Relay Del Sol Race Report:
A Tale of Comraderie and Competition
Posted April 3rd, 2007 at 12:58 PM by Paul Petersen
Section: News & Results
Over the span of March 30-31, 74 teams and nearly 900 individuals gathered in central Arizona to run the inaugural Relay Del Sol, part of the Ragnar Relay series.
My team, MarathonGIS.com, was comprised of 12 men from various locations in Utah, Washington, and Michigan. Some of us were friends, some were strangers. Some of us were experienced relay runners, some were neophytes. Regardless of personal backgrounds, overnight adventure relays have a knack for bring people together, mostly due to close quarters! Every team that does a relay has their own stories, adventures, mishaps, and humorous quotes and inside jokes. The following is our story.
Relay Del Sol begins in Wickenburg, AZ, and traverses the desert to the north and east sides of the Phoenix metro area before finally winding its way to the finish in Scottsdale, AZ. The route travels through small towns such as Wickenburg, Carefree, Cave Creek, and Fountain Hills, but also features some true desert running where there is no one…and nothing…in proximity.
Our team started on Friday at 6PM with four other teams. With a 6:30/mile seed time, we were in the fastest “heat”, and all of the other teams had started earlier in the day. We would work over the next 19 hours to catch the field, and projected that we would finish sometime around 2PM on Saturday.
What would ensue during the race itself was 36 legs and 187 miles of continuous running! The main concept for this particular relay is each member of the 12-person team runs 3 legs each, and runners must remain in sequential order throughout the entire ordeal. For example, I was runner #5, so I ran Leg 5, Leg 17, and Leg 29. The general format of the race is: run, drive, rest, repeat. The “rest” part is optional, though, and tends not to occur often!
By the end of the 2nd leg, it was apparent that the race would be between ourselves and the Google corporate team. However, we had several variables going against us. Our rival was backed by a corporate giant. We were backed by the freelance cartography business run out of my home. Our rivals had very nice matching warmups and uniforms. We had a scruffy-looking bunch of people and a van without working doors. It had all the makings of a really bad sports movie. Because of that, I was pretty sure that we would win, despite the fact that Google was pulling away from us steadily on each leg. After all, the scruffy, less talented team always ends up winning in the movies, right?
Early on in the race, Google accumulated a 10-minute advantage on us. During the second half, though, our ragtag bunch showed a lot heart, and poured it on to slowly close the gap. By the start of Leg 26, 130 miles into the race, our team was a mere 12 seconds behind the Google team. Like the stereotypical Hollywood sports movie, it would all come down to the end.
But alas, life is not a movie; our guys had given it their all just to climb back into the race. We were gassed, and the Google team had the energy, leg power, and moxie to sprint away from us over the last 6 legs. Google finished in 18:59:39 (6:05/mile) and we finished 11 minutes back in 19:10:57 (6:08/mile).
Not only did the race not end like a Hollywood sports movie (we lost!), but Google did not turn out to be the stereotypical sports movie rival either, despite their nice uniforms and well-running vans. They did not cheat, try to sabotague us, or even wear evil mustaches. Rather, they were very nice people, great competitors, and gracious winners. We enjoyed talking to them throughout the race and afterwards at the finish line. Great job Google!
The competition was great fun, and sparring with another team over that kind of distance is a tremendous thrill. Relay Del Sol, like other relays I’ve participated in, brought out the best in people. It brought out the spirited competitors in us, as we ran hard with no other incentive than winning in itself. It also brought out the comraderie, as old friendships grew stronger, new friendships developed, new contacts made, and smiles exchanged between all competitors.
It is impossible to participate in a relay event without obtaining a strong bond with everyone else on the team. After all, we went through the same ordeals together, had the same adventures together, shared the same jokes, and strove together for a common purpose in accomplishing something as a team that would be impossible as an individual. For those reasons alone, I strongly advocate that everyone try running an overnight relay race if you haven’t done so already.
Relays are just a riot to run. Combine a college road-trip with running and racing, and you get a relay. They are one of the fastest-growing genres of racing for this reason. Due to the non-standard leg distances, and often the harsh topography, obtaining a PR is usually not an option, which is actually a positive attribute because it lets you relax and actually enjoy running for the sake of running. Forget your time and mile splits, and just run hard and engage in friendly competition with those around you! Relays make running how it was when you were a kid. Fun. No pressure.
I’m still smiling about some of the jokes and funny quotes that floated around our team van during Relay Del Sol. It was a great experience, and I look forward to running more and more relays over the years. Next up, Wasatch Back Relay! MarathonGIS.com has another team together and we hope that Google will show up too!
PHOTOS: Courtesy of Marathon GIS
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Tags: adventure races, adventure running, Google, ragnar, ragner relay, relay del sol, relay race, team race
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April 19th, 2007 at 6:20 pmPaul, it was an honor to have competed with you, as the fellow leg #5 runner on the Google team. I say “with” you, because even though you and I were up against one another, I too was very impressed by your sportsmanship, and enjoyed the fun rivalry and chatting with your team during breaks. Best of luck in future relays, and hope to see you out at Hood to Coast!
May 8th, 2007 at 12:20 pm[…] The Wasatch Back is a particular favorite of mine; the fact that it starts in my “back yard” and traces its way through some of the most beautiful areas in Utah keeps me coming back again and again. For the 2007 race on June 22-23, I rounded up my MarathonGIS.com team again, fresh off of our 2nd place finish at Relay Del Sol this past March. Our goal for Wasatch Back: Top 3 and a finish time under 18 hours. […]
July 11th, 2007 at 8:56 am[…] TrailFit: “Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay: 2007 Race Report” Once you’ve been bitten by the “relay bug”, it’s hard to keep away from team running events. My first overnight relay experience was the Wasatch Back Relay (Utah) in 2005, and I had a fantastic time. Since then, I’ve gone on to run the Wasatch Back two more times, and also the Wild West Relay (Colorado) and Relay Del Sol (Arizona).The Wasatch Back is a particular favorite of mine; the fact that it starts in my “back yard” and traces its way through some of the most beautiful areas in Utah keeps me coming back again and again. For the 2007 race on June 22-23, I rounded up my MarathonGIS.com team again, fresh off of our 2nd place finish at Relay Del Sol this past March. Our goal for Wasatch Back: Top 3 and a finish time under 18 hours. […]
July 11th, 2007 at 2:09 pm