Racers finish the 2023 Yukon River Trail Marathon

Annie-Claude Letendre crosses the Miles Canyon bridge into a patch of morning shade during the early kilometres of the Yukon River Trail Marathon. (Jim Elliot/Yukon News)Annie-Claude Letendre crosses the Miles Canyon bridge into a patch of morning shade during the early kilometres of the Yukon River Trail Marathon. (Jim Elliot/Yukon News)
Theresa Wirak from the relay team Ripinsky Ramblers of Haines, Alaska, nears the end of her leg of the Yukon River Trail Marathon. (Jim Elliot/Yukon News)Theresa Wirak from the relay team Ripinsky Ramblers of Haines, Alaska, nears the end of her leg of the Yukon River Trail Marathon. (Jim Elliot/Yukon News)
Greg Sawers crosses the Miles Canyon Suspension bridge during the Yukon River Trail marathon. (Jim Elliot/Yukon News)Greg Sawers crosses the Miles Canyon Suspension bridge during the Yukon River Trail marathon. (Jim Elliot/Yukon News)

Another Yukon River Trail Marathon is in the books after dozens of runners crushed the course on Aug. 6.

Runners took on the marathon, half marathon or relay legs ranging from eight to 13 kilometres. The race began and ended at Rotary Peace Park, but the marathon route quickly left inhabited areas, striking out south of town across Miles Canyon to the east bank of the Yukon River.

Runners tackling the full course followed trails looping around the various bodies of water in the Chadburn Lake recreation area before a final leg characterized by a steep climb and wide views of Schwatka Lake and the Yukon River Valley.

Guillaume Grima was the fastest of the male marathon runners finishing in 3:32:09. Graham Nishikawa was less than a minute and a half behind, running the race in 3:33:28. Radim Ondracek finished third with a time of 3:49:20.

The fastest time logged by a female marathon runner was Nallely Guzman’s 5:10:03 finish. Anna Pearson finished in 5:13:27 and Maren Bradley ran the race in 5:18:03.

Geoff Dubrack was the fastest male half marathoner with a time of 1:29:38, followed by Simon Lapointe, 1:39:44, and Greg Ablett, 1:43:24.

Colleen Wilson won the female half marathon and had the second fastest overall time with 1:36:31. She was followed by Amberly Doucette, 1:51:03, and Shae Jackson, 1:58:08.

Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com