The Yukon Quest (YQ) has announced race purses and a new start date.

The YQ450 will be a guaranteed minimum of $35,000. The YQ250 will be a guaranteed minimum of $15,000 and the YQ100 will be a guaranteed minimum of $2,500.

John Hopkins-Hill, the Quest’s operations and office manager, explains how they arrived at the amounts of the purses.

"Anytime you're setting a minimum guaranteed purse, it's a balance of factors, right? The number one thing is we wanted to have a purse that was going to attract mushers,” Hopkins-Hill said.

“We wanted to make sure that the purse numbers we put out now is a sustainable figure – something that's realistic. So $35,000 for the 450, just like every other year, that's a figure that's subject to change and may go up, but it's not going to go any lower.

“There's lots of time between now and race time and there's lots of fundraising initiatives that are being worked on."

Everyone is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, Hopkins-Hill noted.

“And so, with the minimum purse, the idea is to have something that we know we can do and we know that we're gonna be able to deliver what we're promising ... we're starting at $35K and that number is probably going to start to creep up," he added.

All three races will begin at Shipyards Park in Whitehorse on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023.

According to a Yukon Quest press release, the date has been changed to better situate the race within the mushing calendar and allow more mushers to compete in the race.

There are three tiers of fees for the YQ450.

Registration opens on Aug. 6 and the fee is $550. Sept. 6, the fee goes up to $650 and Jan 6, the price rises to $750.

All the mushers who sign up in person on sign-up day (Aug. 6) are going to be entered in a draw for 500 booties.

"We want to make Barkfest a thing again ... we want to draw on the community and remind people of all the cool stuff that the Quest brings along with it," related Hopkins-Hill.

He also explained the rule changes mushers can expect in 2023.

"We're going to be going to all the usual Quest checkpoints between here and Dawson and we're also gonna be visiting Scroggy Creek and McCabe Creek as usual,” he said.

“Time Station 1 ... between Whitehorse and Braeburn on the Dawson Trail – that's returning, as is what was known as Time Station 2 on Mandanna Lake and there's a third time station being added between Scroggy Creek and Dawson."

This year's 450-mile race will include a total of 34 hours of rest, recorded and applied in 30 minute increments.

There will be one mandatory six-hour stop in either Braeburn or Carmacks.

All that rest can be taken in checkpoints, hospitality stops, dog drops, time stations and on the trail.

Any time mushers stop for 30 minutes or more, they can count that toward their rest in 30-minute increments.

"And that's something that we really, really, really want to get across to people. It's 34 hours, but that includes all rest. Its not 34 hours in checkpoints, it's not 34 extra hours, it's 34 total," emphasized Hopkins-Hill.

As for how they'll be keeping track of rest times, Hopkins-Hill said, "It'll be a combination of the trackers and obviously when they're in the checkpoints and stops and dog drops, there will still be volunteers there.”

Asked how this will affect strategy, Hopkins-Hill responded, "It's hard to say. Everyone runs the race differently but it's certainly been my experience personally that people tend to like to camp in checkpoints and stops where there's a little bit more in the way of hospitality, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out this year."

He continued, "I’m not a musher; I can't really speak to that too much, but these rules have been gone over with a fine-tooth comb by numerous people with varying levels of experience in mushing and experience in different distances and different specialties.

“By and large, the sense has been that with the flexibility to rest where they want and when they want, it gives mushers the ability to run the race the way they want while also guaranteeing that the dogs get the time off from running that they need and want.

"The general consensus from the mushers that have been consulted on these rules is that this attempts to strike a balance between the two sides of the coin, so to speak," he added.

Hopkins-Hill was asked whether there's been any update on relations with the Alaskan side of the Quest.

He said bluntly, "No. It is my understanding that the two presidents have had some communication but I can't really speak to that beyond that.

"Right now, honestly, we're just focused on 2023 and these races," asserted Hopkins-Hill.

"I know I sound like broken record, but the door is not shut on collaboration between the two sides. The 1,000-mile (race) is anything but dead but right now, but our focus is 100 per cent on our races for this winter.

"Communications and relations with Alaska and by extension the international 1,000-mile will be the first thing that's discussed post-race, and I'm sure the discussions will continue from now until the race time in the background.

“But everybody right now is just focused on putting on the best races we can and getting back to all the communities that have been so good to us over the years."

Hopkins-Hill added, "We've got Barkfest coming up on Aug. 6. There's a fundraiser barbecue and a dog costume contest and a nice little dryland race with DPSAY, so we're hoping to see some folks out and have a little pre-Quest party."