Checkpoint four at Canadian customs was draped in a black drizzling fog as runners huddled in parkas or warmed themselves in vehicles waiting for their team number to be announced. Most of the runners found their teammates, but others, ahead of schedule had to keep running or search for their next in line amongst lines of parked cars and campers. Spouses connected and kissed quickly, “Take my coat, the keys are in the pocket” as one collapsed and the other took off into the dark. A handful of hooded skinny people clapped their gloved hands, and cheered on strangers while they waited for their friends well past 2 in the morning. The shuffle of runners and cars would go on for another 12 hours, at least.
In the end, most would dance the next night away, after crossing the US Canada border, into British Columbia then into the Yukon. The usual two-hour drive for fast cars stalled to a slow shuttle amidst the headlamps and the reflective footwear of the runners and their support vehicles. This is the Klondike International Road Relay.
BoldRush’s newly decaled CRX slid in and out of the traffic searching for the faces and shapes of friends. It was black at the pass. It was dark along the lake; the going was slow and steady. Some have this race down to a science. This was a BoldRush first.
BoldRush sponsored Ahtrii Kit Aagal, a Gwitch’in phrase meaning “running like the wind”. The ten team members ranged in age from 12 to 59. Pauline had cheese and bagels and sandwich meat inside the race support vehicle, but whenever a runner finished and staggered to the van, all they wanted was BoldRush protein juices and bars. James called it a BoldRush feeding frenzy. Their race went on for over 15 hours. The dance lasted longer than most of them.
