In a tenuous time for distance mushing, Yukon Quest Alaska takes a new path

The popularity of long-distance mushing has been waning in recent years, a trend propelled by rising costs and a fading appetite for racing long, unsupported stretches through Alaska wilderness.

But the Yukon Quest Alaska is taking a new path, both literally and figuratively.

The Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race was traditionally among the toughest in mushing, a 1,000-mile trek between Fairbanks and Whitehorse, Yukon. But the race splintered in 2022, with two shorter races being operated separately in Alaska and Canada. Last month, the Canadian Yukon Quest announced it isn’t running this year.

Yukon Quest Alaska race marshal John Schandelmeier, himself a notable distance musher with two wins at the Quest, has developed an approximately 800-mile route for the 2026 race that starts and ends in Fairbanks.

“I’ve been pushing this route for several years, knowing that we were never going to get back with the Whitehorse operation and making a thousand-mile race,” Schandelmeier said. “Plus the thought that there’s not that many people capable of doing a thousand-mile race anymore. There used to be, but there’s not anymore.”

The race starts at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Morris Thompson Cultural Center in Fairbanks.

While centering the race around Fairbanks is not novel, the trail passes through a number of communities that have never hosted checkpoints at a major race.

After heading northeast from Fairbanks, the race wheels north out of Circle to Fort Yukon before bending down southwest along the Yukon River.

It passes through Beaver, Stevens Village and Rampart before heading east at Tanana. Mushers will head to Nenana before a final sprint north back to Fairbanks.

Before the route was solidified, Schandelmeier made some initial outreaches to the villages to gauge interest.

“They’re all very excited about having a race come through,” he said. “Fort Yukon, Beaver, Rampart have never had a race come through there.”

After weeks of work breaking and prepping the trail, Schandelmeier said, the route is ready. And after billing the race at 750 miles in the lead-up, he said the actual distance is 803 miles.

On top of the distance and typical frigid Interior conditions, the race is expected to add layers of difficulty with changes of elevation and some tough runs between checkpoints.

“It’s considerably different than running the Iditarod,” Schandelmeier said. “We cross two summits, two that are wind-blown and need tripods (as markers), not just stakes. That run from Tanana to Manley is not flat. Even the Yukon (River) will be challenging.”

In total, there are seven mushers taking on the longer distance, but Schandelmeier believes it could be maintained as the standard going forward.

“I think the race we’re doing is the Quest of the future,” he said. “And I think we’ll get more participation after this year. The first year is always a little tough.”

With no signs of the Whitehorse race returning, it’s possible that Yukon Quest Alaska could draw more Canadian mushers in the near future.

And with a guaranteed purse of $35,000 for this year’s race, Schandelmeier expects it to continue to grow in popularity with Interior mushers, especially those with smaller dog yards.

“With a start and finish in Fairbanks, the city has really come on board and will continue to as it grows,” he said. “We have a ton of local sponsors jumping in and doing what they can.”

The 800-mile race will be the closest to the original distance that has existed since the 2022 split. But Schandelmeier doesn’t believe it’ll grow to its previous distance.

“I don’t know how much interest there is in a thousand-mile race anymore,” he said. “There’s a couple long runs in the Quest. And the last time I was a trail coordinator on that race, I talked to mushers, and they said, ‘Man, too long of runs, cold and dark, you never see anybody.’ ”

Jeff Deeter, Jason Mackey and Keaton Loebrich, all out of Fairbanks, are registered for the distance race. All three were 2025 Iditarod mushers with experience in longer distances.

The same is true for Two Rivers musher Josi Shelley, who raced the Iditarod in 2024.

Schandelmeier said the enthusiasm among the villages that haven’t hosted a checkpoint is high. And while races have not run through those areas, there is a deep history of running dogs in the area.

“All these villages have their own little races in the spring,” he said. “So this is just another race.”

There is also an 80-mile fun run included under the Yukon Quest Alaska banner. While Schandelmeier doesn’t have much involvement, he said it’s vital for musher development.

“It’s a very important race, and it’s a good thing,” he said. “It costs little to nothing to get in it and it’s very well-supported.”