The Yukon 800 Marathon is considered to be the world\u2019s toughest riverboat race.<\/p>\n
The misfortunes are as memorable as the victories of the event which runs out and back from Fairbanks to Galena along the Chena, Tanana and Yukon rivers.<\/p>\n
Nature is rarely kind to the three-person crews of the homemade, 20-foot and flat wooden boats which are powered by outboard motors.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not uncommon for crews to encounter such challenges as sand bars, 6-foot waves or driftwood as long and as wide as the boats themselves.<\/p>\n
Crews also can be exposed to smoke from wildfires if any are burning along sections of the course.<\/p>\n
Determination rises in the race like the front end of a boat taking off from the starting line at Pike\u2019s Landing on the Chena River in Fairbanks.<\/p>\n
Tom Kriska, on the way to five Yukon 800 titles, has crossed the finish line with quarter-sized holes in his boat.<\/p>\n
Harold Attla owns a race-record 10 titles in the event that has been contested for more than 60 years.<\/p>\n
The race also possesses a transitional quality. Some participants who were navigators or engineers on crews eventually become Yukon 800 boat captains.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u00a0Danny Martin<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Yukon 800 Marathon is considered to be the world\u2019s toughest riverboat race.<\/p>\n The misfortunes are as memorable as the victories of the event which runs out and back from Fairbanks to Galena along the Chena, Tanana and Yukon rivers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"hof-type":[151],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n