At this point, it's fair to call Walk to Tuk a staple of the NWT calendar.
The popular winter walking challenge, which is organized by the NWT Recreation and Parks Association (NWTRPA), is now in its 15th year.
"It's pretty incredible," Tim Van Dam, interim executive director of the NWTRPA, said one week into the challenge, which runs from Jan. 2 to Feb. 28 this year. "Walk to Tuk is really starting to weave itself into the fabric of the NWT.
"It's something that people really look forward to."
Walk to Tuk was founded in 2010 and each year since, teams of up to 20 dedicated walkers have registered for the challenge, and worked together to walk a combined 1,658 km — the length of the journey from Fort Providence to Tuktoyaktuk along the Mackenzie (Dehcho) River.
The challenge is intended to get people moving, which is particularly important in the winter months, when many people find it tempting to spend their time indoors.
"Part of the reason Walk to Tuk exists is because we're doing this in January and February," Van Dam said. "These aren't the warmest months of the year, and that's exactly why we put this together.
"[People think] 'I'm just going to snuggle up in front of the TV set for two months,' and we just don't think that's especially healthy. Having a reason to get out in the coldest and darkest months of the year is something we thought might help people to bundle up and get out."
Walk to Tuk isn't just about encouraging people to get outside and exercise, Van Dam added. It has the potential to give participants a mental health boost as well.
"There's a strong connection between mental wellness and physical activity," he said. "Even people who have the best mental health sometimes struggle with mental wellness in the winter. Having a little bit of physical activity can really help with that."
As of Jan. 9 — one week into the 2025 Walk to Tuk challenge — participants had collectively spent roughly 2,000 hours walking just under 9,000 km. That's certainly a strong start, though participation is a bit low when compared to last year, which was one of the best on record.
Interested individuals can still register for the challenge, either by starting their own team or by contacting Van Dam to get added to an existing team.
"We're really making a hard push to get folks to register a new team or register for a team in the last little stretch before we close registration [on Jan. 15]," he said.
Van Dam acknowledges it can be difficult to find the motivation to get moving when it is cold and dark and dark outside, but urges people to give the challenge a try.
"It's never too late to start something new," he said. "If it's something you haven't done in a while, it's always a good time to get back into it."
Participants also have a shot at winning prizes throughout the challenge, including a pair of Canadian North travel vouchers.