Oct. 19-20 – Garner to Atlantic Beach
The inaugural Tuna Run 200 is an amazing overnight relay adventure that brings you and your friends together to run across eastern North Carolina before finishing at the beach, where a fabulous party is waiting for you. This 200-mile trek starts just outside of Raleigh at the scenic Lake Benson park in Garner on Friday, Oct. 19. The course will then travel east through the farmlands and forests of eastern North Carolina before reaching Emerald Isle and the southern Outer Banks on the Crystal Coast. The last 20 miles of this journey will involve running along the Outer Banks to finish on the boardwalk at Atlantic Beach.
For those that are not familiar with 200-mile overnight relays, here are the basics. Teams will start running on the morning of Oct. 19, continue running throughout the night, and finish on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 20. The course covers roughly 200 miles and is divided into 36 legs with designated runner exchange locations. Each leg averages about five to six miles, but can range from two to 10 miles depending on where a suitable exchange location is found.
You will have your team to help you run this 200 miles. Most teams consist of 12 runners, with each runner running three legs of about five to six miles each. With about 10 hours off between legs, you will be running 15-17 miles over about 24 hours. The training for this is similar to training for a half-marathon. Teams can range from four to 12 runners, with seven to 12 runners considered a full team and four to six runners an ultra team. With a four- to six-person team you and your team members will be running well over a marathon with very little sleep – which just adds to the challenge and fun.
The camaraderie, lack of sleep, living out of a van for 30 hours, night legs and new friends combine to make this a unique running experience that you will not forget. It will also likely have you planning for next year well before this year’s adventure is over.
After all the running is done, you get to hang out at the beach and relax. There will be a post-race party featuring – what else – tuna and, of course, beer! There will also be music, beautiful scenery, and time with your friends to talk about what you have just accomplished.
There are numerous discounts available to teams. Check out the Tuna Run 200 website at www.tunarun200.com to see which discount opportunities will work best for you and your team.
What are you waiting for? Grab your running friends who you won’t mind spending 24-plus hours with and register for the Tuna Run 200!
THINGS TO DO
Runners in the Tuna Run 200 will cross the finish line on the oceanfront boardwalk in the heart of the town of Atlantic Beach. Atlantic Beach is part of North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, an area that has a lot to offer race participants, whether they are coming for the tuna, the running, or other action sports. The region’s excellent restaurant scene is balanced by many action sports outlets including surfing, sport fishing, and some of the country’s best diving.
Atlantic Beach is home to Fort Macon State Park, a Civil War-era fort and nature preserve. On the other end of town, the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is a world-class facility that allows visitors close-up views of sea creatures of all shapes and sizes, including several sharks in a 300,000-gallon tank containing a three-quarter-sized replica of U-352, a German U-boat that was sunk off the Crystal Coast during World War II.
If this scaled replica won’t suffice, you can visit the actual wreck among others in the Graveyard of the Atlantic with the help of the award-winning Olympus Dive Charters (www.olympusdiving.com). Olympus is located nearby on the waterfront in downtown Morehead City. Along with the dive boats, the Morehead waterfront hosts one of the largest working charter fishing boat fleets on the East Coast. The area around this waterfront is also a dining and nightlife hub that is representative of the area’s well-regarded culinary scene. www.downtownmoreheadcity.com
Accommodations around Atlantic Beach can be found in hotels, motels, vacation rentals, or bed and breakfasts a few minutes away in the historic harbor town of Beaufort. Visit www.crystalcoastnc.org for a complete listing of accommodations, restaurants, and attractions.
