Paddlers aren't wasting any time making their way towards Dawson City for the first-ever Yukon 1000 Canoe and Kayak race.

Organizers were surprised at the progress made after just one day of racing and expect the first couple of teams to arrive in Dawson by as early as Wednesday.

The Yukon 1000 started Monday in Whitehorse.

Monday's Overnight Positions:

04) Team Hendron: were about half-way between Hootalinqua and Bayer's Woodyard

01) Team All the Way: Were in the same place, but they appeared to stop there later, and 30 minutes later than is allowed. Organizers will have to see the GPS track, otherwise there is a time penalty for the violation.

11) Team Price and Olson: Just past Davis Point, about four-km upstream from teams Four and One.

10) Team Yukon Voyageur made their way to Davis Point, about 750 metres upstream of Team 11 and Seven.

15) After the Gold Rush: Team 15 is approximately eight-km upstream of Hootalinqua

19) Dueling Banjos: Team Dueling Banjos were 3.2 km before 17 mile Woodyard (15km behind Team 15).

Team Five: Humpbacks and Team Seven: We must be Nuts appeared to be together in a camping spot approximately 500 metres upstream of Johnston Island and 9.5 river km upstream of Team 19

14) Frozen Hobos: Just after U.S. Bend, about 5 km upstream of Team Five and Team Seven.

03) Team Northern Current was about 300 metres upstream of Team 14.

06) Gonzos: Team Six was about 1.5 km upstream of the U.S. bend and three-km or so upstream of Team 03 (The results page showed Team Six ahead of Three and 14, but the river doubles right back on itself just here).

18) Tim x two were about 1 1/3 km downstream of Lower Laberge.

Team Two: Fruit Loop, Team Eight: Yukon Duet, and Team Nine: Best of the Mediocre were at the old Village of Lower Laberge at the mouth of the lake

16) Tanned, Rested and Ready: Tanned Rested and Ready were 1.25 km before Lower Laberge.

17 ) The Aching Joints: Team 17 were at the Narrows of Lake Laberge, 25-km to go on the Lake.

It was expected the Yukon 1000 mile race will take teams between seven and 10 days to finish.

The race concludes where the Alaska Pipeline crosses the river north of Fairbanks.

There are 19 teams competing in this, the inaugural year for the race, which is nearly twice what organizers had expected.

Paddlers are from Alaska, Canada, the Lower 48, and the UK.

There are 13 tandem canoes, 5 tandem kayaks, and one voyageur. All teams will be carrying Spot devices which will be used to track the racers on the web site.

The race started in Whitehorse at 11a.m. on Monday in Rotary Peace Park.

Racers are required to stop each night, and camp for at least six hours. This is checked on the telemetry received from their spot devices and will be verified from the track data in their GPSs when they finish.

Many of the racers will be returning to Whitehorse where the finishers' banquet will be held at the Yukon Inn on Aug. 1.

There aren't any Yukoners in this year's race, but organizers hope this will change with time.