Dogsled team conditioning proves key in 2nd half of Nunavut Quest
Pond Inlet-to-Igloolik race on track to finish Monday night, after 500 kilometres of mushing
Jinneal Nanuraq Uttak, a Nunavut Quest musher from Igloolik and his dog team arrive at Checkpoint 5 on Saturday night, after travelling about 80 kilometres. He was the first competitor to finish the fifth leg of the 500-kilometre race that began Tuesday. It was the fifth day in the annual Inuit dog team race, taking place between Pond Inlet and Igloolik this year. (Photo by Shanshan Tian, special to Nunatsiaq News)
Updated on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 2:45 p.m. ET
The seven-day Nunavut Quest Inuit dog team race is proving to be a true test of discipline, physical endurance and mental strength.
For the elder generation, this is what they lived and what they know. For Inuit who grew up in settlements, the long days of travel, day after day, daily set up and take down of camp requires resilience, discipline and a good sense of humour.
“Eighty kilometres might seem like a lot to you, but your ancestors would laugh at this distance,” said Elder Quvaqtaa Charlie Inuarak in Inuktitut at one of the morning meetings. This had the group laughing.
Saturday was the fifth day of the Nunavut Quest, the annual dogsled race which is covering a 500-kilometre route from Pond Inlet to Igloolik this year. Eight mushers set out Tuesday to prove they could do it and in search of the $20,000 first place prize money.
The weather was windy with whiteout conditions throughout the entire day, making travel challenging.
Inuarak led the trail, finding the way using landmarks from his memory.
Another 80-kilometre day had the dog teams climbing big hills in deep soft snow while avoiding rocks for the first half of the route. That was followed by a steady descent, equally as rocky but with better snow conditions for travelling.
Saturday night’s camp was set on the southern point of a large lake called Angmaluqtualuk, approximately 20 kilometres from the sea ice of Foxe Basin.
It was another long day for the mushers and the dog teams, yet the mushers still come in wearing big smiles on their faces.
Dogs in one of the eight teams racing in the Nunavut Quest rest at the end of the fifth day of racing Saturday. This year, the annual dogled race is being held between Pond Inlet and Igloolik. (Photo by Shanshan Tian, special to Nunatsiaq News)
The dogs are always happy to arrive at camp, tails wagging as they greet their support team members, rolling on the ground with each other, ready for a meal and a rest.
The first to arrive at Checkpoint 5 was Jinneal Nanuraq Uttak (#1),from Igloolik, shortly after 9 p.m.. Today’s order of arrival got shaken up with Lee Inuarak (#6) from Pond Inlet arriving in fifth place. Tom Naqitarvik (#7) from Arctic Bay arrived seventh at just after midnight, an 11-hour run.
In the final third of the race, long-distance conditioning, injury prevention and avoiding mistakes and penalties will allow the teams to dig deep and run fast towards the finish line.
There’s only one more checkpoint on the land before the final checkpoint in Igloolik. Weather permitting, the race should conclude by the end of the day Monday.
Day 5 order of arrival:
- Jinneal Nanuraq Uttak (#1)
- Joshua Qiliqti Ivalu (#7)
- Donovan Qaunaq (#4)
- Isaac Irngaut (#5)
- Lee Inuarak (#6)
- Daniel Inuarak (#3)
- Tom Naqitarvik (#2)
- Aidan Qaunaq (#8)
Correction: This article has been updated from its originally published version to report the correct prize for first place is $20,000.
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