Ragnar is a series of relay races that take place around the US. Last year, a group of friends and coworkers signed up to run the one that runs along the Mississippi between Wisconsin and Minnesota: Ragnar Great River.
Basically, the race is team of 12 runners making their way through 193 miles along the Mississippi starting in Winona, MN cutting into Wisconsin and ending in Minneapolis.
This race was the most fun I’ve ever had running. Team is broken into two sets of six runners and ride in two vans that leapfrog each other. The first van has runners for legs 1-6, the second has 7-12. Each runner runs 3 legs for a total of about 16 to 20 miles. Best of all, the race does not stop at night, so someone from your team is always running.
At one point during the race I had one of the biggest disappointments of my life... At the Prescott High School exchange, after taking a $3 shower (worth every penny), we were supposed to be able to buy some pasta.
For miles, we were running in the August heat and fantasizing about how big the plate of pasta was going to be. Unfortunately, this race is so successful that every one of the last few years, the participant roster has doubled. As a result, the kids at the high school were completely overwhelmed and run out of pasta just before we arrived. At the showers I saw a grown man crying from the disappointment. So after we took our revenge with a mountain of garlic bread we paid $2 to sleep in the school gym on wrestling mats. Ninety minutes later, Erik came to wake us up: “Guys, the other van called. They are getting close to the next exchange. We gotta go.” And off we were.
We finished in 27 hours, 34 minutes and 14 seconds. The medal is the biggest I’ve ever gotten after a race and is shaped like a bottle opener.
We had so much fun last year that we are going for an encore this year, although instead of a team of 12, this year we are going for the ultra version, with just six runners and one van. The team is getting together this Tuesday to plan logistics.
Excitement is definitely building up.
That is one tough looking dude in the first photo! Ragnar was indeed a blast, so much more fun that I anticipated. Too bad other commitments will keep me away this year, I hope you guys have a great run!
ReplyDeleteScott, in our minds you will be there... Probably running very slow and ruining our average, but you will be there ;-)
ReplyDeletejk, last year you had the fastest time, we could have used you in the ultra team...