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Ragnar Relay Series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The first Ragnar Relay, the Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back was organized by two college students, Dan Hill and Tanner Bell along with Dan's father, Steve Hill in June, 2004. The Wasatch Back traditionally takes place on the weekend of the summer solstice and has grown from 22 teams in 2004 to 580 teams in 2008. The original single race has subsequently grown into a series of races with 7 races and approximately 15,000 participants in 2008.

Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back

The Wasatch Back begins in Logan, Utah and runs 181 miles through the Wasatch Mountains to its conclusion in Park City, Utah. Along the way, the runners climb over 14,000 and descend over 12,000 feet over passes including Avon Pass and Guardsman Pass. Along the way, runners enjoy the warm hospitality of rural Utah. In 2009, the Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back will take place on June 19th and 20th and will be limited to 650 teams.

Ragnar Relay Great River

The Ragnar team launched their second relay, the Ragnar Relay Great River along the Mississippi River Valley along border of rural Wisconsin and Minnesota in 2006. The Great River relay is known for a crazy cast of supporting volunteers and the warmth and kindness of the people in the towns along the way. Starting in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the relay runs 205 miles before ending with a party at the finish line in Minneapolis.

With 10 relays planned for 2009, the Ragnar Relay has grown into the largest relay race series in the world. The schedule of relays for 2009 includes

•	Ragnar Relay Del Sol – Prescott to Mesa, Arizona - February 27 and 28

•	Ragnar Relay Los Angeles – Santa Barbara to Dana Point, California – April 23 and 24

•	Ragnar Relay New York – Woodstock to New York, New York – May 15 and 16

•	Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back – Logan to Park City, Utah – June 19 and 20

•	Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage – Blaine to Langley, Washington – July 24 and 25

•	Ragnar Relay Great River – La Crosse, WI to Minneapolis, MN – August 21 and 22

•	Ragnar Relay New England – New Haven, CT to Boston, MA – September 12 and 13

•	Ragnar Relay Washington – Cumberland, MD to Washington, DC – September 25 and 26

•	Ragnar Relay Las Vegas– Valley of Fire to Las Vegas, Nevada – October 9 and 10

•	Ragnar Relay Florida – Clearwater to Daytona Beach, Florida – November 20 and 21

All Ragnar Relays raise funds for Operation Kids, a charity Operation Kids dedicated to serving the needs of the Whole Child – their education, health, safety and well-being

Contents

1. History

2. Teams

3. Courses

4. Logistics and atmosphere

5. Similar Events

6. References

7. External links

History

The first Ragnar Relay was started two college students, Dan Hill and Tanner Bell and grew out of the inspiration of Dan’s dad, Steve Hill. Steve had been passionate about relays since running “the Grandaddy of all Relays,” the Hood to Coast Relay in the early 1980s. The first relay in 2004 drew 22 teams who ran from Logan through the Wasatch Mountains to Park City, Utah. The relay grew rapidly to nearly 600 teams in 2008. Runners are supported by an incredibly enthusiastic group of volunteers throughout the 181 mile race.

Teams

Most teams enter Ragnar Relays as a standard team of 12 runners, though many “ultra” teams of six runners also compete. In addition, multiple teams of four, and even single runners have completed Ragnar Relays. Prizes are awarded in a number of categories for the fastest teams, and for most spirited and decorated teams and volunteers.

Courses

Each course runs from between 180 and 205 miles and consists of 36 legs, of which each team member must run at least three in rotation. The legs vary in length from around 3 miles to over nine miles depending on the race. Generally, a runner will run between 12 and 20 miles, and many legs have significant elevation gains and descents (or both). Each team must complete the course within a 33 hour time limit (an average of 11 minutes a mile). Start times on Friday are staggered between 7 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. in waves of up to 20 teams. Teams are seeded by computer based on self-reported 10K times on each team member's entry form, in such a way that teams of different projected speeds are interspersed, that the flow of teams through the exchange points and finish line are even, and that all teams can finish the race by the closing time on Saturday.

Logistics and atmosphere

Each twelve-person team is allowed two vehicles no larger than a 15 passenger. While the vans generally follow the race course in support of their runners, certain narrower portions of the course require one van to make a detour to alleviate traffic congestion. Teams usually give themselves original names and decorate their vehicles according to a theme based on the name. The race organizers present awards for the best name and best van design, as voted on by the teams. Teams are expected to provide their own provisions, including food and water, and to ensure their own safety. There are aid stations at major exchanges, though traffic control is limited to certain section of the course. Local schools and churches and state parks are the site of most major exchanges along the routes. The teams compete in divisions based on gender makeup (men's, women's, and mixed) and age (based on the age of the youngest participant). All teams with local participants are required to provide three volunteers to ensure enough race officials and support staff.

Similar Events

Other similar events include the Hood to Coast in Oregon, The Relay from Calistoga to Santa Cruz in Northern California, the Reach the Beach Relay in New Hampshire, and the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Relay.

References

External links

ragnarrelay.com