Our Time Has Come!

Over the past several years, the RMEC has talked about putting together some relay teams for various races. Each time we have always fallen short on getting enough interest. I think this is the year to pull it off.

DATE: The 2010 Blue Ridge Relay has been pushed back on week (September 17 & 18). This is great news for the RMEC, because now it does not overlap with the Golf Club at Rocky Mount 5k & 10k. This is the only year they will move it, so it is our best chance to put together some teams.

DISTANCE: The total relay distance is 208 miles. This distance is broken down into 36 segments that range in distance from 2-10 miles. You must stay in order, but take turns running and leg.

TEAMS: Teams must have 4-12 runners. If you have six or fewer runners, you are considered an Ultra team.

FEES: The entry fee is $900 per team, or $450 per Ultra Team. Assuming a full team, it is $75 per person. This is about the price of a marathon entry fee.

REGISTRATION: The deadline for registration is August 17, but with a 120 team limit, it will likely sell out early. Team Captains can register online. Once they receive the check you will get access to the database where you can update your team and runner information. In other words, you don't need to have your team finalized right now. You can make changes for free up until August 17.

VOLUNTEERS: Relay Officials are required at 37 exchange sites. In order to maximize the safety and efficiency of the Relay every team is responsible for providing two volunteers, or paying a $20.00/runner Volunteer Fee.

DIFFICULTY: This is hard. You will be running challenging hills through the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is all on roads, but the hills will be tough. It is a full weekend traveling in a van with less than perfect sleep. This does NOT mean you must be fast or an experienced Ultra runner to be on a team. You just need to be willing to do your part, and to have fun. Remember, you will never run more than 10 miles at a time. In fact the average leg is under six miles.

I have already started to assemble an Ultra team for the race. With 60+ RMEC members we easily have enough runners to build multiple teams. Everyone who has ever completed a relay talk about it as one of the best experiences of their running lives. I 100% guarantee I will be there on race day. I would love to see another RMEC team at the finish line!

Please post comments if you even have just a tiny bit of interest. If everyone waits to see who comments, this blog post might die a quick death. So post a comment and lets get the ball moving!