It’s time to hard commit to the Blue Ridge Relay, September 6-7, 2013. This is THE premier running relay race in the eastern U.S. This event will SELL OUT (it is capped at 150 teams) so do not delay in reading on and signing up!

We hope to build on our recent interest in this event…..
2011: Two official F3 teams (18 pax) + other pax on other teams
2012: Five official F3 teams (48 pax) + other pax on other teams
2013: Goal of 12 at least official F3 teams (110+ pax)!

For those who have not run the BRR before, here are the basics:

• 208 mile relay race along the Blue Ridge mountains, beginning in Grayson Falls State Park in southwestern VA and ending in downtown Asheville, NC.
• Race starts on a Friday morning (for those from Charlotte you can leave Friday morning as starting times are staggered and vary from 8am-11am) and ends on Saturday afternoon (our past teams have finished in around 27-29 hours).
• Race is split into 36 pre-determined legs of varying distances (2 to 10 miles) and difficulty levels (Easy to Mountain Goat Hard).
• Teams can be a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 12 people (I think most people will tell you that the 9 man team is the way to go).
• For a 12 person team, the average total distance is 16.6 miles spread over 3 legs (it’s like running three 10Ks in a day). You can do the math for the average mileage for the other teams sizes. Average is just average though – some legs are longer and some are shorter.
• Teams travel along the race course in vans, picking up and dropping off runners at the beginning and end of each leg. You get to know, and smell, your van-mates very well.
• Veterans will tell you that the BRR is a great experience. You can expect a reasonable but very manageable physical challenge and fantastic fellowship. Here is a link to one of last year’s backblasts, which will give you a sense for the event and the camaraderie:
• http://f3nation.com/2012/09/11/gonads-nine-blue-ridge-relay-the-best-of-times-the-worst-of-times/

What you need to do right now

• If you are generally interested in the event and want to be paired up with a team with others from your F3 Region, please complete the form below and we match you to a team. If you are interested in being a team captain, please let me know that as well.
• If you already have formed a team and want to enter as a team, please have the team captain email The Show at F3BRRINFO@gmail.com and I will let you know what you need to do. Each person does not need to complete the form below if you already have a team formed. Each team captain will be responsible for registering their team directly with BRR (rosters don’t have to be finalized when you register the team). Again, the sooner the better. This race will fill up.
• If your team participated last year, please make sure that I have captured the status of your team below correctly and email The Show at F3BRRINFO@gmail.com with changes.

Here are the teams who have already hard committed:

2012 GONADS NINE – (The Show, Red Warrior, Apple Biter, Stickbug, Holtz, Kit, Robocop, Costello, Cindy)
2012 GONADAS ORIGINADS – (CT is the captain – roster appears to be same as last year)
2012 HALF THE HARRIERS – (Pomfret, Madonna, etc for their crazy Ultra team)
GONADS PAPERBOY – (Ben Franklin, Moniteur, Swamp Fox, Sprague, Girardi, Sir Topham Hat, Doc, Assless Chaps, Joe Strummer)

And hard commits are in process from:

2012 GONDADS ULTRA – (likely expanding from 6 to form a 9 man team for 2013)
2012 GONADS TWELVE – (will return but under a bit of reorganization)
2012 GONADS IX – (will return but under a bit of reorganization)

FAQ

Can I do this?
Anyone who posts to regular F3 workouts and can run a 10K can definitely be comfortable on a 12 man team. A 9 man team is a bit more of a challenge, but you can do it.

What’s the optimal team size 6, 9, or 12?
9 man team is by far the best. 6 man team is a lot (and I mean a lot) of running without a lot of rest. Ok, let’s face it, you gotta be either an #ultramarathoner like OBT or just #oldmanstrong like Dredd to bite off the 6 man team. 12 man team has really long breaks in between your runs (~ 8 hours) and you stay in the same van of guys for both days – but it is still a fantastic experience. 9 man team is the best of both worlds – yes the mileage is longer than a 12 man team, but you are running every 6 hours, and you switch vans several times during the race, thereby getting fellowship with multiple F3 pax.

I’m interested, but don’t have a team and want to get placed on one.
Perfect. Just register below and we’ll find you a team.

Can I invite non-F3 pax to do this race?
Absolutely. Just have them register below.

Will I sleep at all?
You may get an hour or two here or there in the exchange zones, but if you really want to sleep just don’t draw the short straw to be the driver home from Asheville on Saturday afternoon.

How do I train for this?
We’ll worry about that later. But suffice it to say that doing several runs a day (morning, lunch, and/or evening) is good training in the months leading up to the race.

What does it mean when it says some of the legs are rated as “Mountain Goat hard”?
Baaaaaah. You’ll find out when you see it. Think steep, never-ending switchbacks.

How much does it cost?
Race registration $1,160 (team of 7 – 12) and $580 (team of 4-6 runners). In addition, plan on roughly $150 per person to cover costs of van, gas, food, drinks, etc. Could be less depending on your team size.

But I’m already doing (fill in the blank) marathon/half-marathon this fall, so I don’t think I can do this too…….”
Well, then, you have no excuse, BRR is a perfect training opportunity.

If I am on a 12 man team and I find myself in Blowing Rock for 4 hours while I am waiting on my next leg should I eat pizza and drink beer?
Ask Monituer

Other questions – email The Show / John Linker at F3BRRINFO@gmail.com