12 of us runners got into two Ford Transit vans (the van of choice for this event) and drove to Huntington Beach the night before the start and stayed at … MORE
12 of us runners got into two Ford Transit vans (the van of choice for this event) and drove to Huntington Beach the night before the start and stayed at a hotel that was a 5 minute drive from the start. At this point it would have been best to get some sleep but that wasn’t happening. I was in Van 1 and our start time was 5:45 am while van 2 got to sleep in and eat a proper breakfast. The course had good signage and there were plenty of runners along the way so getting lost was pretty difficult. The idea is to get water etc. from your van and the only porta-potties were at the end of your run. We ran past parks with restrooms and stores so an emergency bathroom break was never too far away.The runs ranged from 3.5 miles to 12 miles and we each ran 3 times throughout the event. My 3 runs started at about 6:30am, 6:00pm and 4:30am. Sleeping was not an option unless you can sleep on a van seat among backpacks etc. After our 1st runs were over van 2 took over and we had a lot of downtime to eat at restaurants and rest. We couldn’t run through Camp Pendleton so the course went far inland from Huntington Beach and Oceanside to make the mileage closer to 200. The runner exchange points were fine until we got to the ones where both vans had to park which were a bit hectic as this is a popular event. All of the teams decorated the vans with hilarious props and phrases and it was really fun just to walk around and check them out. As the day turned to night after our second leg we found a Denny’s open at 12:30 am to have “dinner”. Our last leg was during the wee hours and we all had to wear reflective vests and lights. There were always plenty of runners around and no one had to run by themselves through the dark. Traffic was not an issue either. By the time we finished our 3rd leg the sun was out and we had to wait for van 2 to finish the course. We found a shady tree at the Liberty Station park in San Diego and tried to get some sleep after a yummy breakfast at the Fig Tree Cafe. We all ran across the finish line together and enjoyed a couple brews in the beer garden before returning the van and heading home. The energy level was high and everyone was friendly and happy despite lacking sleep. . My hat goes off to those who chose the “ultra” option (six runners only).
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Maximum fun, minimum sleep
12 of us runners got into two Ford Transit vans (the van of choice for this event) and drove to Huntington Beach the night before the start and stayed at … MORE
12 of us runners got into two Ford Transit vans (the van of choice for this event) and drove to Huntington Beach the night before the start and stayed at a hotel that was a 5 minute drive from the start. At this point it would have been best to get some sleep but that wasn’t happening. I was in Van 1 and our start time was 5:45 am while van 2 got to sleep in and eat a proper breakfast. The course had good signage and there were plenty of runners along the way so getting lost was pretty difficult. The idea is to get water etc. from your van and the only porta-potties were at the end of your run. We ran past parks with restrooms and stores so an emergency bathroom break was never too far away.The runs ranged from 3.5 miles to 12 miles and we each ran 3 times throughout the event. My 3 runs started at about 6:30am, 6:00pm and 4:30am. Sleeping was not an option unless you can sleep on a van seat among backpacks etc. After our 1st runs were over van 2 took over and we had a lot of downtime to eat at restaurants and rest. We couldn’t run through Camp Pendleton so the course went far inland from Huntington Beach and Oceanside to make the mileage closer to 200. The runner exchange points were fine until we got to the ones where both vans had to park which were a bit hectic as this is a popular event. All of the teams decorated the vans with hilarious props and phrases and it was really fun just to walk around and check them out. As the day turned to night after our second leg we found a Denny’s open at 12:30 am to have “dinner”. Our last leg was during the wee hours and we all had to wear reflective vests and lights. There were always plenty of runners around and no one had to run by themselves through the dark. Traffic was not an issue either. By the time we finished our 3rd leg the sun was out and we had to wait for van 2 to finish the course. We found a shady tree at the Liberty Station park in San Diego and tried to get some sleep after a yummy breakfast at the Fig Tree Cafe. We all ran across the finish line together and enjoyed a couple brews in the beer garden before returning the van and heading home. The energy level was high and everyone was friendly and happy despite lacking sleep. . My hat goes off to those who chose the “ultra” option (six runners only).
First Time Ultra
This is not a race you can just get up and do. I highly recommend doing some endurance training. The distances aren't that bad if you're doing a regular team … MORE
This is not a race you can just get up and do. I highly recommend doing some endurance training. The distances aren’t that bad if you’re doing a regular team of 12 runners. It’s the lack of sleep and being in a van that will kill it.
Read the pre-race materiel! There is a lot of good tips and tricks that first time runners should follow. Fun race! Will totally do again next year!
First Time Ragnarian
This was the Ragnar race that started it all for me, this was my first relay race and I had a blast! It was such an incredible experience and one … MORE
This was the Ragnar race that started it all for me, this was my first relay race and I had a blast! It was such an incredible experience and one I will never forget. It was great getting to run with a whole team and complete this great accomplishment!