Percy Skijor

Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race

Race Rules

  1. Race Categories (Distance and trail description)

Percy Mail Race: 185 miles (298km) via dog sled.
Trail: 50 miles of Yukon River trail from Dawson City to Forty Mile Townsite. Then, a 45 mile loop up the Clinton Creek Road, to the intersection of Top of the World Highway, and back down to the Forty Mile Townsite. Then, another 40 mile loop up the Forty Mile River to the American border and back to the Forty Mile townsite, before heading back on the 50 miles of Yukon River trail to Dawson City. The Yukon River part of the race follows most of Percy DeWolfe's original dogsled trail.

Percy Junior 100: 100 miles (160km) via dog sled.
Trail: Dawson City to Forty Mile, and return to Dawson, following the Yukon River with some bush trails depending on the ice conditions.

Percy Skijor 100: 100 miles (160km) via skijoring.
Trail: Dawson City, Yukon to Forty Mile, and return to Dawson, following the Yukon River with some bush trails depending on the ice conditions.

Percy Open 40: 40 miles (64km) via skijoring, bikejoring, kick sledding or canicross.
Trail: Dawson City, Yukon to the mouth of the Chandindu River, and back to Dawson City.

All Races: Trails will be broken and marked prior to the race, however, trail conditions are not guaranteed during the race.

  1. Number of Teams

Each Race Category will be limited to a maximum of fifteen (15) teams (maximum two (2) teams per kennel) based on sign-up order. Should the number of teams exceed fifteen (15), a wait list will be maintained. Teams on the wait list have priority over late entries.

  1. Registration and Entry Fee (Cost before / after February 20th, 2026.)

Percy Mail Race : $250 / $300
Percy Junior 100: $150 / $200
Percy Skijor 100: $150 / $200
Percy Open 40: $50 / $75
Entry will not be guaranteed until the entry form is complete, and the entry fee has been paid in full.
With the approval of the Race Marshal, participants may be substituted up to and including the start of the participants’ meeting. If a team wishes to withdraw from the race after entry is confirmed and before the event, no refunds will be issued.

  1. Prizes

A total purse of $20,000 is divided between each race category.
Here are the details of the prizes:

Percy Mail Race

Percy Junior 100

Percy Skijor 100

Percy Open 40

1st

 $3,750

 $1,200

$675

$225

2nd

 $2,700

 $750

$525

$175

3rd

 $2,100

 $450

$300

$100

4th

 $1,650

 $360

5th

 $1,350

 $240

6th

 $1,050

7th

 $900

8th

 $750

9th

 $450

10th

 $300

The winner of the 50th Percy Mail Race will also receive a $1200 value certificate from Air North.

  1. Race Start

Percy Mail Race: March 5th, 10:00 am, at the corner of 3rd and King Street with a staggered start timed at two (2) minute intervals. The first participant to leave the starting line carries a package of mail.
The 10am slot will be allotted to the Spirit of Percy DeWolfe to honor his memory.

Percy Junior 100: March 5th, *10:30 am*, at the corner of 3rd and King Street with a staggered start timed at two (2) minute intervals.
*The first team will start 2 minutes after the last team from the Percy Mail Race has left the
start chute.

Percy Skijor 100: March 5th, 11:30am, from the Dawson City Ice bridge, on the Yukon River with a staggered start timed at two (2) minute intervals.

Percy Open 40: March 5th, 12pm, from the Dawson City Ice bridge, on the Yukon River with a staggered start time at two (2) minute intervals.

Time differentials will be calculated in Forty Mile for the Percy Mail race, Percy Junior 100
and Percy Skijor 100, and in Dawson for the Percy Open 40.

  1. Staging Area

Percy Mail Race and Percy Junior 100:
Staging area will be on the streets north, south and east of the start line (King St between 3rd & 4th Ave, 3rd Ave between York & King St, and 3rd Ave between Queen and King St) Teams will be given a designated spot within the staging area during the Participants Meeting. All teams must be in their designated staging spot no later than 9:00am. Teams deemed by Race Officials to be unmanageable in the staging area, or who are not ready to start at their designated time will not be allowed to start at their designated start time. In this case, the team will start last, but will be timed from their initial designated start time.

Percy Skijor 100 and Percy Open 40:
The staging area will be on the Ice Bridge, on Yukon River, exact location to be announced at the Participants’ Meeting. All teams must be at the staging area by 11am.

