Photo by Olivia Wilson

The 2011 Klondike Road Relay commenced on the evening of September 9 in Skagway, Alaska. Runners followed the trail of the Gold Rush Stampeders over the famous White Pass, through British Columbia and finished on Saturday, September 10 in Whitehorse along the banks of the Yukon River.

Photo by Jennifer Wilson

The relay had 8 official categories; OPEN, MIXED, WOMEN, JUNIOR, MASTERS OPEN, MASTERS MIXED, MASTERS WOMEN and CORPORATE. There were also 3 special categories; WALKING, ULTRA and YOUTH, which only involved legs 7 – 10. Jennifer and Olivia Wilson are twin sisters who ran legs 9 and 10. The relay takes place on paved highway  and challenging terrain. The scenery is breathtaking. The weather often varies from beautiful starlit nights with displays of northern lights, to cloudy, foggy, rainy, and sometimes snowy conditions. The 176.5 km relay is broken into 10 legs varying in distance from 9.0 to 25.6 km. It starts at sea level, climbs to an elevation of 1004 meters in the first 2 legs and descends to approximately 610 meters towards the finish line. Teams of 6 to 10 participants run in various categories with each team permitted to have one support vehicle.

This event has attracted a large number of participants each year with a record number of 161 teams involved in 1998, the centennial year of the Klondike Gold Rush. Both competitive and recreational teams participate.

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