Tagish will be the starting point of the seventh annual Southern Lakes Bike Loppet this Saturday.

The 173-kilometre race is the second longest bike relay in the territory, after the more famous Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay (KCIBR).

While the Southern Lakes race doesn’t attract the same volume of riders as the KCIBR, numbers have been steady in past years.

Last year, 29 teams featuring cyclists from age 10 to 70 took part.

Stephen Ball and Ian Parker teamed up to set a new course record, winning the 2013 event with a time of four hours, 42 minutes.

Teams complete the loppet in a variety of fashions, including solo, two-person, or three-to-five person teams sharing the five legs.

The race caters to both professional and recreational cyclists.

“We have riders as young as eight years old and riders in their 70s participating,” said organizer Simi Morrison. “We like to accommodate everyone and it is for sure fun each year.”

In 2007, John Streicker and Peter Heebink of Marsh Lake had the idea of starting a bike relay around the beautiful Southern Lakes, connecting the communities of Marsh Lake, Tagish, Carcross, Mt. Lorne, and Golden Horn.

Each community supports the race by volunteering to host a checkpoint, where water and snacks are provided.

The start and finish line is rotated between communities, which sees the race start in a different community along the course each year, causing changes to race strategy.

Hosting the start and finish – which includes food and a beer garden – turns into a fund-raising opportunity for each community with plenty of exposure. Some riders may have never been to some of the communities.

“It is up to the hosting community to show what they are all about and I have seen a lot of effort put into it when it comes to decoration, the menu and a welcoming atmosphere,” said Morrison.

Awards like the Golden Helmet for the overall winner and the Crooked Wheel for the last team crossing the finish line keep the loppet fun, she said.

Bib pickup will be held from 8:15 to 9 a.m. Saturday in Tagish, with a pre-race meeting scheduled at 9, followed by a mass start at 10.

Motorists and cyclists are reminded to use caution and share the road.

Cyclists still looking to register can email chocosimi@ekit.com.