  1. Mandatory Pre-Race Vet Check

There will be a mandatory pre-race vet check for all teams. The Vet-check will happen on the day prior to the race (March 4th), before and/or after the Participants’ Meeting. Participants will be given a time for pre-race vet check based on order of registration. If you can’t make the time assigned to you, please contact us and we will try to make arrangements.
Proof of current Parvovirus and Distemper vaccinations and Rabies certificates for each dog running the race must be shown to the vets. Vaccines must have been administered a minimum of 14 days prior to the race.

  1. Mandatory Participants' Meetings

The meeting will take place on March 4th, at 6:00pm sharp at the Dawson Checkpoint, which is the Dawson City Visitor Centre, located at the corner of Front Street and King Street. The door is locked at the beginning of the meeting, and there will be a $50 fine for late arrivals, payable before the end of the meeting.
The awards banquet is also mandatory for participants to receive their prizes.

  1. Race Bibs

Race Bibs MUST be worn at the Start and Finish line, as well as when arriving and departing from ANY checkpoint. Failure to do so will result in a one-hour penalty for each time the bib is not worn when required.
We recommend wearing the bib at all times.

  1. Mandatory Gear

Every participant will have the following items in their possession during the entire race:

Percy Mail Race, Percy Junior 100 and Percy Skijor 100:

  • Race Bib (to be returned in good condition)
  • Winter sleeping bag
  • Hand axe (Or, for skijorers only, a saw is allowed)
  • Stove & fuel
  • Light (flashlight or headlight)
  • At least 8 booties per dog when departing Dawson and subsequent checkpoints.
  • Vet record book
  • Tracking device as supplied by the race organization.
  • Adequate amount of dog food per dog for the duration of the race. (3 days worth of dog food, when leaving Dawson)
  • Promotional Material (if applicable)

Percy Mail Race and Percy Junior Specific:

  • Sturdy mid-distance or long-distance sled (no sprint sleds permitted)
  • Sled bag big enough to properly secure inside and cover at least two dogs and gear.
  • One pair of snowshoes and bindings
  • Snow hook

Percy Skijor 100 Specific:

  • A pulk or sled in which a dog can be properly secured and safely carried.
  • Cold weather clothing and gear (hat, mitts, jacket), including a pair of winter boots.
  • Stake line or equivalent to secure dogs during the layover at Forty Mile

Percy Open 40:

  • Light (flashlight or headlight)
  • At least 8 booties per dog when departing Dawson
  • Tracking device as supplied by the race organization.
  • Vet record book

One hour per missing item will be added to the team’s total running time. Teams missing any of these items at the start will not be allowed to leave until they are present. Gear will also be checked in subsequent checkpoints.

  1. Recommended Supplies.

Adequate amount of food for the participant. Secondary light. First Aid Kit. Fire starting material. Please bring straw, if you want it. There is NO water, fuel, straw or food provided in Forty Mile.

  1. Handlers

The Handlers will be allowed to ride and/or assist to the start of the race. At the end of the race, handlers may not assist until after the team has crossed the finish line.

  1. Number of Dogs

Percy Mail Race: six (6) dogs minimum, nine (9) dogs maximum.
Percy Junior 100: six (6) dogs minimum, nine (9) dogs maximum.
Percy Skijor 100: two (2) dogs minimum, four (4) dogs maximum.
Percy Open 40: two (2) dogs minimum, four (4) dogs maximum.

All RACES: No loose leaders. No dogs may be added to a team after the start of the race. Dogs must be in the participant's control at all times. No switching of dogs between teams is permitted. All dogs must finish the race, either in the team or in the sled/pulk. Considering the remote and difficult access to Forty Mile, the race organization will not transport dogs from teams in any of the races from checkpoints back to Dawson.

  1. Treatment of Dogs

There shall be no cruel or inhumane treatment of dogs. (As determined by the Race Officials).

All care and feeding of dogs will be done by the Participant only (except in the case of a temporary Dog Drop in Forty Mile). Only participants may assist one another during the race. No outside assistance is allowed during the race, including checkpoints, unless an emergency is declared by the Race Marshall. Incidental help at checkpoints is permitted.

Any pre-existing dog health issues must be identified to the vets prior to the race start. If an issue is not declared before the race and is then noticed during the race, it will be deemed to have occurred during the race.

Teams will be assessed by Race Vet and Race Official as necessary. Teams may not be allowed to proceed until cleared by Race Officials.

  1. Clearing Trail and Passing

Any participant setting up camp must clear the trail of their dogs and gear. Slower teams must yield to faster, overtaking teams and provide the overtaking team with sufficient time to untangle, if necessary, before following. A participant being passed is responsible for controlling their dogs to allow for a clean pass. The team being passed cannot pass the overtaking team for a minimum of five (5) minutes. Teams going outbound must yield to teams coming inbound.

