Ragnar Relay is the nation's top provider of overnight relay races, which is currently one of the fastest growing running categories. The company not only hosts the most races across the country, but also produced the largest overnight relay in 2010 with a tremendous turn-out at Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back.
In 2010, more than 43,000 audacious runners experienced Ragnar Relays in Florida, Arizona, Southern California, New York, New England, Utah, Washington, Minnesota, DC, Nevada and Tennessee. With the announcement of races in Napa, Chicago, Florida Keys and Pennsylvania, Ragnar Relay Series is expected to continue its exponential growth. The series has projected more than 70,000 runners will participate in a Ragnar Relay race in 2011.
"We had a great year in 2010 and are thrilled to have added four more races to the Ragnar Relay family," said Dan Hill, Co-Founder of the Ragnar Relay Series. "The exciting 'team' concept is contagious and runners of all abilities are jumping at the chance to challenge themselves in a new and fun way."
Ragnar Relay Florida Keys kicks off January 7-8, 2011, providing a tropical running excursion beginning in Miami. The course takes runners south towards the Keys, hopping from Key to Key while taking in the ocean breeze, and passing through popular destinations such as Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon Key and finishing at the southernmost point in Key West.
Ragnar Relay Chicago, formerly the Madison-Chicago 200 (MC200) race, starts in Madison, Wisconsin, and takes runners through the cities of Waukesha and Milwaukee, finishing in Chicago the weekend of June 10-11, 2011.
Ragnar Relay Napa Valley begins in San Francisco on September 16 and will finish in Calistoga on September 17. Runners will take in the views of San Francisco Bay while crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and race inland to experience the rolling hills and country roads to Napa, where runners will be surrounded by endless vineyards on the way to the finish line in Calistoga.
Ragnar Relay Pennsylvania, the 15th race in the national series, will kick off in Lancaster on October 7 and finish at the Pocono Mountain resort area on October 8, 2011. Along the course runners will pass through Pennsylvania Dutch country and farm communities while experiencing the beautiful fall colors of Eastern Pennsylvania.
Runners who compete in Ragnar events are drawn to the sense of "team" experience which is typically missing from traditional marathon and other race formats. Each relay challenges teams of up to 12 runners on courses between 180 and 200 miles across some of the country's most breathtaking and scenic terrain. Runners conquer the miles in their costumes, decorated vans, and stamina with teammates, while turning heads and sparking curiosity across the country.
The Ragnar Relay Series was founded by childhood friends Hill and Tanner Bell. Hill and Bell together launched the first Ragnar Relay in Utah called the "Wasatch Back," a wild 188-mile relay race from Logan to Park City, in 2004. Today, with more than 13,000 runners, Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back has grown to be the largest running event in the state of Utah and the largest overnight running relay in the world.
"Tanner and I are thrilled every year as more and more people participate in Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back," said Hill. "This race is what started the desire for us to bring this running experience to more people across the country. As we see the level of excitement around Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back, we are anxious and excited to see more people participating in the other Ragnar Relay races across the country."
Each leg of a Ragnar race varies in difficulty so elite and novice runners can run together in teams. Each team is responsible for providing two support vehicles, with six runners in each vehicle. The first vehicle drops off the first runner and drives ahead to the first exchange point. Teams repeat this pattern for six legs until they hand off to their second vehicle. This leapfrogging pattern continues day and night all the way to the much anticipated finish line.
"We want every person who runs a Ragnar Relay to push themselves, have a blast, make memories and most importantly, bring out the Norse King in all of them," said Bell. "Accomplishing a trek of nearly 200 miles is an exhilarating feeling, and it is even more memorable when friends, families, co-workers or groups with a common cause accomplish it together."
The Ragnar Relay Series takes its name from a marauding 9th century Norse King who fearlessly explored and conquered new lands. Runners competing in Ragnar events share the same free-spirited sense of adventure.
Each Ragnar Relay donates a portion of the proceeds to a local charity. Those interested in participating can register at: www.ragnarrelay.com.
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