The Most Fun You’ll Ever Have…
While Running
Ragnar Relay
By Melissa Field

Early in the year a running friend approached me about joining a relay team.  The 12-person team would run close to 200 miles in New York within a 24-hour time period.  Each runner would be responsible for running 3 times throughout the relay course and the entire team would have to run in underwear.  
 
Running in underwear throughout New York for 24 hours? 
 
This seemed crazy.  I had to sign-up!
 
What I had signed up for was the Ragnar Relay New York edition, a relay event created in 2003 by a father/son duo, known as Steve and Dan Hill.  Steve’s dream was to build an overnight race for multiple 12-person teams.  He envisioned teams running throughout the most beautiful areas of the country on scenic, rural roads.  Today, Ragnar is the nation’s largest relay series, with races in Utah, Minnesota/Wisconsin, Washington, Florida, California, Texas, Massachusetts/Connecticut, and Arizona.   This year marked the debut of New York.

The name “Ragnar” comes from a 9th century Norse King.  King Ragnar was known as an explorer and wild man, and the Ragnar Relay Series carries his spirit of freedom and adventure.  The various segments range in distance and difficulty, allowing everyone from a novice to a highly advanced runner to enjoy the experience.  The relay was much like combining a run, a road trip, and a camping expedition all in one.

Not all teams run in underwear, but each team needed a theme.  Some of the themes included “Team Caveman”, “The Schleppers” (running in superhero costumes), “80’s Porn Stars” and “Running from Recession”.   I was fortunate enough to run with team “No Pants Dance”.  Each team member ran in various styles and colors of underwear and went by a nickname fitting to our theme.  We had Nick Freeballin’ Freedman, Jockstrap Joe, Krotchless Kate, Loincloth Laura, Longjohn Lindsey, Granny Panty Pat, Ky-mando Kyleen, and I was Fruit of the Loom Field.

Each team had 2 vans with 6 people per van.  While one van was running, the other van was essentially “off” and free to cheer on members of the van in running, get food, and generally enjoy the experience.   We used this time to decorate our van with underwear and washable marker, talk running with the other teams, and squeeze in what little sleep we could gather.   The sleeping stop Ragnar designated was a small-town baseball field, and though we were all exhausted from running and driving, laying in a baseball field under a star-filled sky proved too much fun to get any sleep. 

Running is not typically thought of as a team sport.  Many of us log many miles alone and focus on personal records and achievements.  It’s nice to break free, if only for 24 hours, and join forces with other runners, share your passion for running, watch the sun rise and set, follow rural roads through the best parts of the country, eat, laugh, tell stories, sing along to the radio, and drive.  With the right team, it is the most fun you will ever have while running.  The only thing you’ll miss is sleep. 

For putting the fun back in the run, Ragnar Relay gets 5 stars.