The Yukon River Quest: A 715 Km Paddle From Whitehorse to Dawson City

Each June, paddlers push off from downtown Whitehorse and spend about three days racing 715 km down the Yukon River to Dawson City. Canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and voyageur canoes all share the same river, and the same long June light.

The Race in Brief

The Yukon River Quest is an annual marathon paddling race run by the Yukon River Marathon Paddling Association. It has run for more than two decades, and it starts in Whitehorse and finishes in Dawson City, 715 km downriver.

Racers compete in solo and tandem canoes and kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, four-person canoes and voyageur canoes. There are shorter options too: the YRQ 300 is a half race, and the Dawson Dash covers 415 km of the river.

Racers finish in about two nights and three days. The race has one mandatory 10-hour layover, at Carmacks, and a team's official time is its time on the river without the layover. The 2027 race is June 23 to 26, 2027.

The River, From Whitehorse to Dawson City

The course follows the Yukon River north along the old gold rush route. Racers leave downtown Whitehorse and cross Lake Laberge on the way to Carmacks, the layover stop. After the layover, they run through Five Finger Rapids and past the historic site of Fort Selkirk, then carry on to the finish on the waterfront in Dawson City.

The river passes through the traditional territories of several First Nations. The race rules describe it as "the world's longest museum", and removing or disturbing any artifact along the way means disqualification.

It is a no-trace event. Racers pack out their waste, don't feed or approach wildlife, and are required to help another team in distress. Late June brings very long days to the Yukon, so teams paddle through the night with little real darkness.

Carmacks: The Only Planned Help

Carmacks is where the race slows down. Teams must stop for at least 10 hours, and it is the only place and time where racers may receive planned help from their support crews. Everywhere else on the river they carry what they need, including survival gear and warm, dry clothes, and each boat has a satellite communicator and a tracker.

Racers have time limits to reach each checkpoint, and teams that miss them can be asked to withdraw. Volunteers run the checkpoints, and the race's own rules call them its "lifeblood". Prize money goes to the first and second place teams in each class, depending on how many teams register, and the fastest team overall earns free entry to the following year's race.

Watching the Race

The start is where the energy is. The race begins in Whitehorse at Rotary Peace Park on the downtown waterfront, with boats lining up from early morning and the whole field leaving together. In 2026 the horn sounded at 9 am. The 2026 schedule also listed the end of Burma Road and Policeman's Point as viewing spots, and Policeman's Point needs a high-clearance 4WD.

After Lake Laberge, the field spreads out along the river, and paddlers may be few and far between, so planning to catch a particular team can be tricky. Carmacks is the other place to see teams up close, because everyone stops there, and it is busy, so follow the parking instructions. The finish is in Dawson City on the waterfront by the dike, between the gazebo and the historic CIBC building. In 2026 the finish line opened on the Friday afternoon and stayed open until Saturday evening, and the awards brunch was on Sunday morning.

Dates and spots change each year, so check the official schedule at yukonriverquest.com. Teams carry trackers, so check the site for how to follow the race.

Racing it Yourself

Accommodation can be tight around race time, and so can the entry list. Registration is not open-ended. Entries for the 2027 race opened on November 1, 2026, and stay open until the categories are full or until May 1, whichever comes first, and once a category is full, teams go on a waitlist.

Every racer submits their details and a paddling resume. The Race Committee reviews them, and first-time solo and tandem racers need a more detailed resume. It asks for long-distance paddling experience, multi-day wilderness experience and first aid skills. The minimum age is 19 for solo entries, and 15 for team boats, where at least half the crew must be 19 or older.

Entry for the 2027 race is $720 plus GST per person until November 30, 2026, and $790 plus GST per person from December 1. There are no refunds, so the race recommends travel and event insurance. Check yukonriverquest.com for the current details.

Planning a Trip Around It

Whitehorse and Dawson are both busy during race week, with paddlers, support crews and spectators in town, so book accommodation early. Dawson City is about 530 km from Whitehorse by road, roughly six hours, so you can drive to the finish while the racers paddle the longer 715 km river route. Check road conditions at 511yukon.ca, and plan a full day for the drive. If you would rather skip the drive, Air North, Yukon's Airline, flies between Whitehorse and Dawson City.

If you would rather help than race, the race also needs volunteers, and you can register through the race website.