For the first time in its 18-year history, the Yukon River Quest has 98 teams registered.

The race is capped at 100 teams to facilitate safety and to allow room to move at mandatory rest check points.

Earlier in March, the race had 100 teams registered, but a few dropped out ahead of the May 15 registration deadline.

“We won’t have a final count until the horn sounds,” said media director Jeff Brady.

Usually in low-water years, there are fewer teams registered, Brady said. But this year’s low-water forecast hasn’t kept teams away.

Last year only 59 teams registered.

Included in this year’s 98 teams are 34 C2 (double canoe), five C1 (single canoe), 14 K2 (double kayak), 17 K1 (single kayak), 16 voyageur canoes and 12 SUP (stand-up paddleboard).

This is the first year that a SUP category has run the race. The experimental class of 10 was full by November and a waiting list was started. Ultimately the class was opened to 12 paddlers for its first year.

To be considered as an official class next year, Brady says a lot of the decision will come down to safety.

“It’s all based on safety mostly. They were very convincing in presenting their case to us that they could do it safely,” he said.

Many of the SUP racers have completed endurance races before, but they’re about half the length of the River Quest, said Brady.

“Our race is unique though because the Yukon is cold.”

The SUPs will also have to carry all the same gear as the other crafts. Spectators will likely see them strapped to the boards in dry cases and bags.

The 16 voyageur teams also mark a record-high number of entries for that class.

About 14 countries will be represented in this year’s race, including Australia, the Ivory Coast, Japan and South Africa.

This year the Kirkman Creek checkpoint will move to Coffee Creek and a monitor point will be added between Fort Selkirk and Coffee Creek. The point was added with the safety of the SUP racers in mind.

“That was added specifically so they could stop and rest there if they needed to,” said Brady­. “It’s the longest stretch we had before that didn't have a safety point.”

There will be three sweep boats on the river, up from last year’s two.

In 2014, adventurer Simon Donato (Esquire’s Boundless) named the Yukon River Quest as one of the 10 most challenging endurance races in the world.

It remains a bucket list item for many athletes who want to tackle the gruelling 715-kilometre stretch of Yukon River between Whitehorse and Dawson City.

Racers will start in Whitehorse on June 29, running to their boats and beginning the epic race to Dawson City.

The race is expected to begin at noon at Rotary Peace Park and finish in Dawson City by July 3.