I have had the opportunity to build some of my closest friendships over the past few years through running. Every year I have participated in 2 races through the Ragnar Relay Series. These experiences helped me to build my current passion for running and inspired me to become involved with I Run Utah. For those of you who don’t know there are multiple Ragnar races around the country and each is a 12 man relay race of approximately 200 miles. My most recent race was in the Phoenix Arizona area known as Ragnar Del Sol.

The team I travel with to these Ragnar races is very competitive. But is winning the only reason I go to these races? No! I love the atmosphere of being surrounded by runners who have the same goal in mind, finishing a race that presents a daunting task. Solid friendships are made within my team that will last a lifetime. As for the runners around us, we share excitement and enthusiasm to bring smiles to their faces in times of fatigue. I would debate that my team is the most fun to be apart of throughout the entire race. At any race you participate in, whether it be a team Ragnar or a 10k through I Run Utah, you will find an atmosphere of motivated runners.

My experience with Ragnar consisted of 3 separate runs of 6.5, 5.2, and 4.3 miles totaling 16 miles which I averaged at a 6:45 per mile pace. I felt accomplished, achieving my goal of staying exactly at the pace I wanted. As for my team, we had a goal to win the race. We battled, struggled, endured, and competed our way through the race. It wasn’t easy. One team trailed our heels by 20 minutes after running about 100 miles, creating little room for error. Pushing hard to the end, we were able to win the race by a margin of 40 minutes. What an amazing accomplishment for us. 24 hours together in a car full of sweaty runners is a one of a kind experience. My team also placed first in Las Vegas and second in Southern California in the past, building our resume in the running world.

Here at I Run Utah, we have come up with an idea of doing a Double Road Race which will take place this summer in Salt Lake City. Similar to a relay, each runner will run twice with distances of a 10k, have a small break, then a 5k. This will be individual competing, not in relay format, but can present similar feelings. We want you to participate in this new adventure presented for you. We will have more details for you to come soon but until then….keep developing your Reason 2 Run and share your experiences with us!

Devin@irunutah.com