Passing the baton
by Ali Noller
Los Angeles Sports & Fitness Magazine
April, 2006
It reached 115 degrees during
the Wild Miles Adventure Relay last May. Through the
desert, up a mountain, off the beaten path.
In a race
defined by extremes, this is it: 24 hours of competition,
zero sleep, scorching temperatures and ferocious climbs.
It is supposed to be an adventure, after
all.
Wild Miles is one of a growing number of
team relays, races that span 150-200 miles and involve
4-12 team members, with each team member running several
legs of the race.
The Wild Miles race started last year,
and race officials expect up to 80 teams of runners in
this year’s race from Pine Valley to Borrego Springs.
In an effort to beat the desert heat, the race has been
bumped up a month to April 29-30.
“This is a race
that requires training, or you’re really going
to feel it afterwards,” Wild Miles race director
Christine Adams said.
Running is a Team Sport
For Megan Norris,
who has been a competitive athlete all her life, the
adrenaline rush of turning an individual sport into a
team competition was so exhilarating that long-distance
relays are now her favorite extreme sport.
“It’s
unlike anything you can train for — you’re
body’s
not used to it,” Norris said. “But you’re training to have
fun, and it’s a blast.”
Wild Miles started as an event for the
extreme-sport enthusiast, and the race succeeds, with
intense climbs and one leg dubbed the Grapevine 1/2 Marathon
that stretches through the mountains and is impassable
by cars.
It’s not the only recent addition
to the relay landscape: the Reno Tahoe Odyssey Relay
Run Adventure is also in its second year.
Eric Lerude,
the founder of the race, is a longtime marathoner and
relay participant who wanted a relay closer to home.
With plenty of planning, the Reno Tahoe
Odyssey kicked off in 2005 with 36 teams. There are already
41 teams registered for this year’s race, and Lerude
expects that number to grown before the June registration
deadline.
While the Wild Miles relay emphasizes the
appeal of an extreme off-road adventure, the Reno Tahoe
race is unique in its course: it starts and stops along
the Truckee River in Reno, which means competitors race
in one big loop, finishing a few miles from where they
start.
It’s more convenient for transportation
this way, Lerude said, and it also allows participants
to see plenty of scenic vistas, including the mountain
peaks of the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe.
The 24-hour
race that covers 178 miles helps establish bonds between
teammates and the competition.
Building Camaraderie
“The
concept of camaraderie, and being part of a team, goes
a long way in this race. You’re pulling for each
other. The sleep deprivation leads to a great feeling
of achievement,” Lerude said. “I know that
I like the logistical challenges of the event, leapfrogging
along the course, making sure you get to the exchange
points in time to meet your runner, making sure you get
to the van exchange points in time to connect with the
other vehicle carrying the other half of your team, staying
on course and not taking too many wrong turns … And
last but not least, the party at the end.”
The fun
factor draws plenty of runners to the relay. Lerude guesses
that 80% of participants are running for the recreational,
team bonding experience, while 20% are serious athletes
gunning for a top finish.
While they are growing in popularity,
the idea of a long distance relay race isn’t new.
The Granddaddy of Relays
The
Hood to Coast Relay started 25 years ago, and is now
the largest relay race in America with 12,000 runners.
The granddaddy of all relay races stretches from the
top of Oregon’s Mt. Hood down to the Pacific Ocean
and covers 197 miles.
Hood to Coast has grown so much
from its eight-team beginning 25 years ago that it is
now limited to 1,000 12-member teams. Registration for
this year’s
race, to be held August 25-26, is already full.
Hood to
Coast marketing director Holly Hixon said a passion for
running is where the idea for the Hood to Coast was born,
and race organizers are excited to see new relays spring
up across the country.
“We want to
see the industry grow,” Hixon said.
And growing
it is. Races span the country, as both extreme and recreational
athletes seek competition in a team environment.
For Michelle
Martinez, competing with her daughter in Reno on an all-women’s
team was as much of a bonding experience as it was a
competitive event.
“Every team was there for you,
and there was very much a sense of team camaraderie and
friendship building during the race.”
Martinez and
her teammates are all avid runners, but training for
a relay is as varied as the course.
For the Reno race,
each runner completes three five-mile legs, in staggered
intervals over a 24-hour period. Twice-a-day workouts
are the best preparation, Reno race director and relay
veteran Lerude said.
For Wild Miles runners, the 7-13
mile legs are split between five runners – which
means less recovery time.
Dexter Emoto was on the third-place
team in the inaugural Wild Miles race, and said his teammates
turned off the AC in the relay van to prevent shocking
their bodies when jumping in and out of the 100-plus
degree heat.
Fine Tuning
“Your body has to
be fine-tuned and in excellent condition to adjust to
the hot temperatures and dry conditions that the environment
offers. Drinking lots of fluids during the hottest part
of the day is very important.”
Megan Norris said
the group dynamic of training helped her team — appropriately
titled the National Association of Competitive Lunatics — to
a first place finish at Wild Miles last year. They followed
it up with a top finish in Reno.
“We train together,
we hang out together,” she said. “When
we race, we have a blast. It’s a little more intense.
We all push it a little harder.
It’s just the adventure
of it all.”
Not just for runners
With the explosion in popularity of long-distance running
relays, walking and biking relays are also gaining
popularity. Hood to Coast also features a walking relay,
which is still accepting entries. (Registration for
the Hood to Coast running relay is closed.)
A different
twist on the extreme relay is the Mountain to Sound
Relay in Seattle, which features a 22-mile mountain
bike ride, 50-mile road bike ride, 12-mile paddle, 13.5-mile
half marathon and a 6-mile run. Teams can be made up
of 2 or five members, or for the extreme athlete, the
race can be completed individually.
Local Relay Races
- Providian Relay
Where: Calistoga to Santa Cruz, California
Date: April 8-9
Registration: Closed for 2006
Information: www.therelay.com
- Wild Miles Adventure Relay
Where: Borrego Springs to Pine Valley, California
Date: April 29-30
Registration: Open until 150 teams have registered
Information: www.wildmiles.com
- Reno Tahoe Odyssey Relay Run Adventure
Where: Reno, Nevada; to Lake Tahoe, California; back
to Reno
Date: July 7-8
Registration: Open until June 1
Information: www.renotahoeodyssey.com
- Hood to Coast Relay
Where: Mt. Hood to the Pacific Ocean in Seaside, Oregon
Date: August 25-26
Registration: Closed for 2006
Information: www.hoodtocoast.com
