The Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay opened for registration March 15 and is already nearly full.
Race organizers are breathing a sigh of relief as some worried the several year cancelations would impact interest.
“We are all so relieved that it’s going so well. We still had some expenses over those three years of cancelations, so the revenue will really help us to pay for everything. I just checked tonight and we are at 1010 participants,” said KCIRB race coordinator Mia Lee.
As of Sunday, March 19, 1,000 riders registered. Lee said after the initial surge, registrations are now slowly climbing.
“The limit is 1,200. This is one of the fastest registrations ever on record for the twenty-seven-year history of the relay, said KCIBR vice president Richard Clement.
Teams can enter in one of several categories. There are solo, two, four, and eight-person teams for men, women, and mixed categories. Solo rider registration closes May 12. To register or for more information on the bike relay, visit the website at http://www.kcibr.org.
The 2023 event marks the twenty-seventh year of the 149-mile race that starts in Haines Junction and ends in Haines. The relay race is divided into eight “legs.” Riders on leg 7, which includes a border crossing, must show a passport at U.S. Customs.
In other news, tickets for the Great Alaska Craft Beer & Home Brew Festival are also nearly sold out.
As of Wednesday, of the 1,300 tickets available for general admission, only 175 remained.
The Connoisseur Tasting, which offers early admission to Beerfest, is sold out and 54 tickets remain for the Brewer’s Dinner.