Race Update – Day 1- March 5 2016, Labrador City, NL, Canada.

The Cain’s Quest Snowmobile Endurance Race got off to a roaring start on Friday evening in Labrador City. After a short delay due to a medical emergency at the start-line (non-racer related), all racers were off for their first layover in Churchill Falls. Thirty-seven two-man teams, with support crews in tow, trekked through Labrador’s backcountry in the first 250 km leg of the world’s toughest and longest snowmobile endurance race.

Three teams officially scratched on the first leg of the race. Team #36, Nord Cotier, ran into trouble with deep slob just 120 km from the start line. Volunteer emergency crews responded when their tracker emergency beacon went off and both team members were recovered quickly.

“We would like to thank all members of the Cains Quest rescue team. After spending 10 hours in -31 degree cold, you were a welcome site. Team Nord Cotier would like to extend our thanks and appreciation for the timely help. Thank you very much,” said Roy Macdermott, Team Manager for team 36.

Two more teams later scratched, team #18, Yamie Cat, due to mechanical and team #72, Makkovikk, with one team member receiving a leg injury while assisting another team.

What Cain’s Quest organizers had predicted to be a 16-hour leg to checkpoint #2, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, ended up being almost a 24 hour trip for many. At one point in the day, there were eighteen team held up together on Wilson Lake, between checkpoint two and three.

Team #99, Malleck boys clocked in at 1:49 p.m, followed by Teams #22 and #44, Team Maine and Team Capital Crane Maine, making significantly better times than other race teams in very challenging conditions.

“We were airborne every two seconds”, said Team #44’s Dixon Clements upon arrival in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

The layover at checkpoint #2 is ten hours in length, after which time racers will head north to Postville, then on to Nain for the next 12 hour layover.

For more information on Cain’s Quest, visit cainsquest.com. Follow us on Twitter @cainsquest, use #cq2016 or join the conversation on our Cain’s Quest Facebook page.

Cain’s Quest is the world’s toughest and longest snowmobile endurance race. It is an incredible off-trail riding adventure where teams of two battle in an all-out race through 3,500 kilometres of deep snow and thick wooded areas in some of the most remote parts of Labrador. The race is managed by Cain’s

Quest Inc., a volunteer-run, non-profit organization.

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Media Contact:
T: 709-944-5011
C: 709-280-5965

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