Caribou Legs launches Inuvik to Whitehorse run

An extreme marathoner from Inuvik, N.W.T. officially launched an epic run today to raise awareness about potential development in the Peel watershed.

The distance from Inuvik to Whitehorse is just over 1,200 kilometres.

Brad Firth, better known as Caribou Legs, calculates hell be able to make it in three weeks, running ten hours a day.

• Extreme marathoner plans epic run to save the Peel

He says he's using his running as a voice in support of the Peel watershed, and First Nations who oppose the Yukon Government's land use plan.

Its a pristine land, he told the CBC. It represents the heart and soul of the Gwichin people. It's been untouched for thousands of years and they want to go in there and destroy it and build these roads and put all these chemicals in it.

Caribou Legs successfully ran last year from Fort Smith to Yellowknife.

He's been training with a companion for this run,a six-month old pitbull/shih tzu named Trixie.