Organizers of the Yukon Quest B次元官网网址� CanadaB次元官网网址檚 epig sled dog race B次元官网网址� have announced the 2021 event has been cancelled.

The Yukon Quest International Association (Canada) announced the cancellation in a news release on Thursday (Sept. 3), just under a week after the Alaskan board announced plans for a 300-mile (480-kilometre) race.

In June, the Yukon Quest announced it would hold separate races in Alaska and the Yukon this year due to COVID-19.

Ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was the underlying cause of the Canadian cancellation, organizers say.

B次元官网网址淲e did not make this decision lightly,B次元官网网址� Bev Regier, president of the Canadian board, said in a statement. B次元官网网址淲e have a responsibility to look at all aspects of the organization and an even greater responsibility to keep our communityB次元官网网址檚 health a priority.B次元官网网址�

The release notes that the border restrictions, which led to the decision to hold separate races in the two countries this year, were already impacting plans for the Feb. 6 start in Whitehorse.

Those travel restrictions, coupled with B次元官网网址渆conomic challenges to local sponsorsB次元官网网址� and the possibility of bringing COVID-19 into Yukon communities were enumerated as the rationale for the decision.

Regier told the Yukon B次元官网网址 that the board had been considering a race from Dawson City to Whitehorse, but that it proved unfeasible.

Some First Nations along the route wanted mushers limited to those within the YukonB次元官网网址檚 COVID-19 bubble with British Columbia and the other territories. She said the Quest understands and respects that stance, but acknowledged it made planning to hold a race very difficult.

With many of the local sponsors unable to contribute as they typically would due to the financial impacts of COVID-19 and usual fundraising efforts B次元官网网址� like raffles and banquets B次元官网网址� also unable to happen, Regier said financially holding a race would be very difficult.

Last yearB次元官网网址檚 race began with just 15 mushers reaching the start chute, and only five Canadians. Two more mushers had been scheduled to race but were unable to because of missing qualifying requirements. In 2019, there were 30 total mushers and eight Canadians.

The 2020 field was the smallest in the raceB次元官网网址檚 history.

Given current travel restrictions and the YukonB次元官网网址檚 COVID-19 bubble, five of the 2020 mushers and six of the 2019 mushers would be eligible to race in the Yukon without any need to self-isolate for two weeks in advance.

While 2021 will not include a Yukon race, the Alaskan board will hold what is being called a B次元官网网址淪ummit QuestB次元官网网址� based on the typical Yukon Quest 300 course, tackling both Rosebud and Eagle summits.

The Aug. 28 announcement from the Alaskan board made it clear the intention is to hold a 1,000-mile race in 2022, something Regier confirmed.

B次元官网网址淚t also needs to be said, that there is no doubt, neither on the Canadian nor the Alaskan side, that a 1,000-mile Yukon Quest Race will start in 2022,B次元官网网址� the statement said.

Musher signup day for the Summit Quest is Oct. 3.

Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com