The paddlers of the 2019 Yukon River Quest arrived early at Rotary Peace Park on Wednesday to get their gear inspected one more time and to get their boat into the proper position along the banks.

They gathered near the gazebo to listen to speeches from Yukon dignitaries as fans waiting to see the mass start lined up along the route as far as Whitehorse Public Library.

Then, at noon, the horn blew and all the paddlers left at a run toward their boats. It happened in an instant.

Within five minutes, the boats were in the water jockeying for position as they began the 715-kilometre paddle from Whitehorse to Dawson City.

The race originally saw 124 boats entered, and 120 boats began the journey, setting a new Yukon River Quest record. The previous record was set last year, the 20th anniversary of the race, and was 103 boats.

Leading up to the start, the excitement and the nervousness could be felt in the air.

Alison Eremenko, team 98 Gulo Gulo, is paddling the River Quest for the third time in support of the Little Footprints, Big Steps charity founded by a Yukon woman and based in Haiti.

She said there is still a level of anxiousness in the moments leading up to the race.

“There is definitely butterflies,” said Eremenko. “I think having done it, of course, there is knowing what is coming. We are going to be on the lake all evening, and when the horn goes, that’s when things are really happening and you’re in mode.”

Eremenko said a little bit of apprehension before such a long paddle is natural but she just hopes she can do her best to have an enjoyable race.

“You are just hoping for the best conditions, and your body stays sound,” said Eremenko.

“But I am feeling prepared for sure, and I am really happy to be supporting this charity.

Mirjam Fleming, team 116 Team Number Onesie, a solo kayaker, is competing in her first River Quest. She cited her goals as making it safe and sound to Dawson with a smile on her face and creating new memories.

She said she has prepared as much as she could beforehand.

“I feel fantastic,” said Fleming. “I feel as prepared as I could possibly get. I feel I gave it everything I could to get ready for this day.

“Of course, there is doubts, but there is a lot of things that can go wrong. It’s a big race; it’s a pretty daunting journey, but I’m expecting things to go well.”

Fleming expects it will take her a couple of hours to find her rhythm, but she is looking forward to challenging herself over the next few days.

Isaac Adams, 15, is also a River Quest rookie, but will have the support of his father, Paul, a six-time Quest paddler, in the tandem canoe, team 12 Hustle and Flow.

Before the start, Isaac said the moment was just starting to hit him.

“Yeah, it is,” he said about the gravity of the moment.

“I’m excited, though. I think we are going to do well, and it’s going to be a fun race.”

In Isaac’s bio, he mentioned keeping his father alive on the water, and couldn’t help but take one more shot at Pops.

“Yeah, when he is paddling, and conscious, and happy, I think it will be just fine,” said Isaac when asked about if he felt more confident with his dad as his teammate.

The River Quest is not just a daunting 715-kilometre journey; the logistics leading up to the race can also be quite demanding. Paul said once the paddles are in the water, all of the lead-up is forgotten.

Team 118 Cockleshell Endeavour is a men’s tandem kayak team made up of Neil Marshall and Dave Bruce from East Sussex, United Kingdom. It will be the first time the two will be in the boat together.

“We met through the Royal Marines Association,” said Bruce.

“I’m still serving, his partners (Marshall’s former teammate) is suffering injuries Mrs. banned him from paddling because he was prone to strokes.

“Last minute, I got told 10 minutes before the event, ‘do you want to step in for this guy?’ and I was like, ‘yeah, I’m down.’”

It was a quick introduction to the Quest for Bruce. Asked how he felt about the 715-kilometre journey ahead of him, he swore, and said: “I thought it was 100!”

The two are racing for Alice’s Fund and the Royal Marines Charity.

Marshall, a former Marine, still suffers from injuries obtained during service.

They will have a big following back in the U.K.

“We are doing it for a member of the Royal Marines Charity,” said Marshall.

“His little daughter has a medical condition called spinal muscular atrophy, so we are doing it in her honour, and it’s a nice little thing to do for a beautiful girl,” added Marshall.

“She is following us on the tracker, and my wife is a teacher in London, so they will be following us as well.”

Team 87 Sebastian’s Boat is a men’s voyageur canoe is a team made up of people from across the U.K.

The boat features two River Quest veterans. The others have other endurance race experiences but not on the water.

Dave Coxhead said the locals say you have to be a certain level of crazy to do the Quest.

“I think you have to have the perfect level of crazy to just get on the plane,” said Coxhead.

“It’s a great place, Whitehorse; fantastic place. It’s a bit cliché, but the people are so interested and so friendly, it’s been a joy to be here.

“The race is the main focus of the trip, but everything else has just added to the experience,” Coxhead added. “It’s blown us away.”

The team said together if they hit sub-60 hours, they would be delighted.

Once the paddlers disappear from view from the start, they would typically have until 4 p.m. to reach the mouth of Lake Laberge.

Race marshal Roger Hanberg said the decision was made to allow the racers some more time to reach the lake because of the slower water this year.

The clouds covered much of the lake but the sun did peak through some points, causing the water to shimmer.

The lake, according to race volunteers hanging about Policeman’s Point, was unusually calm – a treat for the paddlers.

As the day wore on, the rain began to fall as the paddlers kept moving forward toward Carmacks, where a seven-hour layover awaited them.