To celebrate five years in the community, a local business owner is putting on a race.

The Yukon Haven Suites 12/24 Relay will be a new addition to the Yukon summer race calendar and will start its tenure on June 2.

Chris Ross, an operator of the Yukon Have Suites guest house, said they’ve been planning the race for more than a year.

“We just wanted to give back,” he said.

Open to youth and adults, the race is a relay and will challenge teams to run as many loops of the 12-kilometre course as they can between 4 p.m. June 2 and 4 p.m. June 3.

Teams must have at least two runners, up to a maximum of 12 and there are two divisions – one for youth and one for adults. Youth will not run between midnight and 8 a.m.

The route is well-known to those in the running community and features legs one and four of the Yukon River Trail Marathon.

It will start and finish at the Robert Service Campground, which will also serve as the race’s basecamp for the 24 hours.

The loop goes along the Miles Canyon Road, then ducks into the forest across from the MV Schwatka. From there, it darts back out of the woods and runners cross the Miles Canyon suspension bridge. Once on the east side of Schwatka Lake, racers will follow the shore along the lakeside trail, climb Pee Wee Hill and check in to the campground after crossing the Rotary Centennial Bridge.

“We call it bridge to bridge,” said Ross, who regularly runs the loop with his wife.

There will be at least a $500 cash prize for the first-place adult team and the pot will grow as more people register.

It’s $55 for adults and $45 for youth to enter.

In a competitive twist, the registration will be open until two hours after the start of the race on Friday, allowing teams to size each other up and call in ringers if they want to beef up their team.

“It’s meant to be social,” said Ross.

He’s hopeful there will be entertainment on hand during the race and plans to have a band for the after party.

While the race has rented the public area at Robert Service Campground, teams are responsible for booking their own sites if they want to have a place to pitch a tent during the race.

There will be at least one aid station on the course with the possibility of more, said Ross.

He would love to see the race grow and sees it as an early season local option for runners.

“I’d love to build it into an international event,” he said.

Registration is online at zone4.ca or in-person on race day.