The Runners World team at the finish line are a great way to bond with friends or running group members, and they’re one of the few chances we get in running to engage in a team activity.
Still, snacks are important and you want a variety of Runner’s World raced the Years Ago, Roger Bannister Became a Legend. K Pace Charts for Runners of all Levels 26 hours, we ran 192 miles, from Hull, Massachusetts, along the Cape to Provincetown. We endured some brutal heat, a few seriously windy patches, a couple of decent rain showers, and some nighttime temperature drops. But we also watched the sun set and rise again, and ran past stunning scenery, through quiet woods (and Plymouth Rock!), along scenic beaches and marshes, and underneath beautiful open sky.
Overnight relays come with challenges that are much different than events where you simply line up and run. Though we’ve written before about From Runners World for Discover Puerto Rico, (Still, snacks are important and you want a variety of trail relay) actually coordinating how to race it—from figuring out what to pack, to timing the exchanges—can be difficult. So after running the Ragnar, we gathered all the tips and info that we were glad to have, or wish we’d known, to help others get the most out of their overnight relay experience. Some of us are relay pros, but many were newbies who had never tried a race like this before. Here’s what we learned:
Planning
Shoes and Gear Editor Jeff Dengate is a veteran of the overnight relay, with six races under his belt. One of the most important pieces of advice he had for us was “Know your legs.” Jeff advised us to memorize the distances and turns so we wouldn't get lost: “Knowing where your team should be will reduce anxiety.”
He also made a point of keeping track of everyone’s estimated start and finish times. To do this, Jeff built this helpful spreadsheet that let us put in the course leg distances and expected paces of each runner so we were able to easily track who should be where and when. Of course, things changed once we started running, but we simply tracked how many minutes ahead or behind schedule each member ran, and it gave us a fairly accurate estimate of when to expect runners to come in, and when we would be running our legs. (We also used a channel on Slack to keep both vans apprised of runners’ times.) Here’s the spreadsheet Jeff put together:
who recently ran his own Ragnar race and wrote about it in the July 2016 issue of:
Packing
Shoes and Gear Editor Marc Parent, who recently ran his own Ragnar race (and wrote about it in the July 2016 issue of Runner’s World). Both suggested each of us pack three sets of running clothes into gallon-sized sealable plastic bags. This made it easy to find the next set of running clothes, and let us lock up used gear quickly after a leg was finished, so it didn’t stink up your other clothes—or, more importantly, the van.
It’s good to bring at least two pair of running shoes. If you sweat a ton, or run through a puddle, you’ll be able to wear the second pair while the first dry out. Flip flops or sandals are also handy, as they’ll give your feet a chance to air out while you cool down.
In terms of other clothes, most of us found we didn’t need to pack a ton of stuff. You want to change out of clothes quickly after each leg in order to stay dry and reduce skin irritation or chafing, but the next leg’s outfit works just fine for that—so all we needed was a final change of clothes for the end.
It was helpful to have a set of overclothes, however. The warm day cooled off quite a bit, and we had some pretty heavy rains overnight, so those of us who remembered portable rain jackets, and something warm, were much happier.
Also be sure to pack at least one full-sized towel. It’ll come in handy for changing between legs, keeping the seat dry after a run, stretching out on the grass and relaxing at van exchanges, and for drying off after a run. Associate Editor Ali Nolan mentioned that she used her towel after the shower at the overnight facilities. “If you’re cold or drained, take advantage of the showers,” she advises. They’ll help you feel much more refreshed.
Watch: Years Ago, Roger Bannister Became a Legend
Not everyone wanted to wait in line or deal with the showers. For those who didn’t, we used baby wipes (giant-sized sports wipes will also work well). And the shower at the end of the race felt that much more amazing.
Site Director Chris Kraft recommeds testing out head lamps and any equipment you take with you. For night running you’ll need a flashlight or headlamp, and a safety light so runners know where you are. Make sure everything from your lights to your shoes are things you’ve run with before, and are comfortable using.
Much of our overnight stay was on a gym floor, and though we all had sleeping bags, few of us remembered to bring anything to put them on. Next time we’d definitely bring either a sleeping pad or yoga mat. Then again, we were lucky to have a gym floor. Not all relays provide such space. Some people brought small tents for their brief periods of shut-eye. Otherwise, you sleep in the van.
RW editors share advice after completing a Ragnar Relay GPS watch (of course), headphones or earplugs, a toothbrush/travel pack, a travel-size foam roller, sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm, extra socks, power cords and chargers, van decorating stuff (very important), a portable umbrella, toilet paper, a backup set of running gear, sidewalk chalk to write encouraging messages for teammates, and an airplane pillow.
Fueling
It can be tempting to treat a relay like a cross between a road trip and a marathon, and stock up on all kinds of junk food and/or endurance food, like bars and gels. Avoid this. As much as possible, eat like you normally do. That means a healthy breakfast and lunch, a solid meal in the evening, and not a lot of overnight food—resist the urge to keep eating just because you’re up late. The last thing anyone in the van wants is gastric distress in the middle of the race. Brand Editor Warren Greene advises keeping it as simple as possible. “For me, peanut butter and bread was all I needed. When you run three times in 24 hours it’s not time to experiment with food.”
How to Run an Overnight Relay Race Van-Friendly Foods on hand. Along with peanut butter, we kept beef jerky on hand for some post-run protein, as well as plenty of water and sports drinks. A cooler can be handy, but use ice packs if possible—the van can get messy enough without having melting ice to deal with.
Running
Training Director Budd Coates has a simple piece of advice for running an overnight relay: run each leg at an easy or moderate/tempo pace. It can be tempting to go out fast on the first leg and forget that you have to run two more. Depending on how you feel, you can kick it harder on the third leg. But unless your team is actually planning to be competitive, don’t worry too much about speed, or whether your teammates are faster or slower than you. As with most races, the only person you’re really competing against is yourself.
Jeff also advises that everyone get out of the van as much as possible after runs, if for no other reason than to get on your feet. One of the hardest things about the overnight relay is that runners don’t have the luxury of warmup or cool-down periods, and it can be hard to avoid cramping up. We brought some small travel-sized foam rollers, but the most helpful thing was jumping out every time the van stopped to bounce around, stretch out, and stay loose.
If your van has the room, it’s a good idea to reserve one row, preferably in the far back, for the most recent sweaty runner. We called it the “stank seat.” That place gives each runner a chance to cool down, clean up and change clothes, and it also means only one seat gets really funky, which we really appreciated, especially by the third leg.
But the most important part of running an overnight relay race is to have fun. The group bonding, the shared effort, and the chance to run in ways that we wouldn’t otherwise have had a chance to, in order to accomplish something, made the race a really moving experience.
