Teams race to find alternative resources after LeConte's service is cancelled
- Jasz Garrett
- Sep 5
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 6
After state ferry LeConte breaks down, Klondike Road Relay participants hop onto the Hubbard, catamarans instead
By Jasz Garrett
Juneau Independent
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Facilities was optimistic the MV LeConte would be repaired by Friday morning, allowing participants in the Klondike Road Relay to make their way to Skagway. However, other routes were needed to get them there.
The LeConte experienced an engine malfunction between Kake and Angoon over the weekend. The ship was scheduled to depart from Juneau at 8 a.m. Friday and arrive in Skagway at 1 p.m. A notice on Thursday alerted passengers that the LeConte's service was cancelled due to ongoing mechanical issues. Alaska Marine Highway System staff assisted passengers in making alternative bookings.
"We hardly had any cancellations," said Shannon McCarthy, a spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. "We fit most people onto the Hubbard. We got some extra vehicles on the Hubbard, and then we were able to get catamarans filled, and people got to the race. So we were pretty darn excited about that."
She said other good news was the U.S. Coast Guard was on the LeConte Friday morning for sea trials to ensure everything was working well. At about 1:30 p.m., McCarthy confirmed the LeConte was back in service and would set sail again on Saturday.
But hours before the 42nd annual Klondike Road Relay begins, some racers without their cars are scrambling to reach the starting line, according to the Skagway Visitor Department.
"We understand that the cancellation of Alaska Marine Highway's MV LeConte from Juneau to Skagway has caused disruptions for some teams participating in the Klondike Road Relay, especially as it relates to transportation along the Klondike Highway once they arrive in Skagway," the Skagway Visitor Department posted on social media.
City and Borough of Skagway Tourism Director Jaime Bricker said teams can research rental cars and tour companies that may consider chartering buses with drivers.
She was also preparing for the start of the race in Skagway, which is still scheduled for 8 p.m. She said while her team is good to go, others are a developing situation.
"It hasn't affected us, fortunately, but my heart goes out to everybody who was planning on being here with their vehicle from the LeConte," Bricker said. "I know personally how much time and money goes into sponsoring a team, and then the preparation that each racer does to prepare for their leg of the race. My heart just breaks for anybody who's not able to make this work."
Bricker said she hasn't heard yet from individual teams what their solution is or how many are without their vehicles. Sport Yukon had received one team cancellation as of Friday. As of Friday evening, McCarthy confirmed with the AMHS crew that other teams either rented cars in Skagway or put their vehicles on the Hubbard.
The finish line for the relay teams is in Whitehorse, Yukon. There are a total of 2,000 racers Sport Yukon plans for each year.
Reid Vanier, organizational development manager for Sport Yukon, said they are not able to offer refunds or deferrals. He said the same was true for last year when a bus collision on the highway caused them to cancel the first three legs of the race. That incident was the first time in the history of the race that they had to modify due to transportation issues.
"We made alternate arrangements," Vanier said. "We started the race on this side of the Canadian border. We did allow some teams to run alongside, so we could still get some running in, but we had to cancel those three legs. Unfortunately, when it's beyond our control like that, we're not able to provide refunds."
Vanier said racers come from 26 states and several Canadian provinces, as far away as Nova Scotia, for the Klondike Road Relay. He added that this year, there are runners from even further away, such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong.
"We're still really excited to get this race going and we know that there are lots of people that are figuring out some alternates," Vanier said. "Just a big thank you to the people on the Skagway side because they've done a lot of work to help out and connect people with those resources as they're making their way from Juneau to Skagway."
Vanier and Bricker advised checking Sport Yukon and the Skagway Visitor Department's social media and website for additional announcements about the race.
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.
