Ragnar Relay Series
If the official website is to be believed, the Ragnar relay race is a race like no other. Taking a twist on the conventional marathon, Ragnar splits runners into teams to race roughly two hundred miles through a variety of scenic locations. Ragnar was named for the Norse God Ragnar Lothbrok who, according to Ragnar’s website was,”an adventure seeking, conquering, tough guy.” Founders, Tanner Bell and Dan Hill, used his image to create a larger than life ideal for athletes of every level to aspire to. For those who know of Ragnar relay races (and that number has grown considerably over the past decade) you are invited into an inner circle of runners. What makes this race unusual is that you can wear the label of athlete without having to really be one. The race would be impossible, however, if there were not true athletes competing as well. That is the beauty of Ragnar: when you finish, you finish as a team.
Regular teams consist of twelve teams, each team member running three legs of between three to eight miles. The ultra teams are made up of six or less runners, who obviously take on at least twice as many miles. By staggering different levels of difficulty throughout the race, Ragnar allows both novice runners and experienced marathoners to compete together as a team. In Utah (called the Wasatch Back, and stretching from Logan to Park City), where Ragnar originated in 2004, family and community are highly valued. Ragnar played on this by creating something active and distinctive that everyone can participate.
Corporations will also sponsor teams in order to create a bonding experience for their employees. Ragnar markets it as such: “crazy runners, inside jokes and a mild case of sleep deprivation. The result? Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it a Ragnar Relay.” Regular teams are divided into two vans (six runners in each). The vans alternate; when all runners in the first van have competed one leg the other van will take a turn. This technic allots significant portions of time where each van can refuel and attempt to rest. For members of the running van, they wait in the van for their particular leg, while cheering on the member of their team currently running. Often times, team members will get out and run alongside their runner. This action can help keep pace as well as provide moral support. Being locked in such a tight space, encouraging one another, all while pushing each other to complete a common goal, creates or fortifies bonds.
Another activity that bonds teams together is choosing their team name and decorating their vans. Ragnar encourages participants to be creative and make their vans distinctive. Some teams will merely name their team after their family or company; others try to become more creative, incorporating inside jokes and/or pop culture references as their monikers. The latter, in particular, can be an impetus for bonding (or arguing) that can carryout through the entire race. By creating a shared identity, teams will develop a group with insider/outsider status. Though there is no room for poor sportsmanship on the race course, teams will focus their energies on cheering for, and running with, member of their own group. Below are a few examples of vans, and how they reflect their team’s unique race identity;
![Ragnar Tif van](https://sites.psu.edu/kandersonholmes/wp-content/uploads/sites/17457/2014/09/Ragnar-Tif-van-300x225.jpg)
Invoking popular culture, this 2011 Wasatch Back team named their van “The A-Team.” On the window is drawn a picture of Mr. T, with a voice bubble saying, “I pity the fool that passes the van.” Those who recognize this popular catchphrase from the show will be able to share in the inside joke.
![ragnar bonnie van](https://sites.psu.edu/kandersonholmes/wp-content/uploads/sites/17457/2014/09/ragnar-bonnie-van-300x225.jpg)
Though this van is decorated very simply, the team name, “The Italian Stallions” is proudly emblazoned across the top of the windshield. This team name belonged to a family whose grandfather was an italian immigrant.
![ragnar dan van2](https://sites.psu.edu/kandersonholmes/wp-content/uploads/sites/17457/2014/09/ragnar-dan-van2-200x300.jpg)
Many runners warmly describe the night runs as their favorite part of the race. This is when many runners hit a wall, and need extra encouragement from their teams. Fighting through it bolstered by extra support seems to be a highlight of the race experience. Here, a 2013 team is using creativity in their van decorations to help boost morale for the night run.
Team naming and van decorating are an integral part of the Ragnar experience. These activities underscore the communal feeling that relays create.
What makes Ragnar Relay races unique and uniquely American is the way it combines individuality with the team building spirit that can be traced back to the country’s founding. America’s heritage is placed in frontiersman and pioneers who tamed nature by sheer spirit and work ethic. While conquering the wilderness, settlers also developed an appreciation for the natural beauty of their surroundings. As manual labor has disappeared, creating a society based in more in service than handwork, formal exercising has become more popular. Marathons and triathlons, in particular, have grown exponentially in popularity over the past few decades. These competitions are demonstrations of human strength and endurance; a common aphorism attributed to it is “the triumph of the human spirit.” This verbiage is important because it is also what has been used to describe many relocation settlements by early pioneers. Races are a way for people, continually prone to sedentary lifestyles, to push themselves and “see what they are made of.” This connects them to their ancestors who were constantly tested physically as they tamed the rugged land, all the while allowing runners to feel more connected to nature, as most Ragnar trails run through back country roads (so as to disrupt traffic as little as possible). Ragnar combines the mobility and adventure common to the early settlers of America.
Utah’s, the birthplace of Ragnar, pioneer heritage is of particular importance. Every 24th of July, Utahans celebrate “Pioneer Day,” a day marking the anniversary of the entrance of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley. Parades, where participants dress in traditional pioneer attire, barbecues, as well as fireworks are employed to celebrate Utah’s pioneer history. There is also a reverence attributed to pioneers, as decendants recognize the physical hardships and sacrifices faced in order for the pioneers to make their arduous journey. The Wasatch Back is always scheduled at the end of June, setting the tone for the birthdays of America and Utah that will occur over the next few weeks. Ragnar combines both the celebratory, familial aspects of Pioneer Day, with the hard work and group effort of pioneer mythology. It is a modern twist that celebrates America’s heritage of struggling through a difficult obstacle, yet relying on your group (or team), to get you through it.
The most difficult section of the Wasatch Back (the original Utah course) comes for the runner who must tackle the summit of Guardsman’s Pass. This section is the thirty-fourth leg (out of thirty-six), and marks the climax of the entire race. Team members who run this leg have already run two legs totaling 10.6 previously; combined with sleep deprivation and lack of nutritional food. Anyone who has run the Wasatch Back is aware that this is the most difficult leg for any runner, and this is corroborated by testimonies of those who participated in it. What is also reported though, is their pride in having pushed their body beyond its perceived abilities and the sense of support they felt from the rest of their team. At the apex, many teams will wait outside of their vans in order to cheer along a struggling teammate. When the team crosses the finish line shortly after, they are all acutely aware of their own accomplishments, but also that they could not have done it alone.
When many participants return to their office jobs the following week, they can carry this accomplishment with them. They can know that they are capable of physical exertion to rival their pioneer ancestors. They will have solidified bonds tying them, and their accomplishment, to their own team. In their own way, they will have participated in a physical, emotional, and, for some participants, spiritual experience.
Works Cited
A-Team Van. 2011.Park City, Utah. By Tiffany Bullock.
Italian Stallion Van. 2012. Logan, Utah. By Bonnie Bailey.
Napa Valley Ragnar Team. 2013. Napa Valley. By Dan Davidson.
Night Run. 2013. Napa Valley. By Dan Davidson.
“Overnight Team Running Relay Race | Ragnar Relay Series.” Ragnar Relay Series. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. <https://www.ragnarrelay.com>.
Wood Family. 2012. Logan, Utah. By Adam Wood.