麻豆社区

Registration for this year鈥檚 Klondike Road Relay opened at 8 a.m. this morning.

The big news this year is that the race will start in Skagway again after a two year break. The start date for the race is Sept. 9. Organizers are calling this the 39.5-year anniversary, and are planning on celebrating the 40th anniversary in 2023.

John Tonin, communications, marketing and web design coordinator for Sport Yukon, said there are other changes this year as well.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just for the past two years, because of COVID, that the Klondike Relay has not been able to start in Skagway. But to other notable changes 鈥� one of the big and exciting ones that we are able to pilot is called Half-Legs. Before, adults never had the option to just start in Carcross and do legs six through 10 into Whitehorse Rotary Park, so we鈥檙e trying Half-Legs, and it鈥檚 hopefully to give adult runners the confidence to eventually do the full leg and so this is just going to follow the same route as the youth and the walkers. That鈥檚 a big one.

鈥淭here鈥檚 not going to be a banquet this year, or an after-race dance, which a lot of people like but we鈥檝e got something fun planned. It鈥檚 called the Party in the Park and ... we鈥檙e hoping for a beer garden. There鈥檒l be food and music and (a) wellness centre, so it鈥檒l be a good time. It will keep everything contained at Rotary Peace Park and that鈥檚 also where awards will be given out.鈥�

The Party in the Park is scheduled for Sept. 10 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

鈥淭he other big change is money that鈥檚 extra after race expenses is gonna be donated to the Kids Recreation Fund, which is another Sport Yukon initiative,鈥� Tonin added.

鈥淭hose are the big, exciting ones. There鈥檚 a few smaller ones, like Checkpoint 3 is going to be moved up the road a little more for safety reasons and that鈥檒l keep runners on the same side of the road ... so this slight change will mean they don鈥檛 have to cross, making it a little bit safer.

鈥淭hose are the ones the runners will notice the most.鈥�

Tonin said Sport Yukon is expecting a good response to the return to the traditional race route.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had good feedback when we announced that the race would be going back to Skagway. There was a lot of excitement generated. So we鈥檙e confident that we鈥檙e gonna hit that 700 number which we need, which is kind of like our break-even point to run the race. The hope is 700 runners committed by June 5, and that means 鈥� it鈥檚 not like 700 registered and paid. We just need team captains to register the team, hold that spot, so it鈥檚 70 teams of 10, so we need that number but we鈥檙e very confident that we鈥檙e going to hit that point, because there鈥檚 been a lot of excitement around this.鈥�

When asked what happens if they don鈥檛 have 70 teams registered, Tonin replied 鈥渂y June 5? There鈥檚 no race in 2022.

鈥淲e need that commitment. After the two years 鈥� we did a virtual race and last year was the 鈥楰inda (Klondike), which began just after Carcross. We need to see that commitment from the running community to hold the race in 2022. If we don鈥檛 get that, we鈥檙e still gonna come back and hold the best race we can in 2023 and celebrate the 40th anniversary properly.鈥�

When asked what the general feeling at Sport Yukon is about the race going back to the regular format, Tonin responded, 鈥渉opefully, it鈥檚 definitely going back to the regular format! And we鈥檙e excited. We鈥檙e very excited that we鈥檙e taking a chance and trying to hold the race in its original form. It was something that was really important to Sport Yukon.

鈥淲ith that said, if the COVID situation changes, like, we are going to be flexible and we are still gonna do this as safely as we can, so if the COVID situation changes, we will have to move it back to the Canadian side, potentially but we鈥檙e planning for the best and we鈥檙e very excited to be back in Skagway to see our American friends. Skagway鈥檚 a huge part of this race. Alaska鈥檚 a huge part of this race, because it really brings Alaska and the Yukon together, so we鈥檙e excited to be able to deliver that again.鈥�

As for how Alaskans are feeling about it, 鈥淚 think they鈥檙e excited as well,鈥� said Tonin.

鈥淚 think any feedback on our social media platforms from Yukoners and Alaskans 鈥� both (are) excited to do the race, so we hope we get a good turnout of Alaskans as well.鈥�

The usual COVID-19 precautions will be in place for the race.

鈥淲e are going to follow the guidelines that are there, so it鈥檚 going to be the runners鈥� responsibility to get across the border safely. There鈥檚 no vaccination rules anymore but if you鈥檙e going to be running on the American side of the border, you have to make sure that 鈥� it鈥檚 your responsibility that you can get across and back in. Other than that, it鈥檚 the guidelines of the day,鈥� related Tonin.

Of course, racers crossing the border will have to have their ArriveCan sorted out.

鈥淭he runners that will be crossing the border and their support vehicles will have to have their ArriveCan and any possible documentation that goes with that, like their proof of vaccination.

鈥淐loser to race time, we鈥檒l be sharing the latest news on what are the requirements to get across the border and then it鈥檚 the runners鈥� responsibility to follow that and make sure they do get across,鈥� explained Tonin.

He added, 鈥渨e hope everybody comes out and registers. We鈥檙e really excited to be holding this race and I think there鈥檚 a lot of fun things to offer and we鈥檒l see you on the road.鈥