Registration for the 17th annual Kluane Chilkat Bike Relay closed on Monday.

While the overall number is down, a record setting 49 riders are going to try the full 245 kilometer route solo.

KCIBR vice president Judy Ewald has supervised the on-line registration and reports that there were a total of 234 teams registered by the midnight deadline.

"Any changes to the registration must now be done by e-mail or in person at the registration night which is Friday, June 19 from 6p.m. to 9p.m. at the Convention Centre in Haines Junction," she said in a press release.

The KCIBR website provides details on making changes. There is a $10 fee for each change made.

A new rule has been approved for this year's race to improve rider safety.

The hundreds of riders and support vehicles are tightly packed during the first part of the race and there have been concerns for safety in the last few years, especially around Checkpoint One at the Kathleen Lake viewpoint.

This year there will be a designated bike lane and vehicle lane within one-kilometre north and south of the checkpoint.

The right lane and shoulder of the highway will be for cyclists and pedestrians only. The left lane and shoulder of the highway will be for vehicles only.

Vehicles will only be allowed to travel southbound. This rule will apply from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. while the Haines Highway is closed.

All users of the Haines Highway are reminded that the road is closed to all vehicles except officials and support vehicles between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

Northbound traffic will be stopped at the Kathleen River at 8 a.m. and southbound traffic will be stopped in Haines Junction at 8 a.m.

The highway will re-open for southbound traffic at 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. for the northbound traffic.

Race coordinators and the RCMP will also enforce the rule that disallows parking in the first 3.8 kilometers of the course and the rule that allows only Leg One support vehicles to leave the pullout at km 3.8.

Vehicles that do not have support vehicle accreditation will not be allowed to leave the pullout until the highway opens at 10 a.m.

The bike relay is an international event that supports several non-profit groups in Whitehorse and Haines.

All except two checkpoints are run by non-profit groups in exchange for a $1,500 honorarium. The money for checkpoint honorariums is raised through entry fees and sponsorships.

Checkpoints this year are being run by Lyrical Hounds, Swim Yukon, Yukon Amateur Hockey, Suzuki Strings and Haines Hospice.

The finish line is being run by the Haines Venture Scouts.

Other not-for-profits who help organize the event are Haines Junction Minor Hockey for checkpoint setup, the Yukon Amateur Radio Operators Association (YARA) for communications and St. John Ambulance for first aid.

St. John Ambulance offered first aid services this year, giving the Yukon Ski Patrol a break after nearly 20 years of volunteering for the bike relay.

YARA are a very important link for communications during the event. They ensure that any problems can be communicated quickly to the EMS in Haines or Haines Junction.

The relay depends on these volunteers and the organizers are pleased to be able to support the groups who make it possible to run the event.

Volunteers who do not belong to one of these groups, receive t-shirts and tickets for the post-supper plus the satisfaction of helping out with a great event.

Yukon Electrical Company Ltd. sponsors the volunteer t-shirts and many local businesses provide draw prizes for volunteer training and registration night.

A total of 200 volunteers are required to ensure that the event runs smoothly.

Another last minute addition to the relay is a challenge from the KCIBR board to make the event a little 'greener' by encouraging teams and riders to reduce their carbon footprint.

A $50 prize will be offered to the team that makes the biggest effort to reduce fuel consumption through carpooling or some other imaginative way to save gas.

As well as the challenge, board members are asking participants and volunteers to send in suggestions for making next year's event more carbon neutral.

Organizers are looking for ideas to reduce fuel consumption through bussing, carpooling or other, more innovative ways.

Major sponsors for the annual relay are Lotteries Yukon, Northwestel, Norcan, and the Yukon Electrical Company.

The relay also relies on support from the Department of Highways, RCMP, Alaska State Troopers, and Emergency Medical Services.

More information can be found at www.kcibr.org or by emailing kcibr.org@gmail.com.

Press release provided by Mike Gladish.