Big river adventure

Yukon River Quest begins

The world's longest annual canoe and kayak race began today in Yukon Territory, western Canada.

Seventy nine teams were scheduled to take part in the 11th annual Yukon River Quest along the Yukon River - Yukon means "Great River" in the native Gwich'in dialect.

Aside from two mandatory rest stops which last a total of 10 hours, paddlers race non-stop over approximately 460 miles to Dawson City. The race is held annually during the last week of June, around the time of the summer solstice, and it is widely regarded as one of the toughest ultra-marathon paddling events on the planet.

Teams and solo racers are competing for $36,000 in prize money and although there are slightly less teams than last year, organisers are happy with the turnout. "We are very pleased to see that the number of teams this year [80] is very close to last year's number [89], even in this economic situation, said Jean-Francois Latour, president of the Yukon River Marathon Paddlers Association.

Eight countries are competing including the U.S.A, Australia, Japan and Great Britain.

According to Latour, high water levels are predicted and the course is likely to take around 40 hours to complete. Competitors will be trying to beat defending champion Brad Pennington, who last year finished the course in just over 44 hours.

For more information visit www.yukonriverquest.com