The first team is out of the Yukon 1000 canoe and kayak race.

A Grizzly End limped into Carmacks Wednesday, taking seven hours to cover the distance from Little Salmon. The two-person canoe team from the UK, checked into a hotel in Carmacks and then officially withdrew from the race this morning, due to medical issues.

Matthew Jones and Dr. Minesh Patel will now take some time to be tourists in the territory. They had been trying to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation.

Meanwhile, up front the race is still open.

The two Australian teams are leading the pack – combined solo kayaks Ausy Toms are first while tandem canoe Starfactor follows closely behind.

Steve Pizzey and Tom Simmat (Ausy Toms) were past the Indian River as of 9:30 a.m. while Rod Spinks and Greg Lennox (Starfactor) were about five kilomtres before the Indian River.

A couple of hours back of the lead pack is tandem canoe team TIP-C. The duo of David Dahl and Rick Lorenzen was about two kilometres before the Sixty Mile River this morning.

Voyageur crew Sugar Creek Bears was just before Stewart Island, a couple of hours behind TIP-C.

The next group consists of Chapters 1 and 2, and Bearly Moving. Both Chapter teams were six kilometres past Ballarat Creek just before 10 a.m. The tandem kayaks, from Saskatoon, SK and Calgary, Alta., are travelling together.

Finally, bringing up the rear of the race is Shalom Viking. The tandem kayak from Minneapolis, Minnesota camped about 16 kilometres before Fort Selkirk last night.

The Yukon 1000 started from Whitehorse Monday morning.

Paddlers journey down the Yukon River for 1,000 miles, or 1,600 kilometres. The race goes past Dawson City, across into Alaska at Eagle, on to Circle and into the Yukon Flats.

It then continues past Fort Yukon, Beaver and Steven's Village, communities only accessible by river or air, eventually reaching the end of the race where the Alaska Pipeline and the Dalton Highway cross the river.

Here they find the Yukon River Lodge, a restaurant and hotel in the middle of almost nowhere.

It is the longest canoe and kayak race in the world.

Last year, 19 teams took part in the inaugural race, which was won by two British kayak teams in six days, two hours, 11 minutes and seven seconds.

This year nine teams started the race, with paddlers from Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and the UK.

To follow along with the race, visit http://yukon1000.com.