Ragnar Relays - Wasatch Back

Are you daring enough to try the ultimate, 200-mile, mountain-spanning relay race?  Then check out the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay from June 20^th through June 22^nd.

You’ve undoubtedly heard of Ragnar, and you’ve surely seen the Ragnar stickers on the rear windows of vehicles around northern Utah.  Ragnar is extremely popular in this area, but you might find yourself wondering what Ragnar is exactly and why it is so popular here.

Well, for one, Ragnar was born here in Utah.  Created and first run in 2004, the Wasatch Back Relay is the original Ragnar race.  The Wasatch Back Relay is so named because it begins in Logan, Utah and ends in Park City—a 198.2-mile course that traverses the backside of the Wasatch Mountain Range.  That first race was small; only a few friends competed.  But since the first running of the Wasatch Back Relay, Ragnar was formed and has grown immensely in population.  Today, the Ragnar Relay Series is comprised of 16 races that span the entire United States and parts of Canada.  All races of the Ragnar Relay Series are approximately 200 miles long.

So, how does a Ragnar race work?

The races are run by twelve- or six-runner teams.  Each runner must run three legs, and each leg varies in difficulty and in distance (between three and eight miles).  Only one runner per team can participate at a time, and while their teammate runs, the other members of the team ride alongside the runner to cheer him/her on, or they can drive ahead to the next relay point to wait for the next hand off.  Depending on how fast a particular team runs the course, races usually last two full days and one night.  Ragnar is truly the ultimate relay race.

Registration for the 2013 Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay is currently closed, but if you still wish to run this year’s race, never fear.  Registered teams are always looking for runners to join them.  To see if a team near you is looking for another runner, “Like” Ragnar on Facebook and post on the public wall that you’re a runner looking for a team.  Good luck!

If you wish to simply participate as a spectator, you’re in luck; the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay passes through Ogden Valley.  Runners should begin to trickle into Liberty from the north along Highway 162 sometime during the evening/night of the first day.  From there, they will pass briefly through Eden and Huntsville, then over Trapper’s Loop toward Morgan Valley.

For more information about the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay and Ragnar in general, click here.

To view more upcoming races and other community events in Ogden Valley, click here.

Trent Olsen contributed to this article.

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By Brandi Hammon