Canada may have seen its Quest announce it won't be running, but Alaska's Quest is alive and... well... the rosters are small but the optimism is BIG. With just six teams planning to run the 750 mile marathon and another ten teams set to run the 80 mile fun run, the Yukon Quest Alaska is ready to hit the trails.
This year the marathon is set to take off and go counter-clockwise from Fairbanks and loop around to finish in Fairbanks. Many of the interior communities will get to see and cheer for the teams as they pass through.
The race start is forecasted to be a cold one with temps reaching a high of 4 above and getting as low as -12. Not terribly cold, especially for the Interior of Alaska, but should remind spectators that they're watching a winter sport. The dogs will no doubt love it.
With just six teams, it's anyone's guess who will come out on top. Out of the six there's only two teams that haven't really challenged for a top spot in the race previously. Deeter, of course, is returning to defend his title and it wouldn't be a surprise if he did make that happen even with the extra two hundred miles tacked onto this year's race.
With a small roster let's just say it's worth watching everyone because you really can't not pay attention to all six.
As with all rosters, once the bib numbers are public this post will be edited to reflect that information.
750-mile Roster
*Roster as of February 4, 2026 @ 8pm AKST.80-mile Roster
*Roster as of February 4, 2026 @8pm AKST.With that out of the way let's do a run down on how to watch the race this weekend.
How to Watch
Not everyone can be on the trail cheering the teams on, so how best can "armchair mushers" follow along? Glad you asked.
Official Website
Everything you need to know from race rules to news to musher profiles can be found on the Yukon Quest Alaska website. Well, okay, everything you need to know is usually on their official site, but just a week or so ago the website was hacked and they've had to start anew. But there are a few musher bios and general info about the race up.
Trackers
Where would any armchair fan be without the trackers? While it isn't live, you will most likely be able to follow along with those little green trackers by clicking here once the race goes live Saturday.
Social Media
The race is most active on their Facebook page. Photos and race reports will be added throughout the weekend as well as any other announcements.
Local Media
Radio station 103.9 in Fairbanks has broadcast the start in previous years. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner will no doubt also follow along. KUAC will also have daily updates on the race broadcasting on public radio (thank you Melinda Shore for the tip).
Schedule of Events
Thursday, February 5
5:00pm - Meet the Mushers
7:30pm - Bib Draw
Saturday, February 7
11:00am - YQA 750 Start
11:30am - YQA 80 Fun Run Start
Friday, February 20
5pm - Finisher's Banquet
Who are you cheering for? Thoughts on this year's race? What about the trail? Comment below!
And, as always, you can Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running. It's always appreciated but never expected.
