With no Raven to be accounted for, Scarecrow is hoping to once again top the field in this year’s Klondike Road Relay.

The 176.5-kilometre Klondike Trail of ’98 International Road Relay sees teams of 10 runners race overnight from Skagway to Whitehorse.

The festivities begin tonight in the Alaskan coast town at 7 p.m. PST.

The 2015 event will feature 177 teams, including 1,638 participants in 11 different categories.

Broken into 10 legs that vary in distance from nine to 25.8 km, the race begins at sea level and climbs more than 1,000 metres in the first two legs.

Highlighting the list of teams is Scarecrow – four-time champions until last year’s slim loss to Anchorage’s Skinny Raven: Take No Prisoners.

Sport Yukon’s race co-ordinator told the Star that Skinny Raven will not return to defend its title this year.

Scarecrow captain Simon Lapointe said his team roster is made up of cross-country skiers this year.

Current Team Scarecrow members – in order according to the race’s 10 legs – are Simon Cash, Stephen Wattereus, Michael Kischuk, Dave Brook, Colin Abbott, Lapointe, Brent Langbakk, David Greer, Caelan McLean and Ray Sabo.

The roster’s new look comes after some of the team’s top runners defected to form an all-star mixed team for 2015, dubbed Eikelboom Physiotherapy.

All five male members on that team are Scarecrow alumni: Logan Roots, David Eikelboom, Luke Carlos, Rodney Hulstein and Shane Carlos.

“I think it’s great,” Lapointe said of his former teammates tackling a new division. “I think they’ll do really well and I think we’ll do pretty well too.”

The 39-year-old said he hopes Scarecrow serves as inspiration for younger runners.

“I’m really, really happy we were able to (pull a team together), if only to keep the team alive and keep it going for the next generation,” he said.

“Last year was an amazing race,” Lapointe said this week. “We almost won. It was very exciting, and we’ve been wanting that and waiting for that for a long time.

“I think winning is a bit of a bonus because you never know who is going to show up.”

Alongside the open and mixed categories, a women’s title is also up for grabs, as are three masters titles and a corporate category.

Race walkers and youth runners will also compete for victories in shorter versions of the race.

And for the second straight year, Juneau Empire sports editor Klas Stolpe will tackle the entire route in the Trail of ’98 Ultra division.

Last year, Stolpe and fellow Juneau runner Houston Laws completed the challenging route in just less than 24 hours.

Stolpe ran in honour of the late Glenn Frick, a legend in Alaskan running circles.

Following the conclusion of the relay tomorrow, an awards ceremony will be held, then a dance at the High Country Inn Convention Centre.

Local band Leg Up Hands Down will perform.