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RELAY 101
WHAT IS A "LONG DISTANCE TEAM RELAY RACE?"
A relay road race is a team-oriented event. Each team consists of up to five runners who supply their own vehicle.
One thing to be very aware of is the course of long distance relays are NOT CLOSED. Runners run along shoulders of roads and both runners and their vans must follow traffic laws.
Teams are self-supporting. Each 5-person team is limited to one vehicle which carries their food, water, and equipment.
As a runner finishes their leg, they hand off the baton to the next runner at the Exchange Point. The active van then drives on to the next exchange to wait for the runner to arrive.
Teams need to stock their vans with water, food, sports drinks, and first aid kits. There are no aid stations at the exchanges.
Teams, depending on their pace, will be out on the course anywhere from 5 to 8.75 hours. Teams start in waves every half hour with the slower teams starting in the morning and the elite teams starting last in the late morning.
PUTTING TOGETHER A TEAM
Running a relay is a lot of fun. Most participants are hooked on the relay concept after their first one. Relays provide a wonderful bonding experience and unique camaraderie that isn't found in other events. Just read some of the feedback we've received from participants of our Wild West Relay event. You also have the chance to be silly by running in a costume or decorating your van. Then there is the finish, where it is a tradition for a team to cross the finish line together. But there are logistics to figure out so planning ahead will make it easier come race day.
The first thing you need to do is to put a team together. You can start by recruiting your running friends to join you. It's always best to get a commitment by collecting their share of the registration. If you don't have enough friends to put together a team, make some new running friends by checking out our Team Matching Message Board.
Next, if you don't have a vehicle, reserve a van or SUV from our partner, Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
RUNNER LINE-UP
To qualify as winners, teams must follow all Rules.
- Competitive teams must maintain the order of runners submitted on the Roster at the start. The 80-mile course is divided into 25 legs, and each team member runs five times.
- If a runner on a competitive team is injured, the next runner in rotation must substitute and others move up. See a further explanation on the Rules page.
- For noncompetitive Helter Skelter teams, a team can have their runners run in any order.
START TIMES
Teams starting times won't be announce until after registration closes. To get an idea of the time your team would start, calculate an average per mile pace of your team based on each member's 5k time and look at the following chart.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- Water, drinks, and food should be carried in the team vans, as there are no aid stations like you'll find in shorter, supported races.
- Gas, food stores, and restaurants are available at multiple stations in the larger towns:
Fort Collins
Red Feather Lakes
Woods Landing
Walden (limited options as teams are here after businesses have closed)
Steamboat Springs
Last updated 9/22/2009
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