  1. Littering

Absolutely no littering anywhere along the trail or at checkpoints. Handlers are required to clean up after teams in the staging area and dispose of waste in designated areas.

  1. Checkpoints

All mandatory gear will be checked at the Checkpoints. Participants will notify the timer/checker immediately upon arrival, and have the checker note arrival and departure time. The participants will also tell the Race Officials their plan for their rest and are responsible for notifying the Race Officials if they change their plans during their layover. Every participant must personally sign in and out of the checkpoints. All dogs, sleds, gear and participants must remain at the checkpoint area at all times during layover.

  1. Mandatory Layovers

Percy Mail Race: 12 hours mandatory layover in Forty Mile. The layover can be used in 1-hour increments between the loops, at the discretion of the musher. Please tell the race officials your plan.
Percy Junior 100: 8 hours mandatory layover in Forty Mile.
Percy Skijor 100: 8 hours mandatory layover in Forty Mile.
Percy Open 40: No mandatory layover.

  1. Dog Drop (Only applies to Percy Mail Race)

Participants may leave sick or injured dogs at the Forty Mile Dog Drop to be picked up on the way back to Dawson. A participant must have at least six (6) dogs remaining in their team to continue in the race. Participants must supply a dog chain or covered steel cable at least four feet in length, one dish and 24 hours’ worth of food for each dropped dog. Excess food left at the dog drop cannot be picked up on the return trip. Participants leaving a dog at Forty Mile must fill out an instruction sheet and sign the waiver.  Participants are responsible for leaving dog(s) in proper condition, ie. booties and harness off, etc. Participants must pick up all dogs dropped when returning to Dawson. Considering the remote and difficult access to Forty Mile, no dog transport is offered by the Race.

  1. Mandatory Forty Mile Stop (Percy Mail race, Percy Jr and Percy Skijor 100 Race)

Participants must stop in Forty Mile and may be required to take extra rest at the discretion of Forty Mile Race Officials/Vets.

  1. Sportsmanship:

All participants and their teams MUST conduct themselves in a civil and sportsmanlike manner during ALL parts of the Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race event.

  1. No Man's Land:

No man's land shall be considered the land between the Moosehide Village and the finish line (approx. the last three (3) miles). Within this area, a team is not required to yield the trail to an overtaking participant.

  1. Finish:

An official finish shall be determined by the front of the sled/skis crossing the finish line. Gear will be checked, and teams must be cleared by a race official before entering any vehicle.

  1. Penalties:

Failure to adhere to any rules will result in a penalty. Race officials will determine suitable penalties. A participant may request a penalty review by the Race Marshal.

  1. Appeal:

A further appeal can be made to the Appeal Committee. The decision of the Appeal Committee is final. Any appeal must be made to the committee prior to the start of the Awards Banquet.

  1. Censure:

The Committee may reject any entries submitted for any reason of past conduct.

  1. Protest:

Any observed infraction of these rules may be protested verbally to the next official on the trail. A written report will also be required within a time frame, as indicated by the Race Official.

  1. Vehicles:

If participants have vehicles, they must be in the finish line vicinity as indicated at the Participants' Meeting.

  1. Vet books:

Participants must present vet books to Race Officials/Vets at checkpoints.

  1. Vet Care:

Any pre-existing dog health issues must be identified with the vets prior to the race start at the Pre-race Vet Check. If an issue is not declared before the race and is then noticed during the race, it will be deemed to have occurred during the race. Teams will be assessed by Race Vets and Race Officials as necessary. Teams may not be allowed to proceed until cleared by Race Officials.

Should any vet administered IV fluids or shots be deemed necessary and given at any time to a dog(s) during the race, the entire team will be disqualified.

If a Race Vet or Official determines that it is not in the best interest of a dog to continue to run in the team, the dog must be removed from the team, and cannot be run again. Percy 150+ teams may drop such a dog at Forty Mile and pick it up for the return to Dawson, however the dog may not be returned to the team at any point. Returning a dog to a team contrary to the instructions of Race Vets and/or Officials will result in a penalty up to and including disqualification from the event.

  1. Forty Mile Checkpoint

Forty Mile is a co-managed site between the Tr’ondek Hwech’in and the Yukon Government. As a sign of respect, consumption of alcohol and/or drugs will not be tolerated. Please treat this site with care, to ensure the continued welcome of the race, and local teams.

On this note, have fun, be safe, care well for your dogs and enjoy the Yukon wilderness.
Thank you for participating in the 50th Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race!