Aisa Surusila wins 2024 Ivakkak race

Aisa Surusila, of Purvirnituq, is the winner of the 2024 Ivakkak dogsled race.  

The race started in Umiujaq on Feb. 26. Ten days and 410 kilometres later, mushers started reaching the finish line in Puvirnituq. 

The trail was nothing short of challenging, with blizzards and high winds plaguing mushers in the first half, according to updates provided by Ivakkak organizers on the race’s official Facebook page. 

Day 1 was a breeze, with mushers travelling to the first campsite 72 kilometres away from the starting line.

Surusila took the lead that day with a time of 5 hours 29 minutes. 

Musher Jean-Marie Beaulne of Puvirnituq withdrew from the race after the first day, according to updates from Ivakkak.

On the second day, nearly halfway to Inukjuak, worries of bad weather started to set in, race organizers said. Surusila kept his lead with a total time of 11 hours and 49 minutes. 

Mushers travelled 50 kilometres on day three to a checkpoint, where they were transported to Inukjuak directly. On Feb. 28, all competitors reached the community after racing in conditions that would become a blizzard. 

Mushers and the Ivakkak team went on to wait out the storm for five days in Inukjuak. 

At this point Surusila still had his lead with a time of 15 hours and 50 minutes. 

After the storm, the fourth, fifth and sixth days went smoothly.

Surusila finished first place, followed by Tasiujaq’s Willie Cain Jr in second place, and Charlie Angnatuk in third.