Gather your friends and get a team (or two) together for the second annual Tuna Run 200 Relay, Oct. 18-19, 2013. This running adventure takes teams of four to 12 runners relay-style from Raleigh all the way to Atlantic Beach, crossing over 200 miles along the way. The course is divided into 36 individual legs with designated starting and ending locations for each leg. The camaraderie, lack of sleep, living out of a van for 30 hours, running in the middle of the night, communities along the way, and new friends combine to make this an unforgettable running experience. It will likely have you planning for next year well before this year’s adventure is over.
Teams will start running at 6 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 18, at Lake Benson park in Garner, N.C., just outside of Raleigh. Starting times will be staggered throughout the morning based on pace – faster teams starting later – with the goal to have everybody finish on the boardwalk in Atlantic Beach between 1 and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, to enjoy the post-race party. This great finish is right on the beach and runners will enjoy a cookout with great food, beer (and other drinks), music and much more.
Don’t worry if you are not an ultra runner – this race is for anybody who loves hanging out with friends and running. It is true that a four- to six-person team will have each individual running more than 35 miles across six to nine legs and 30 hours. However, a 12-person team will have each runner putting in roughly 15 to 20 miles broken up over three legs, with about a 10-hour break in between each leg. Anybody who has run a half-marathon has the endurance to run the Tuna Run 200.
Last year more than 600 runners and 55 teams completed the journey, and many more are expected this year. The winning team, “Roadkill,” covered the 200-mile course in 25 hours and 53 minutes – a 7:31 minutes-per-mile pace. But you don’t have to be an elite team to run the event. The bulk of the teams average between 9 and 10:15 minutes per mile. All the teams are out to have a great race and a fun time, as reflected in some of the team names, such as Herding Cats, Just for the Halibut, Eye of the Tuna, Speedy Sashimi and Tunami.
Please visit www.tunarun200.com for more information. On the website you can find out about some great discounts and promotions for this year’s event. If you have any questions, please email the race at info@tunarun200.com.
