I recently participated in an overnight running relay by R@gnar. The event was designed to have teams of 12 or ultra teams of 6. I was recruited to the team by a friend from college to participate in a team of 12. We ended up having only a 10 person team so we all had to contribute a few extra miles to effort. Since I knew only my friend on the team I was not sure what to expect. After meeting a few of the team members in a training run I was at least a bit more comfortable with the folks I was about to spend 24 + hours in a van with little sleep, some running, and no shower.
The relay was one of the best experiences I have had while competing in a race. My team members were great and the race was great. We ran through day and night, sunshine, rain, sleet, and snow all in a little over 27 hours. The vans definitely did not smell very good after the race. I suggest renting two of the 15 passenger vans for the race. The vans give plenty of room to stretch out between legs and somewhere to sleep when you can. They were worth way more than the rental fee.
I would definitely recommend participating in at least one relay for the experience itself. My new friends and I are already looking for another race. The particular company who hosted the event offers a service on their website for teams looking for runners. So whether you have a team or want to join a team it is possible. Also, the legs of the event can be divided up in a manner so that more and less experienced runners can all participate. For example, the runner who ran the most on our team ran 23.8 miles and the person who ran the least ran about 14 miles. Those were not consecutive miles but total miles over 3 to 4 legs. Therefore the relay will be a fun time for all skill levels.
Have you participated in a running relay?
If so, what was your experience like?
If not, why not?
