Some of Biathlon Yukon's youngest competitors had their first race at this past weekend's Yukon Championships, held Sunday.

It was the first race for many of the younger kids involved in biathlon.

About 25 people took part in the races, ranging in age from nine-year-olds right up to young adults, held at the Grey Mountain facility.

"It was just kind of a positive experience,” said Keith Clarke, from Biathlon Yukon.

The championships included both ski and snowshoe biathlon.

The competition gave Biathlon Yukon's newly chosen Arctic Winter Games team some much needed practice, as they prepare for the Games in March. The AWG team is coached by Laurie Jacobson.

Biathlon Yukon tried to focus on the excitement of the first race, rather than each participant's ranking.

"For this race we didn't want to stress the first, second and third places,” Clarke said.

The largest categories were the midgets, which is the nine and 10 year-old group, and the juveniles, aged 11 and 12. The large group of young biathletes shows a promising future for Biathlon Yukon.

The midget group ran a three-kilometre race, shooting twice after skiing a kilometre. The older competitors did a 12.5-km race. For each missed shot, a minute was added on to the racer's final time.

Biathlon Yukon's Ryan Burlingame had a great weekend outside of the territory.

Burlingame has been competing out of the Augustana College, where he is going to school. He participated in a NORAM race in Quebec this past weekend, where he had several top 10 finishes.

In the youth male category, Burlingame placed sixth in the 10-km pursuit race with a time of 37 minutes, 56 seconds, and ninth in the 7.5-km race with a time of 24 minutes, 55 seconds.

"He did quite well,” Clarke said.

Ted Dean, who has been involved in officiating for Biathlon Yukon for a few years, will be attending the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver as an official. Clarke said Dean is a great asset to biathlon here in Whitehorse.