Michelle Phillips currently leads the 450-mile Yukon Quest race at the 198-kilometre marker on the South Canol Road after dog sled teams took off from Teslin on Feb. 2.
The Yukoner is currently on one of her mandatory rest breaks past the Quiet Lake checkpoint, with American Jessie Royer closing the gap at the 184-kilometre marker as of publication.
Phillips’ average speed along the route currently sits at 10.7 kilometres per hour, compared to Royer’s 8.7 kilometres per hour, according to live tracking data. So far, Phillips has covered an average daily distance of 257 kilometres compared to Royer’s 207 kilometres.
Both racers are en route to the revised turnaround point on the North Canol Road after reports indicated conditions on the original Dena Cho Trail from Ross River to Faro were unsuitable for dog sled teams.
Michael Burtnick, a Yukoner and rookie labelled on the Yukon Quest website, is currently trailing third behind Royer at the 175-kilometre marker as of publication.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com