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Photo by Pat Considine
"We are thrilled to be laced-up for another go at a race that should be found
on EVERY southern runner's annual must-do list." A Blue Ridge Relay Team Captain
HOME >> Captain's Corner

Captain's Corner

Download the 2008 Team Handbook (36kb, PDF)


Team Captain
  • The Team Captain must be a member of the team.
  • The TEAM CAPTAIN must complete the Team Captain Application IN FULL and submit as instructed.
  • Each INDIVIDUAL relay team member (excluding the team captain) must complete a Runner Application. All individual team member applications must be completed IN FULL and submitted after the Team Captain Application and Entry Fee has been submitted. (See Other Team Members and Substitutions/Additions below.)
  • Completed applications ONLY will be accepted.
  • Once a team is registered, all communication between the team and the Blue Ridge Relay must go through the Team Captain. It is the Team Captain's responsibility to share all applicable information with team members.


    • Team Name
  • Please choose a Team Name that is appropriate for public announcement/media (i.e. no curse words, etc…). For team names determined to be inappropriate, the team captain will be notified, by the Blue Ridge Relay, with a request for name change.
  • If Team Name is not filled in then it will be the last name of the team captain.


    • Team Composition
    A team must be composed of a minimum 4 runners and a maximum of 12 runners. Any number of runners between 4 and 12 is acceptable.

    Team Categories
  • Open: At least one runner under the age of 40.
  • Women's Open: All women runners and at least one runner under the age of 40.
  • Mixed Open Men / Women: 50% or more of the runners must be women and at least one runner under the age of 40.
  • Masters Men / Women: All team members over the age of 40, any combination of men / women.
  • Ultra: 4-6 runners/team, any combination of men/women, no age restrictions. (Runners will exchange at every exchange zone.)


    • Team's 10K Race Estimate
    10K race pace "minute per mile" for your team. This is not your estimated race pace for the Relay. This is the actual 10K average for your team. This must be accurate to ensure an appropriate start and finish time. Please do not "sandbag" your times.

    Other Team Members
    The Team Captain's name should not be listed (e.g. if your team has 12 runners, only 11 names will be listed). All team members do not need to be listed at the time of application. However, please refer to Substitutions/Additions, which is listed below, for details.

    Relay Volunteers
    Throughout the 208-mile Blue Ridge Relay course, Relay Officials are required at 37 sites, including the Start, Finish, and 35 Exchange Zones. In order to maximize the safety and efficiency of the Relay, and to provide the best running experience, every team is responsible for selecting one of two volunteer Options.

    1. The Team will provide two volunteers to serve as Relay Officials. The Volunteers will be assigned an Exchange Zone, including location and times, by the Blue Ridge Relay. Exchange Zone requests will be considered, but not guaranteed.

    OR

    2. The Team will provide a $20.00/runner, Volunteer Fee, which will be donated to community organizations that serve as Relay Officials at Exchange Zones.

    Team Entry Fee
    7-12 runners - One check, $900, made payable to the Blue Ridge Relay
    4-6 runners (Ultra Team) - One check, $450, made payable to the Blue Ridge Relay

    Refunds
    The entry fee (once a team is accepted and confirmed) is non-refundable and the team is non-transferable.

    Submitting your Team's Application
    1. Team / Captain Application: to be complete online. All fields completed and Waiver of Liability is approved. One Team / Captain Application per team.

    2. Entry Fee: One check, $900 ($450 for Ultra Teams), made payable to Blue Ridge Relay.

    3. Volunteer Option selected. If $20/runner donation is chosen, this fee must be enclosed with the team's entry fee. If Volunteer category is chosen, volunteer applications must be received by August 11th.

    4. Team Approval: Upon completion of Team / Captain Application and receipt of fees, the Team Captain will receive email confirmation and will now gain access to their team database. A team will not be approved and not counted in the 100 team field until the Team / Captain Application is complete and full payment is received.

