FAIRBANKS — The days of waiting for updates from checkpoints are over for the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.

All but one of the 24 Quest mushers can be followed live online by global positioning system tracking during the race, which begins at 11 this morning.

Twenty-three mushers — all but Gerry Willomitzer — will voluntarily carry spot messengers either attached to the sled or the mushers themselves.

The messenger sends its GPS coordinates every 10 minutes. The mushers’ locations can be viewed on a map at www.yukonquest.com by selecting the “Race Updates” on the menu bar and then “Live Tracking.”

Mushers’ locations are denoted by the Quest’s sitting dog logo. Clicking on the dogs will reveal the musher’s name, a mug shot and a link to more detailed information on www.trackleaders.com.

When the logos are jumbled because racers are near each other, there is a link for each musher on the trackleaders.com site.

Yukon Quest Canada executive director Wendy Morrison said it was surprising that most mushers chose to use the devices.

“We explained to them our reasoning and they found reasons of their own, like their families and handlers knowing where they were,” she said.

Hans Gatt had the messenger attached to his sled Friday morning.

“Obviously, spectators are really interested and it will help the race,” he said. “I think it doesn’t give an advantage to anyone.”

Each bright-orange messenger is slightly larger than a pack of cards and kept in a neoprene casing. To work properly, the mushers have been asked to place them where they are visible from the sky.

The only extra chore the mushers were asked to do is turn the device off and on every 12 hours because the messengers shut down after 24 hours of inactivity.

The system was tested on a voluntary basis in 2008’s Quest. The results were not available to the public.

The Iditarod used a similar, and mandatory, system in its 2009 race. The race charged for access to view

Morrison said making the devices a mandatory part of the musher’s equipment is a possibility — they are already required to carry promotional materials — but nothing’s definite.

Contact staff writer Joshua Armstrong at 459-7523.