The Trail

These are the elevations of the checkpoints and mountains on the trail, as well as the distances between the checkpoints:

Fairbanks 440 feet [134 meters] Start
Two Rivers 750 feet [229 meters] 45 miles [72 km]
Rosebud Summit 3640 feet [1109 meters]
Mile 101 2250 feet [686 meters] 82 miles [132]
Eagle Summit 3685 feet [1123 meters]
Central 435 feet [133 meters] 33 miles [53 km]
Circle City 597 feet [182 meters] 74 miles [119 km]
Eagle 880 feet [268 meters] 159 miles [256 km]
American Summit 3920 feet [1195 meters]
Dawson City 1050 feet [320 meters] 147 miles [237 km]
King Solomon’s Dome 4002 feet [1220 meters]
Pelly Crossing 1558 feet [475 meters] 202 miles [325 km]
Carmacks 1722 feet [525 meters] 73 miles [117 km]
Braeburn 2326 feet [709 meters] 77 miles [124 km]
Whitehorse 2089 feet [637 meters] 100 miles [161 km] Finish

Total actual distance: 992 miles [1596 kilometers]

The Even Year Quests are considered easier because you get to face the 115 miles [185 km] of trail between Two Rivers and Central checkpoints while your team is relatively fresh:

Two Rivers 750 feet [229 meters]
Rosebud Summit 3640 feet [1109 meters]
Mile 101 Steese Highway 2250 feet [686 meters]
Eagle Summit 3685 feet [1123 meters]
Central 435 feet [133 meters]

Following the frozen Yukon River and climbing the multiple mountains make the Yukon Quest a tougher race than the Iditarod. It is colder; the checkpoints are further apart, so you are camping more often and carrying heavier loads; and you are only allowed one sled without penalty for the entire course.

The Alaskan portion of the trail uses Alaskan Standard Time [UTC -9], which changes to Pacific Standard Time [UTC -8] in the Yukon.

Update – Mandatory layovers: Mile 101 [2 hours], Eagle [4 hours], Dawson [36 hours], and Braeburn [8 hours]. Penalty times are served at Dawson and Braeburn. Adjustments for start time differentials are at Dawson.