Yukon Fat Tire Fever is building on the stoke of Canadian XCM nationals

Three years after Whitehorse crowned the 2023 Canadian XC Marathon champions on a stunningly beautiful course, the legacy of that event is still growing. Yukon Fat Tire Fever is the focal point of that growth, the weekend where the impact of nationals can be seen most clearly and most publicly.

A single day race, a growing riding community

Whitehorse already had a well established network of destination-worthy singletrack, both in town and nearby, when Canadian XCM nationals touched down. That network was built and has been supported by a vibrant riding community over the past 20 years. But just because a community is healthy, doesn’t mean it can’t get bigger and better.

For racers who keep following the events as they move around the country, the focus is often on the next event. Even for us in the media, it’s easy to get caught up in that constant movement to chase the next thing.

For the communities that host these events, though, the race may move on but life keeps on going right where theyare. The legacy of a major event, though, can spark a lasting change when it touches down in a community, even if it’s only for a year, or a weekend.

“From a legacy perspective, since 2023 the number of Yukon cyclists who participate in local events and programs has grown significantly in all disciplines, especially mountain biking, gravel, road and fat biking,” says Geof Harries, one of Yukon Fat Tire Fever’s organisers. “Our youth programs have seen big increases because of the Canadian Championships. Kids saw what was possible, goals to aspire to and got even more excited about riding and racing bikes. When we used to struggle to find enough athletes to send complete teams to the Canada Summer Games and outside races, we now have intense competition in all categories for these coveted team spots.”

Yukon Fat Tire Fever brings everyone into the party

Before 2023, Whitehorse already had a longstanding (15 years!), volunteer-run long-distance mountain bike event. But after XCM nationals, Harries wanted to build on the momentum of both events in a more welcoming format.

“We wanted to re-use most of the same XCM event course, but make it more approachable by introducing a two-person category and only timing key sections of the course, rather than start to finish,” Harries explains. “The idea was to encourage fun and adventure for more types of people.”

It can be hard to…