The 2004 Yukon River Quest will have a record number of teams competing when the race gets underway in Whitehorse on Wednesday, June 23.

The deadline for entry into the race was May 26, and as of this morning 51 teams (95 racers) had registered. There is still the potential for even more, as officials will still accept entries from overseas postmarked for May 26. The previous record for the number of teams entered was 33.

Boats are divided into these classes: tandem canoe and kayak, voyager canoe, and solo kayak. This year, there are 18 solo kayak entries, four tandem kayaks, two voyageur canoes and 26 tandem canoes.

'We have teams from Europe, Australia (1) and all over North America,' said Dianne Villesche, a director of the Yukon River Marathon Paddling Association ó, which runs the race and this year's 'voice of the race', in an interview this morning. 'There are also quite a few from Whitehorse, but we have teams from Scotland (1), England (6), Austria (1), Germany (1) and all over the U.S. (18) and Canada (22).'

Villesche believes word of mouth, media attention and the Quest's website (www.polarcom.com/~riverquest) are responsible for the continued growth of the event.

'There are people from different canoe and kayak clubs around the world coming here,' she explained. 'And the website has been a huge influence, just promoting the race and providing information.

'We're also being picked up by different media. The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) was here in 2002 and a show aired in Britain on the race.'

Villesche said the YRMPA itself has also been pretty active in trying to promote themselves. The organization had brochures and other items sent to Toronto for a canoe expedition show about a month ago.

'We have a lot of elite racers that come here because it's an extensive endurance race that really tests an athlete mentally and physically,' she said.

Whatever the race organizers are doing, it seems to be paying off. The BBC will once again be making the trip this summer, this time for the filming of a reality show during the race.

Two British canoeists, one professional athlete and one novice, are being thrown into the competition. They were trained by an Olympic coach and the challenge will be to see how well they can work together and whether or not they can finish the race.

The BBC will air a one-hour reality show on the outcome. Local company Up North Adventures will guide the film crew through the race. Half of the film crew will arrive in Whitehorse June 16 while the other half, as well as the competitors, will arrive on June 20th.

'It's fabulous that this is happening,' said Villesche. 'There's also a story coming out this month in a Canadian kayaking magazine. Any time that kind of thing happens it just raises the interest, especially among extreme athletes.

She also believes other adventure shows on TV, such as the Eco-challenge, pique people's interest in challenging themselves.

'When a race comes along that gives them the opportunity for something they can participate in, they want to do it,' she said. 'It's almost like a dream for some people to get to do this. Most people are just happy they can finish it.'

The 740-kilometre (460 miles) Quest, the longest annual canoe and kayak race in the world, runs from Whitehorse to Dawson City.

The race record in elapsed time on the river is 44 hours and nine minutes, but most teams average between 55 and 70 hours. This does not include layovers at Carmacks (seven hours) and a new Kirkman Creek checkpoint (3 hours), which has been added at the request of racers this year for extra rest time before the final stretch.

The first teams are expected to arrive in Dawson during the early evening on Friday, June 25, or the following Saturday. The wrap-up barbecue and awards night, including the cheque presentation, will be Sunday, June 27.

Nearly $15,000 in prize money will be up for grabs. Under a new prize structure, the top 10 teams overall will receive prize money and cash bonuses also will be awarded in several categories. The first place team will receive $3,000 plus entry in the 2005 race to defend their title.

Other changes this year include a tightened specification on canoes and kayaks allowed in the race and a verbal checkpoint on the side of Lake Laberge.

'We're trying to stop people from going down the centre of the lake because it's really dangerous,' said Villesche. 'It's for safety reasons.'

The YRMPA is also trying to push the safety aspect for individual racers this year, including more appropriate clothing ó, no cotton allowed.

'Generally about one third of the teams drop out before Dawson, due to fatigue, injury and hypothermia,' she stated. 'Some people come and they're just not prepared for it.

'The temperature of the river is between six to eight degrees. If you're in the water, you have about one hour to survive. And even if you make it to shore, you have to be prepared, with the proper clothing.'

With exactly three weeks to the start of the race, organizers are keeping busy, selling bib packages and finalizing the safety committees and boats. There will be seven safety boats this year. The deadline for bib sponsorship is Monday, June 7.

'The bibs are very important to us because they help us purchase boats and keep the race running,' said Villesche, adding it can be too expensive for competitors from overseas to ship their canoes along with themselves. 'We need to have boats available for competitors in the Yukon to use. And you want to have quality boats available to the racers.

'As the race is growing, we need to keep up with the demand.'

Anyone wishing to sponsor a bib can call 33-FLOAT(333-5628) or visit the River Quest website and print off a sponsorship form. Bib sponsors of the race receive a signed half-bib from their paddler, an introduction at the beginning of the race and mention throughout the race to various media outlets.

Sponsors also get thank-you ads at the end of the race in the newspaper and a framed photo of their paddler. The cost to sponsor a bib is $200. Official buffs (similar to bandanas) are also for sale to support the race. You can buy them at Intersport, Sport Yukon or Coast Mountain Sports.