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10TuesdayMay62014ByMARYWALDENAfterknockingoff1200kmin28daysonarunfromInuviktoWhitehorseyoudthinkBradCaribouLegsFirthmightwanttohanguphiscaribouhideshinpadsstrappedneatlyonwithleatherlashingatleastforabit.Butyoudbewrong.NosoonerhadtheGwichinlongdistancerunnerarrivedonthebanksoftheYukonRiverindowntownWhite-horselastTuesdaythanhewaschattingupplanstoextendhisRunforthePeelawarenesscampaignoverthesummer.CometheendofMayFirthplanstolaceupagainandtriplethedistance-thistimefromVancouvertoIn-uvikwhichisabout3850kmbyroad.Iwanttobringthistoanationallevelhetoldsup-porterswhoturnedouttogivehimanunofcialhe-roswelcometotheYukonscapital.Justthatdayhedclocked70kmtocompletetherun.Hesaidhedhitthewallaroundthe50-kmmarkandhadatoughtimecontinuingon.Luckilyforhimaboutahalf-dozenkeenyoungrun-nersshowedupaboutthentojoinhimforthenalleg.FirthwroteonhisFace-bookpagethatreceivingthatkindofsupportduringthetoughestpartofthejourneywasoverwhelming.Ihadtoholdbackmytearstwotimeswhilerunningwiththeyouthhewrote.TheycarriedmeintoWhitehorselikeyoungwarriorswhenIwantedtothrowinthetowel.Mostdaysheranatleasttheequivalentofamarathon-42kmor26miles-ormore.Onaveragehekeptasteadypaceofabout10kmanhour.Hisfaithfulfour-leggedcompanionTrixiewhohadmatchedhimstep-for-stepformuchofthetripwasrel-egatedtothesupportvehicleforthenaldayduetoheavytrafc.InsteadthesmalldogrodeshotgunoverthebundleoflettersfromPeelsupport-ersintheMackenzieDeltawhichweredestinedforthedeskofYukonPremierDar-rellPasloskiwithwhomtherunnerwasexpectedtomeetonMonday.AlthoughFirthhasdeepfamilytiestothewatershedhestakenaroundaboutroutetoadvocatingforitsprotec-tion.RaisedinInuvikhelatermovedtoVancouverandwassoonsuckedintotheabyssofthenotoriousDowntownEast-side.Hecreditsarenewedin-terestinrunningwithhelpinghimcrawloutoftheaddictionsholeandnowstayclean.LastfallhereturnedtotheNorthandmadeheadlineswitha720-kmrunfromFortSmithtoYellowknife.AfterspendingthewintertraininginInuvikhestarteddowntheDempsterHighwayApr.2onhisrunforthePeel.HevisitedcommunitiesalongthewayincludingFortMcPhersonAklavikTsiigehtchicDawsonCityandMayo.Severaldaysafterarriv-inginWhitehorsehissup-portersheldafeastinhishonour.ArallywasalsoheldoutsidetheYukongovernmentbuildingMon-daywhenhedeliveredtheletters.Yukonportionofthetrans-boundaryregionviolatestheYukonFirstNationslandclaim.RepresentedbyleadingAb-originalrightslawyerThomasBergertheFirstNationsarguethegovernmentviolatedtheCaribouLegskeentocarryonPeelprotectionrunEnvironmentWatershedsHisrunfromVancouvertoInuvikwilllikelytakehimmostofthesummer.HellbeontheroadwhenthePeellanduseplanlawsuitgoestotrialinYukonSupremeCourtJuly711.TwoYukonFirstNationsMayosNa-choNyakDunandDawsonsTrondekHwechinalongwiththeYukonCon-servationSocietyandCPAWS-YukonledthesuitinJanuaryaftertheterritorialgovernmentdecidedtoopenmostofthere-giontoindustrialdevelopment.Theysaythegovernmentsnewlanduseplanforthelanduseplanningprocesslaidoutintheconstitutionally-pro-tectedlandclaimagreementswhenitrejectedajointly-developedplantoprotectthewatershedandreplaceditwithapro-developmentblueprint.Theprecedentsettingcaseisexpectedtohaveimplica-tionsnotonlyforthefutureofthePeelwatershedbutformodern-daytreatiesacrossCanadasNorth.TheNWTsGwichinTribalCouncilsaysitalsoplanstotakecourtactionbutisstilldecidingwhichlegalroutetotake.PhotoMaryWaldenIhadtoholdbackmytearstwotimeswhilerunningwiththeyouth.Theycar-riedmeintoWhitehorselikeyoungwar-riorswhenIwantedtothrowinthetowel.BradCaribouLegsFirthBradCaribouLegsFirthstaystruetohisnamesakesportinggenuinecaribouhideshinpadsasherunsoveroneofthemanybridgescrossedonhis1200-kmjourneyfromInuvikthroughthePeelwatershedtoWhitehorse.