Don't miss this 2 Yukon races that should be first on your itinerary

When it comes to race tracks, the Yukon clearly has a favourite. Both of the territory’s most famous and challenging races, the Yukon Quest dogsled race and the Yukon Arctic Ultra, take place on the legendary highways of the northern frontier. The trail was blazed by prospectors and traders during the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896, but now it’s the proving ground for athletes (both human and canine) looking for the kind of gold you put in a trophy case.

Most people find managing their corgi at the dog park hard work. Well, the Yukon Quest is basically that times 1,000—but with huskies. It’s an epic dogsled race that takes place over 1,000 miles of snowy Yukon and Alaskan terrain, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Or corgis (they just don’t have the legs for it).

Following the same trail as the Yukon Quest, the Yukon Arctic Ultra is the world’s coldest race of its kind and the ultimate test of endurance, will and, frankly, sanity. The track is marked, but if there’s fresh snow or wind, things can get chillingly challenging pretty quick.

Before the race begins, participants select one of three distances: Whitehorse to Braeburn (100 miles), Whitehorse to Pelly Farm (300 miles), or Whitehorse to Superman’s Icy Fortress of Solitude (430 miles). Okay, fine. It’s actually to Dawson City, but you basically have to be a superhero to do that distance.