You know when you did a race two years ago and you’re still getting junk mail. As i do Loveto.run and Medal.watch I keep myself subscribed to it all for race dates and possibly medal reveals. This is why I got an email from Brighton Marathon today even though I ran it in 2015 and won’t likely be running it again in the near future (because it’s too far away from my house, is a really great race). This email had some pretty amazing news in it though, Ragnar have finally confirmed that they are coming to the UK. So far the news is only by email, if you following the Ragnar Facebook page then you’ll see they’re still dropping hints (a phone box and fish and chips so far) and there is nothing official on the main website yet.
I’m not sure that the Ragnar brand is that well known here but they have very popular races in the US. I only really know about it because a friend of mine is a Ragnar nut and ambassador. She got this massive medal from them for doing all of the Ragnar races in one year. The medals are also amazing (I’ve shared them many times on Medal Watch) and the race has such an amazing concept that every time my friend is off to her next Ragnar I sit on the other side of the pond looking at her photos with extreme envy but no more because they’re crossing the pond too.
Basically, Ragnar Relay is a relay race with a difference. It takes place over night but is nothing like our 24 hour relay races where every runner runs the same course. Instead a total of hundreds of miles (200ish in the US) is ran over a course that is designed to take you from one location to another, there’s no going back to where you started. Here’s their description from their website:
Here’s what we do: long distance, team, overnight running relays that take place in the most breathtaking places in the world. Teams come together to conquer a course over two days and one night, and push their limits, on little amounts of sleep, with friends and a community of runners by their side.
Your Ragnar experience is as competitive as you make it. Rally your team and battle the other teams in your division for the top ranking, or simply make it your goal to cross the finish line together! Ragnar is about coming together and accomplishing something we could never do alone. From an elite runner to the generally active individual, Ragnar is the perfect race for anyone.
From the information so far it appears that Ragnar UK with be for teams of 10 (or 5 if you do Ultra division which is the same course but each runner doubles up) covering a slightly shorter distenace of 170 miles in race legs between 3 and 8 miles with one overnight. In the US, team members drive in their own vans from location to location to swap runners and usually have 12 members per team. I’m guessing that the smaller team sizes are linked to everyone having to fit into an average UK car rather than the larger vehicles you see in America (I’m quite possibly wrong though, I know nothing about cars, I can’t even tell you what my husband drives). This is what the website says:
You and 9 teammates will pile into two vehicles and take turns running relay style along a 170(ish) mile route. Each teammate will run three “legs” with each leg ranging between 3 and 8 miles and varying in difficulty. Each teammate will run between 12 to 18 miles in total (depending on which set of legs they run). Almost anyone can become a Ragnarian, with a little bit of training.
We have also been given a little bit of info about the route:
Imagine running relay-style with a team of 10 (you and 9 other friends or family) along the spectacular South East Coast of England. Starting in the hills of the North Downs, you will run through quaint seaside towns, rolling fields, ocean breezes, and of course the most beautiful collection of white cliffs known to man. You and your team will finish your journey in the seaside town of Brighton.
The race will start in the North Downs hills and finish in Brighton. Some of the photos I’ve seen of Ragnar in the US has some seriously breathtaking scenery so i think the company tries to show off the best of the area you are racing in. If the description above is anything to go by then we can expect Ragnar White Cliffs to follow the norm. There are some seriously pretty places with outstanding natural beauty in those parts. I got to a marathon next to the white cliffs last year and it was by far one of my favourite races.
All we need now is a date and a bit of luck so that it doesn’t clash with anything already planned for the Autumn. If I find out anything else you’ll all be the first to know. 🙂
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