    5. Runner Application: all fields completed and Waiver of Liability is approved by each runner.

    Please mail checks (entry fee and volunteer fees) to:

    Blue Ridge Relay
    2385 Big Flatts Church Road
    Fleetwood, NC 28626

    Field Limit
    The field for the Blue Ridge Relay will be limited to the first 100 teams to submit a complete application.

    Registration Deadline
    Registration Deadline is August 11th. Team / Captain Application and full payment must be complete by this date.

    Team Entry Confirmation
    The team captain will receive email confirmation of your team's entry.

    Substitutions/Additions
    Substitutions and Additions made after August 11 must be completed on the online Substitution/Addition Application. Please note that the Team Captain and Substitute/Addition's approval are required. The name of the Team Member being replaced must also be identified when substituting. Substitutions/additions made after August 11 will cost $10 per change. Substitutions/Additions must be received by Thursday, September 10th, 5:00 pm. Substitutions/Additions made after August 11th, cannot be guaranteed a correct t-shirt size.

    Seeding
    The race course and finish line will close Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 5:30 PM. Teams on the course who fall behind this closure time schedule will be asked to leave off their team members at the start of the last legs simultaneously. For safety reasons, we will not accept the entry of any team, which we anticipate to finish in over 34.5 hours (approximately a team average of 10 minutes per mile pace).

    Start times for all teams are based upon the 10K seed time entered in the Team Captain Application. Starting time requests will not be accepted. Team Captains will be notified of the start times by August 16th.

    Exchange Zones
    Each relay team member will pass a wrist strap at the end of a given stage in an exchange area. For a listing of Exchange Zones, please refer to the Course Map on the website.

    Team Handbook
    The team handbook with race rules, course updates, etc… will be e-mailed to all registered team captains by August 16. If you require a hard-copy: please notify us. It is the captain's responsibility to make sure each team member gets a copy. Course maps can be printed from the website. Last minute course changes are highly likely. Course/Leg changes will be emailed to captains, within 2 days of race day. All changes made before the Tuesday prior to the race, will also be distributed at time of Packet Pick-up and Sign-in.

    Team Sign-in
    Teams must sign-in at the Starter's Table at the Starting Line 15 minutes prior to the team's start time. Several items will be addressed at this time:
    1. Team sign-in.
    2. Race bracelet issue (one per team, passed between runners at each exchange zone).
    3. Vehicle inspection (only required if you have questions about the legality of your vehicle).
    4. Night gear inspection (only required if you have questions about the legality of your gear).
    Concessions (Food and Beverages)
    Be prepared. The stores in the rural towns of North Carolina's High Country may not be open around the clock. The Blue Ridge Relay will not provide concessions along the racecourse. However, community groups may provide concessions at select Exchange Zones. Team captains will be notified of the details prior to the Relay.

    First Aid
    Each support vehicle should carry a well-stocked first aid kit and ice. Be prepared to know how to use it. The Blue Ridge Relay is not responsible for providing First Aid supplies.

    Weather Conditions
    Please be prepared for a variety of weather conditions. If you are not familiar with the weather of the Virginia and North Carolina Mountains, here is some valuable insight. For every 1000' increase in elevation, expect the temperature to drop 2.2 - 5.3 degrees. The climate and weather of the Virginia and North Carolina Mountains is comparable to Canada! The average daily high temperature has a range of 50s-70s degrees and low temperature 30-59 degrees. In fact the coldest September day recorded on Grandfather Mountain is 24 degrees (1967) and its highest recorded temperature is 78 degrees (1993). Also, be prepared for rain, higher winds, and quickly changing weather at these higher elevations.

    To summarize, be prepared for extremes, as has been said, "If you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes."

    Communication
    Teams are encouraged to have a means of communication between support vehicles and a means of communication to contact local authorities/emergency personnel. Blue Ridge Relay officials at each exchange zone will have access to communication equipment and emergency contact information.

    Prizes
    Prizes are being finalized.


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