Rich sets off to face Yukon 1000

On 12th July our very own Rich Winstanley, committee member of BSCC and Sprint Team Leader,  will be setting off in one of the most extreme competitions the world of sport has to offer – the Yukon 1000.

The canoe race begins at Whitehorse in Yukon Territory, Canada, and follows the route taken by the prospectors who canoed down the Yukon river in the 1896 Klondike goldrush to Dawson City (roughly half way through the race), then crosses into the Arctic Circle to finish at the Dalton Highway Bridge in central Alaska.

Thousands of crews apply to participate in this annual event, but no more than 30 will be selected. Each must convince the organiser that they have the necessary bush-craft and survival skills necessary, as well as the fitness and paddling skills, to be able to complete the distance within the maximum 10 day period allowed.

Whitehorse, where the race begins

At 1000 miles, the event is the longest canoe race in the world. However, it is far more than just an extremely long marathon, but also a test of physical and mental endurance in wilderness conditions. The organisers claim that "more people have been up Everest than have been beyond Dawson City." Participants may face forest fires, bears, moose, rapids, whirlpools, rain of "biblical" proportions, or high water.

The race is completely unsupported, and much of the route is so remote as to make external rescue difficult if not impossible, being out of the range of helicopters. Although crews carry mobile phones for emergency use, any other contact with the outside world means an automatic DQ. All the camping gear and food needed for the expedition must of course be carried in the boat.

Each team’s progress will be monitored with a tracker. There is a compulsory minimum of 6 hours’ rest each “night” - though they will be so far north that the sun will not set.

Some crews have already pulled out leaving 23 at the time of writing. All entries are doubles crews – organisers deem the race too dangerous to be attempted alone. Rich and his friend John Astbury (who were paddling partners from their teens) have entered under the team name “Winging It”.

As well as the personal satisfaction of completing this extreme challenge, Rich and John are also hoping to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital, where Rich’s son underwent multiple brain surgeries – if you would like to donate you can do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/yukon1000

During the race, Rich & John's progress (boat 21) can be live-tracked here:
https://teammap.net/yukon1000/2024/race.html
All paddlers must stop by 23:00 each night for a min 6 hour rest. Assuming this refers to Mountain Standard Time, this would be 7:00 BST, which is 8 hours ahead.