Revised - Registration for the 40th Klondike Road Relay is off to a running start.

According to a Sport Yukon press release, the 40th anniversary edition of the race will run Sept. 8-9 from Skagway to Whitehorse, a distance of 175 km.

The first Klondike Road Relay, or KRR, took place in 1983.

The 2022 event featured a record number of youth teams, 17, and introduced the Adult ½ leg category and the Party in the Park, which were big successes.

The relay consists of 10 legs. Teams of ten have one runner per leg.

The KRR features over 1,000 metres of elevation gain along the route, with the highest point at the White Pass summit (1,004 metres).

There is also a half-distance race option from Carcross to Whitehorse, approximately 72.3 km.

“We’re thrilled to be mounting the 40th full running of the Klondike Road Relay,” said Liz Butler, coordinator of the race.

“The KRR is a part of Yukon history and our goal this year is to have our runners feel that they’re a part of that history.”

The COVID-19 global pandemic impacted the race for two years, with no road relay being run in 2020 and a smaller, modified Canada-only race running in 2021. Last year, the full race resumed, seeing over 1,500 participants on 158 teams from Canada, the United States, and elsewhere return to the event.

This year’s milestone anniversary will see special celebrations, including legendary race announcer Steve Fleck, who will be calling the relay at the finish line.

According to Sport Yukon, Fleck is an icon in the world of live event announcing and a leading professional in the domain of endurance sports, including running, biking, triathlon, and more.

In addition to announcing at the finish line, Fleck will be giving a workshop on live race announcing in the lead-up to the race.

“This is an awesome opportunity to help build the skills of our local event announcers,” said Butler. “Steve is one of the best in the world, so it’s tremendously exciting to have someone of his experience come and share his knowledge and expertise with our community.”

2022 also saw the launch of the post-race Party in the Park held in Rotary Park in Whitehorse.

This year’s Party in the Park will take place Sep. 9 from noon to 7 p.m.

An awards ceremony will be part of the events at the park.

There will also be food trucks, a beer garden, vendors, and games as part of the festivities.

Runners can register for the race online at http://KlondikeRoadRelay.com. Early registration rates are in effect until June 15, when they will increase. Running and walking speed races are also available.

Categories include 10 Person Running, 8 Person Running, Youth 8 Person Running, Solo, 8 Person Walking and Four Person Walking.

The half-distance race is an option – 10 legs from Carcross to Whitehorse.

Sport Yukon said there are already 80-85 teams registered as of today.

That means they are just under half of their total maximum capacity in about a week.

For more info, visit http://KlondikeRoadRelay.com