It’s official: 100-mile dogsled races are making a comeback.
It was announced this week that the Silver Sled Dog Race will be brought back for 2014.
The 100-mile race, last run in 2007, will be organized by the newly elected Silver Sled race committee.
It’s perfect for those who want more than a six-mile sprint, but don’t feel up to a 300-mile race, said committee president Stephanie Routley.
“There was also the Atlin-Carcross Mail Run, the Silver Sled before, and there used to be a race from Carmacks too, as I understand,” said Routley. “There aren’t as many of these 100-mile distances ... Part of it is trying to get a bit of a circuit going again, which is the same as the rationale for DPSAY (Dog Powered Sports Association of the Yukon) being developed and starting the River Runner.
“There are a lot of new mushers in the Yukon and people building up their teams now.”
The Silver Sled, which includes skijor divisions, is from Haines Junction to Silver City and back.
To get the ball rolling, the committee is organizing the Chilipaw and Sportsman races for March 9 of this year.
The two races, 20 and seven miles in length, have been a part of the Silver Sled race in the past and will continue to run alongside the 100-mile race next year.
The Sportsman race will include a junior division.
“We’re keeping the same names for those just to flag it for people that this is part of the Silver Sled revival,” said Routley.
The last scheduled Silver Sled race was in 2008 and was cancelled due to poor trail conditions.
“I think it’s fair to say in small communities a lot of the same people work on the same projects, so there was probably some volunteer burnout that happened,” said Routley. “It went on for 12 runnings and all the mushers, people who were in the race, just had great things to say about it.
“People are always looking for an excuse to come out to this part of the Yukon because it is so beautiful.”
“As it turns out, the committee was never formally dissolved, so we just jumped in there,” she added.
More information can be found at www.thesilversled.com and questions can be emailed to silversledrace@gmail.com.
The fourth annual River Runner 120 - formally the River Runner 100 - begins on Saturday. The 120-mile race currently has 14 teams registered for the sled division and four in the skijor division.
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com