps 1000 participants. There are 10 sections of relayers for the full race, we well as shorter distances with half-sections for kids and walkers. This means there are scores of runners at a time between any given checkpoints, and most of them are handing off to another runner at the next checkpoint.
Not surprisingly, this means that for me, a not-so-speedy solo runner, I was getting passed a lot by the time I was halfway through. Runners are friendly and upbeat, and some wear fun costumes. Encouragement from other runners, and especially from the many vehicles passing or stopping along the way, was welcome. I’d see many of the same cheering sections multiple times, since they were following a runner that was near me. Sometimes I’d get a series of high-fives and other encouragement. It really helps with motivation!
Start times are staggered to try to get runners finishing within a few hours of each other. My start was 6:45am and I finished around 8h45m later (versus 8h13m in 2023). I hadn’t been moving very quickly, but felt strong and healthy.
The finish was in Rotary Park in downtown Whitehorse, and was really a big “party in the park” with food trucks, sauna, massage station, a beer garden, a DJ, and other fun stuff. Thanks to Ilana for dropping me off, and to another solo runner and partner for driving me home afterwards.
2024 has been a big year for organized races – including three with ultramarathon distances. My times are slower this year than in the past, and I’ve been able to finish them all in good health and spirits. I’ve improved my clothing system over the years, especially regarding shoes, socks, and foot care, and this has helped avoid some of the soreness and injuries of the past. Running in and around Whitehorse is wonderful, with varied trails and lots of organized events.
