SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Runners will once again run counter-clockwise around the lake this weekend for the 58th annual DeCelle Memorial Lake Tahoe Relay.

Considered to be the oldest relay race in the country, the Lake Tahoe Relay began as a New Year’s gag by a group of college runners in 1959, grew into a tribute to a beloved son, and has evolved over decades as a family’s labor of love.

With altitudes up to 6,500 feet on the 72-mile course around scenic Lake Tahoe, this race is as fun as it is challenging.

The Lake Tahoe Relay teams consist of seven people, each running approximately 8 to 12 miles. All runners will have the same team number pinned on the front of their shirts. The course closes at 8 p.m. and runners will be asked to leave the course after time expires for their own safety.

In addition to the team run, also being offered are:

(1) person 72-mile ultra-marathon circling Lake Tahoe. The event will start at 5 a.m. at the start-finish line of the Lake Tahoe Relay. Competitors will have 15 hours to complete the course.

(2) person 72-mile relay. Each member will run 36 miles alternating legs as needed based on team dynamics. The event will start at 5 a.m. and teams will have 15 hours to complete the race.

This nonprofit event is a labor of love and a memorial to Robert DeCelle Jr. and Sr. beloved father and brother. All proceeds have gone to high school and youth running programs within California and Nevada.

All of the timers, workers and the band are DeCelle family members or close friends.

The race is Saturday, June 11.

For more information, visit https://laketahoerelay.com or email runtahoe@outlook.com.