Calendar says April, but Day 3 weather feels like winter for Nunavut Quest mushers

It might say April on the calendar, but on the Nunavut Quest trail it felt like winter on Saturday, the third day of the dogsled race from Igloolik to Pond Inlet.

The morning weather was nice but at noon the wind picked up. It may be April but it felt like winter.

Before the Nunavut Quest entourage packed up its camp Saturday morning, it was announced that what appeared to be a tie for third place on Friday was not, in fact, a tie between brothers Lee Inuarak and Daniel Inuarak.

Lee Inuarak crosses the finish line right before his brother Daniel, earning them third and fourth place finishes on Friday, the second day of the Nunavut Quest, a 500-kilometre race from Igloolik to Pond Inlet. (Photo by Bobby Tatatuapik, special to Nunatsiaq News)

A photo taken by Bobby Tatatuapik, who is part of the Niksik Nunavut Quest youth field course, clearly shows that Lee Inuarak came third and Daniel Inuarak came fourth.

Roughly 60 people of all ages — from elders to babies — who are part of the support teams left Angmaluktualuk, the destination at the end of Friday’s racing. They drove for three and a half hours, travelling 72 kilometres to Tasirjjuaq, the finish line for Saturday’s leg of the race.

Nine dogsled teams are taking part in the annual Nunavut Quest race. This year’s version has mushers running their teams over a 500-kilometre course. The race began Thursday in Igloolik, with teams covering 68 kilometres. On Friday, they picked up another 55 kilometres. And on Saturday, they logged another 72 kilometres.

At the finish line, the support team set up camp. Not long after their arrival, musher Nanuraq Uttak arrived, claiming his first-place finish on the third day of racing. Tom Naqitarvik came in second place, and Lee Inuarak came third. He was followed closely — but not as closely as Friday — by his brother Daniel Inuarak.

There are about 60 members of the Nunavut Quest organizing committee and support teams that travel by snowmobile ahead of the nine dogsled teams competing in the 500-kilometre race from Igloolik to Pond Inlet. They arrive ahead of the mushers and set up camp at the end of each day of racing. (Photo by Jennifer Quassa, special to Nunatsiaq News)

Mushers arrived on Saturday — Day 3 — in the following order:

1. Nanuraq Uttak (#5)
2. Tom Naqitarvik (#2)
3. Lee Inuarak (#1)
4. Daniel Inuarak (#8)
5. Donovan Qaunaq (#7)
6. Owen Jaworenko (#3)
7. Roland Taqtu (#6)
8. Peter Henry Arnatsiaq (#9)
9. Natalino Piugattuq (#4)

Sunday was to be the fourth day of the race and was expected to bring mushers and the support team halfway to Pond Inlet, the finish line of the 2026 Nunavut Quest.