DAWSON CITY – Carter Johnson slowly stumbled out of his kayak in Dawson City Friday afternoon after completing the Yukon River Quest in 42 hours, 49 minutes, setting the solo kayak record.

The gathered crowd admired the man who had just set the solo kayak record, and many wondered how he had done it.

In his unsteady climb out of the boat that had been his home for the past three days, Johnson accidentally revealed his secret. Littering the floor of his kayak were empty Red Bull cans, and finished vials of Five Hour Energy drinks.

So Carter Johnson is human after all.

Soaking in what could be referred to as a very fast bathtub, Johnson was off balance as he stood on the shore of the Yukon River in Dawson City and spoke to the gathered crowd and media. The bottoms of his feet, which had been soaking in water for the past three days were warped with blisters.

"I kind of feel like I paddled across the Canadian territory,” Johnson joked.

The three-time River Quest finisher arrived at the finish line just one second behind first-place overall team the Texans, but Johnson was happy to concede the win to the voyageur team.

"They pulled me across the territory,” Johnson said. "The company was wonderful.”

The Texans finished the race in 42 hours, 48 seconds.

Both teams have competed neck and neck before, but this year Johnson said the team had just a little extra in them for the final push into Dawson.

As they rounded the corner into the city, Johnson said they were suddenly 100-metres ahead of him, and the first-place overall honour was out of reach for the California native.

Throughout the race, however, the two teams stayed together.

"We just kind of laughed and made jokes,” Johnson said.

This year's race saw nearly every adverse weather condition possible. The paddlers were battered by rain, hail, thunder and lightning. Five-minute periods of sun were followed by storms, and Lake Laberge had three foot and higher waves.

Johnson said being in a kayak was an advantage on Lake Laberge.

"I felt really good the entire race,” he said.

Upon his arrival in Dawson City, Johnson had a strict plan. "Shower, sleep, beer.”

The Texans' team captain Richard Ameen was all-smiles as he finally stood on the shore after climbing out of the long, black, oddly-shaped canoe that had become a bit of an attraction.

Race fans snapped pictures of the boat that had brought the team all the way to Dawson in first place.

Ameen said they had hoped to break the overall record this year, but weather conditions prevented them from improving on the fastest time. This was his fifth race, fourth time in a voyageur canoe and third win.

"It was hard,” Ameen said. "The first night we were really trying to set a record, so we really pushed ourselves.”

The Texans is rounded out by John Hoffart, Tim Anglin, Mike Rendon, Wade Binion and David Kelly.

Ameen said they were happy to have Johnson's company along the way, and were surprised at the perseverence of the solo kayaker.

"Carter, he's a tough guy,” he said. "I did not think he would be able to stay with us.”

The two teams did a whole lot of talking throughout their nearly 43 hours in the Yukon River together.

"We talked the whole damn way,” Ameen said. "40 hours worth of everything.”

Ameen's plans for Dawson were as simple as what Johnson had on the agenda; eat, shower and hot tub.

In third place was Breaking Wind, a group hailing from the Jersey Channel Islands in the United Kingdom. The team, made up of John Bouteloup, Robert Cassin, Simon Young, Ian Blandin, Carl Clinton and John Searson finished in 46 hours, 36 minutes.

The team was nearly out of the running, after following the top two teams almost the entire race, they fell behind at Kirkman Creek due to several injuries suffered by the team.

Towards the end, Young was only able to paddle with one arm due to a shoulder injury.

"We were just pulling him along,” Blandin said.

One teammate was suffering from severe tendinitis, and Clinton was using his experience as a doctor to treat his own sore shoulder in order to keep going.

The team finally pulled over about 10 p.m. Thursday night, and had a team meeting where they decided to keep going.

After that the team powered through the final 10 hours, and arrived in Dawson City, a little disheveled, but otherwise in tact.

"Considering we had all the problems, it went pretty well,” Blandin said. "There was loads of different things happening in the boat.”

Clinton said the team was determined the entire time to continue on as a group.

"Anyone who was injured or whatever, we wouldn't criticize them for dropping out,” he said. "If anybody was going to drop out, we all were going to drop out.”

Clinton said the six men got along well the entire way, and were grateful of their support crew, who had coffee, hot chocolate, snacks and a bottle of champagne waiting for them as they pulled into Dawson on Friday.

"We are amazing friends,” he said.

With the leaders into Dawson Friday, it would be over three hours before the next team arrived at the finish line.