After a relatively easy day yesterday, the dog teams pushed their limits much further today, covering over 70 kilometres (45 miles). Moving on to sea ice, on the shore of the Hudson Bay, with much better snow conditions, at least most of the way, they were able to make good time. With an earlier start this morning, the first teams made it to Ivitaarquq, where the race officials had set camp, by 4 o’clock this afternoon, and by suppertime, before 6 o’clock, everybody had made it in, ready to settle down for the night, some lucky ones in the one cabin found there, but most in canvas tents. Thanks to visitors from Puvirnituq and Salluit, who were in the area hunting and fishing a little southeast of there, at Kuuvik, a spot famous for its Arctic Char fishing, the mushers, their racing partners and the support crew had a quite a feast, with plenty of fish and ptarmigan to go around. Now more than halfway between Akulivik and Ivujivik, the dog teams could probably make it to the northernmost community of Quebec in one very long day. But with close to 90 kilometres (55 miles) yet to cover, they would arrive quite late. The race officials hence decided to split the distance in two, so that the mushers can arrive early in Ivujivik on Sunday and have some time to rest, and get cleaned up with a good shower, before the closing celebrations begin.

Juusipi Qisiiq, who was in third place has now lost his position in the top three to Harry Okpik, falling behind in fourth place. Although he went out quite a bit with his dogs this winter to hunt, they are still a bit young to sustain long distances like the one covered today, especially after a few days out on the trail. Matthew Arngak, who’s dogs obey him at the lift of a finger are also quite young yet for a demanding race like the Ivakkak, and have also been losing momentum these last couple of days.

Meanwhile, Johnny Arnatuk’s dogs seem to be getting better every day. If the musher from Quaqtaq, who only started to really train his dogs a couple of weeks before the race, had started to train them earlier in the season, he could have easily finished in the top five, if not the top three.

As for the two eldest mushers from Inukjuak, Adamie Inukpuk, 65 years old, and Simeonie Elijassiapik, 61 years old, who have more experienced and who’s dogs are more mature, they seem to be slowly catching up to the rest of the pack, even though they only have a team of 8 dogs each, as opposed to an average of 10 to 12 dogs for most teams participating in Ivakkak 2009.

What’s probably also helping Adamie gain a little speed is the fact that his young partner, the 16-year-old Lizzie-Ann Kasudluak, is starting to gain some experience on the trail and participating more and more every day, also running alongside the dogs now that the race coordinator Jobie Epoo has provided her with proper footwear. The young woman, also the first to take part in the Ivakkak dog team race, seems to be really enjoying herself on this journey, following in her late grandfather Putulik Kulula ‘s footsteps.