Puvirnituq mushers sweep Ivakkak dogsled race

Mushers in the annual Ivakkak sled dog race crossed the finish line yesterday afternoon in Puvirnituq, Nunavik.

The seven-day race started in Kuujjuarapik on March 17. There was one rest day in Inukjuak.

The Ivakkak is a sled dog race that runs approximately 600 kilometres up the eastern coast of Hudson Bay in Nunavik. It was established in 2000 as an attempt to revitalize sled dog culture among Nunavik residents.

Preliminary results of the race show a sweep for mushers from Puvirnituq, with Novalinga Novalinga and partner Juani Uqaituq finishing first, Peter Ittukallak and partner Juani Nutaraaluk in second, and Aisa Surusilak and partner Richard Surusilak in third.

Final results will be posted once organizers calculate penalties and times per leg.

Quaqtaq's Harry Okpik came in fourth with his partner Gary-Joe Angnatuk. Okpik lost a leg in an accident when he was 23-years-old and was the subject of the recent documentary, Okpik's Dream.