Colonial 200/70 Relays - September 20-21, 2013

Let me give a plug to one of my favorite running events, the Colonial 200/70 Relays in September. If you are new to running, you may not have heard about relays. Most running events are solo efforts, where a runner simply competes against the clock. A relay introduces a new dimension to running, running with a team. We are all familiar with the relays we see during the Olympics, where a group of four runners pass a baton as they sprint around a track. The idea is similar, but done over a long distance, either 200 miles or 70 miles. The 200-mile relay starts outside of Charlottesville and the 70-mile relay starts in Hanover County. Both relays finish in Williamsburg, near the Jamestown park.

Bear in mind that none of the runners cover the entire distance. That would be a bit much. Rather, in the case of the 200 mile relay, the team consists of up to 12 runners and, in the case of the 70, up to 6. The 12 runners in the 200 each run 3 legs of the 200 miles, while their 70-mile counterparts each run two legs. In the end, those running the 200 will each run around a total of 16 miles in three legs and those in the 70, about 12 miles. Sorry if that sounds confusing. It's really not. The fewer members of the team, the longer the mileage.

The runners pass the baton at each of the checkpoints and the next runner on the team goes from there. Our running group did the Colonial 70 Relay in 2012 and had a ball. We are running the Colonial 200 this year. The runners in the Colonial 200 will run through the night, which adds to the experience. By the end of the race, we will all be running on less than adequate sleep. If all this sounds like fun to you, check out the Colonial 200/70 site for more information or contact me. I am serving as a race ambassador this year and am happy to respond to any questions. If you plan to sign up, let me know.