Hugh Neff Wins 2012 Yukon Quest

The 1000 mile long Yukon Quest sled dog race was won by veteran musher Hugh Neff earlier this week, when he crossed the finish line just 26 seconds ahead of second place finisher Allen Moore. It took Neff just 9 days, 16 hours, and 5 minutes to cover the course, which is run annually between Fairbanks and White Horse. Neff managed to make up 42 minutes of time over his rival in the final 100 miles, to nip him at the finish line.

Third place in the race went to Lance Mackey, who has won the YQ on four occasions. He was about 5 hours and 20 minutes off the pace, but says he felt like he actually won, since his dogs were on all three of the top teams. Jake Berkowitz and Brent Sass rounded out the top five at the event.

The Yukon Quest is always in interesting preview of what to expect at the Iditarod, which gets underway in about two weeks time. That race will actually be shorter than the YQ this year, dropping to 975 miles in length, due to changes in the course and the ceremonial start in Anchorage. Still, it remains one an amazing event, and should be fun to follow once again this year.

2012 Yukon Quest Underway

One of my favorite events to follow each year is the Iditarod sled dog race, which will begin on the 3rd of March. One of the best precursors to that event is the Yukon Quest, which got underway last weekend. The YQ is a 1000-mile long race that stretches from Whitehorse, in Canada's Yukon province, to Fairbanks, Alaska. It generally lasts somewhere between 10 to 15 days and features some of the top mushers in the sport.

A quick look at the current standings shows some very familiar names at the top of the leader board. Lance Mackey is currently out in front, and as a four time winner of both this event and the Iditarod, he is certainly a threat to take the crown once again this year. Mackey is the only man to win both races in a single season as well. Just minutes behind him is veteran musher Hugh Neff, who holds a slim lead over Allen Moore as well, although the live tracking actually shows Mackey and Moore neck and neck at the front of the pack.

The 2012 Yukon Quest is just over three days old at this point, which means there is a lot of racing yet to come. So far, the weather hasn't been particularly bad and temperatures have been hovering around 15 to 20ºF/-9 to -6ºC, which is down right balmy for the Yukon this time of year. Hopefully conditions will stay good through the end of the race, which will probably be sometime early next week.

Video: The Yukon Arctic Ultra Endurance Race

The Yukon Arctic Ultra is one of the toughest endurance races on the planet. The event takes place each year in Canada during the dead of winter and sends athletes on a 430-mile run along the Yukon Quest sled dog trail. To say it is cold would be an understatement and athletes need tobe self-sufficient while out on the trail.

A new documentary captures the spirit of the race very well, showing us why athletes push themselves to the limit in such a harsh environment, while also demonstrating why this just might be the toughest race on the planet. You can watch the entire video online, and I've embedded it below. It is a little more than an hour in length, so pop some popcorn and get comfortable.




The Yukon Arctic Ultra from Yukon Arctic Ultra on Vimeo.