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Revised - The Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay (KCIBR) is finally back after a four year hiatus.

It will start June 17 in Haines Junction and finish in Haines, Alaska.

The team registration, which includes two, four and eight person teams, is full but solo registration is still open to anyone who wants to join.

The Star spoke to the race coordinator, Mia Lee on Wednesday.

鈥淚t is still open to solo riders because that鈥檚 a really long distance and a lot of people aren鈥檛 sure whether they can do the distance, so they have until May the 12th to register.鈥�

Lee said there isn鈥檛 a maximum number of solo riders.

鈥淚t really depends on our numbers. Our cap is 1200 riders. And that will fluctuate a little bit with the solo riders, but it kind of all balances out in the wash in the end.鈥�

However, according to a KCIBR press release, any interested teams are encouraged to check the KCIBR Facebook page for updates towards the end of May and early June, as some registered teams may choose to sell their spot.

When asked about the fees to get in this race, Lee said, 鈥淭he early bird registration fee was at $85 per rider. And whether you had five people on your eight person team it doesn鈥檛 matter. You still had to pay for eight spots.鈥�

The regular fee, $95 per rider, kicked in March 22.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 included is also an amazing barbecue salmon dinner in Haines Alaska, at the Alaska State Fairgrounds. It鈥檚 a fantastic dinner, and it鈥檚 definitely worth going to.鈥�

People can also purchase a race T-shirt for $25.

Registration filled up quickly.

鈥淪o just to give you an idea, in the first four hours of registration being open, we were half full. And in two days, we were three quarters full. And then it tapered off. And then slowly but surely, people were starting to add teams. And then when people realized, 鈥榦h, there鈥檚 only 12 spots left鈥�, it was sold out. And that was last Wednesday.鈥�

When asked about the four year race absence, Lee said, 鈥淲e鈥檝e been cancelled for three years because of COVID. But we also had the extra added challenge of being a cross border event. So we hummed and hawed last year as to whether we could put the race on and there was just too much uncertainty with the border. We just decided 鈥榥ope, we鈥檙e gonna come back full on when COVID is over and done with鈥�, and now all the restrictions are lifted, and it鈥檚 just regular border crossing.鈥�

The race ended up being cancelled in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

鈥淭he race, in its history, since starting in 1993, has run every year except 2017. Everybody knows that year; that was the snow year. And so the race was cancelled the day COVID hit in 2020, and it was too complicated to run it in 2021 and 2022.鈥�

Regarding the snowfall, Lee said, 鈥淚t was quite surprising. I was a race official. Mike Kramer was the race coordinator and I remember five o鈥檆lock in the morning poking my head out the door and looking down the way and Mike poking his head out the door and it was a bit of a surprise.鈥�

There are no qualifications required for this race but you are expected to be fit enough to get to the finish line. Having said that, for the first time, e-bikes are allowed but placings with e-bikes won鈥檛 count. Lee described the race route.

鈥淲ell it is about 240 km long. And there鈥檚 a variety of terrain for sure. Leg three has a nice steep uphill so that鈥檚 the grunt. So broken down, there are eight legs. Leg one is 19 km. It鈥檚 the shortest one and it goes from Haines Junction to the Kathleen Lake pullout and it鈥檚 pretty gradual, like a gentle uphill. It鈥檚 not too difficult. So for anyone who鈥檚 new to this, that would be a good ride for them to try. 鈥淟eg two is the longest leg and that takes you into the headwinds of Dezadeash Lake, in most cases. It鈥檚 commonly a headwind because we鈥檙e heading southbound.

鈥淟eg three, as I said, is the grunt. It鈥檚 almost 25 km long and that takes you up around Million Dollar Falls. Leg three is a climb and leg four is the climb. They鈥檙e both up. And then leg five would be my favourite because it鈥檚 on the plateau. So it鈥檚 just like stunning scenery. That鈥檚 another long one. It鈥檚 about 31 and a half km. So up and down, up and down, but like nothing too serious.

鈥淎nd leg six is the downhill coming down the other side. So people go screaming down. Leg seven is the flats because once you come down the hill, you don鈥檛 have a lot of hills. But you get the afternoon headwind. That one is 37, almost 38 km long. So it鈥檚 almost as long as leg two. Leg six takes you to checkpoint six. And then right after that you鈥檙e crossing the border. So you鈥檙e going through U.S. Customs. They all have to stop. And once you get to checkpoint seven, then you鈥檙e riding leg eight into Haines where the finish line is.鈥�

Lee was asked how it felt to finally hold the race after a four-year hiatus. 鈥淥h my God. I don鈥檛 know how to describe it. I mean, I鈥檓 overwhelmed. There was a lot of planning to do and there have been challenges. But you know, securing the highway permits and all that kind of stuff, I mean, now it鈥檚 a reality. It鈥檚 like 鈥榶eah, it鈥檚 definitely happening, the race is full.鈥� That was very exciting. That part was really great for all of us, but myself and all the board members are just really relieved and very, very happy that this event is back on track.鈥