The Yukon River Trail Marathon

“There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold.”

The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert Service

Seeing as my wife was travelling to India to visit her daughter, I decided to find a unique race in an exciting locale to run while she was away.  In a recent issue of Canadian Running magazine, Derrick Spafford wrote a piece on Canada’s Top 10 Must-Do Trail Races.  One race in particular that caught my eye was the Yukon River Trail Marathon.  In the article Spafford states:  “While you certainly won’t run your fastest marathon time on this course thanks to the elevation change and technical trail surface, you will be treated to the sheer beauty and joy of trail running in Whitehorse.”

Another article that I came across in my research was Erin Sheard’s “The True North Strong and Free and Fast: The Great Canadian Marathon Guide in iRun Magazine.  Here the author lists the YRTM as the “Best off-roading” marathon and writes: “(the race) is run on tricky terrain with drop-offs, quick turns, and narrow trails. The route is devilishly designed so that each upcoming leg is harder than the previous. In the final leg awaits Heart Break and Pee Wee hill. Extreme caution is advised—the glorious scenery is tempting, but keep your eyes on the trail”.

It appeared I had found my next running destination!

Flights were booked, hotel reservations made and I eagerly awaited my trip north of 60.  This adventure began with a short stopover to visit some friends in Vancouver.  I met Dom for an hour run along the seawall on Thursday afternoon.  Later we joined Wade and one of their friends for some sailing in English Bay.  Any sane runner would have called it a night in order to rest for the upcoming race and try to beat the jet lag.  However, our night out on the town continued as we met Jackie (my other fellow Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim adventurer), Gary Robbins (fresh off his top-10 performance at Western States and gearing up for his speed record attempt of the WCT) and others at a lounge where DJ Ecos (aka Dom) was spinning.  Long story short, the 7AM wake up came pretty darn fast.

The start of the race was conveniently about 500 meters from my hotel.  Some fifty runners gathered at Shipyards Park for the marathon start at 8:30AM.   More than thirty marathon relay teams of four runners departed at 9:15AM and nearly 150 other competitors were slated to run the half-marathon which started at 10:00AM.  Weather in Whitehorse was uncharacteristically warm as the start signal was given following some last-minute instructions by the Race Director.  “If you encounter a bear, be cautious” he warned!  I’m still not sure what “be cautious” means!

 

 

Runners trotted through town on the River Trail (a paved path) for a couple of kilometers towards the more rugged Millennium Trail.  In one nearby wooded area it was evident that a colony of beavers lived in the vicinity.  You can see that the rodents had been busy chewing down trees near the Robert Service campground.  After passing the Whitehorse Rapids Plant and several moored float-planes, runners crossed The Miles Canyon suspension bridge and headed up towards the top of the escarpment. 

Although I was running alone, the scenery at the summit of the first major climb forced a loud “WOW!” out of me.  The view of the Yukon River down below was stunning.  The water of the “great river” appeared so clear and refreshing as it snaked its way off into the distance.

The next section ran through what is called Canyon City, rolling trails along the river.  The race website suggests: “EXTREME CAUTION should be used as there are some steep drop offs to the river. Keep your eyes on the terrain, not the scenery.” After a long and steep downhill, runners arrive at Chadburn Lake aid-station and roughly the mid-way mark of the race.

As mentioned in iRun Magazine, the next two segments of the race would turn out to be more difficult than the previous two.  Leg three is characterized by technical trails which undulate through wooded areas and around small lakes.  At the top of one of the biggest hills on the course, a makeshift aid-station was there to offer runners some fluids.  The two volunteers at this spot must carry the water to this point on mountain bikes.  Certainly a Monumental Effort in itself!

The heat and constant up and downs began to wear me out at this point and I found myself taking much longer walking breaks than anticipated.  However, I knew I wasn’t in the Yukon to set personal records so I resolved to maintain forward progress and enjoy the tranquility and hopefully no bear encounters.  Finally I reached the last aid-station which happens to also be the first one on the course at the Miles Canyon Bridge. 

This time runners head north rather than retrace their steps from the first leg.  The trail skirts Schwatka Lakes and features Pee Wee Hill.  When I arrived at this hill I was a bit discouraged as the climb was steep, sandy and seemed endless.  A couple of spectators at the foot of the hill offered some encouragement as I slowly plodded uphill.  What goes up must come down.  After finally reaching the top, the trail follows a series of steep switchbacks down to the final aid-station back at the Rapids Dam.  With roughly five kilometers to go, I resolved to run as much of this section as possible. 

A large eagle’s nest atop a tree along the path towards town had attracted several tourists who eagerly took pictures of two huge Bald Eagles resting there.  A few hundred yards further down the route SS Klondike permanently rests.  This is a tribute to the era of riverboat transportation which serviced Whitehorse before roads had been constructed to the capital. 

With less than two kilometers to go, it was unclear which way the course went.  I suppose to the local runners this junction is a no-brainer, but myself and a half-marathoner were stopped and debating which way to go.  “I would hate to go off course in the last 2K” said the runner from Abbotsford.  Luckily someone who had been watching the runners come in saw us standing there looking confused and pointed us in the right direction.

I crossed the finish line in a lackluster time of 4:34:07, but as Spafford warned, personal bests are not likely on this course.  The post-race meal of (my favorite) meat-lovers pizza was a welcome treat.  A lot of runners, including me, also took a refreshing dip in the cool waters of the Yukon River.  Residents of Whitehorse claim that the water temperature usually hovers at around 4 degrees Celsius, but with the recent heat wave in the Yukon, the water temperature was certainly a bit higher than that.

Later that evening I joined fellow Burlington Runners Club members Amie and Russell for a dinner of fresh Arctic salmon.  The next day we spent some time relaxing our aching muscles at the Tahkini Hot Springs and visiting the Yukon Energy Fish Ladder and Hatchery before I hitched a ride to the airport for my return flight to Vancouver before heading home on Tuesday.

Every year I try to plan one or two running vacations to a new region.  Often these destinations are trips south of the border as there are so many races in the U.S. to choose from and many are within a day’s drive from my home.  However, our great country also has some incredible places worth exploring and Whitehorse in the Yukon is certainly a unique and worthwhile place to visit.  The Yukon River Trail Marathon is also a must-do for trail running enthusiasts.  It’s an intimate and friendly race on rugged trails with splendid scenery in a remote and historic Canadian region.  What more can you possibly ask for?  I’ll have to review Derrick’s list for next year’s destination!

Gotta run,

Vince

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