How do the pros and cons of a virtual relay compare to a live one?

PROS	CONS
No stinky van to climb into	No stinky van to climb into
I can take a shower after each leg	Where is everybody?
I can rest in my own bed	No 1 Mile to Go signs
I can design my legs to not have hills	No cheers from other teams when I reach the end of my leg
I can still earn a cool WWR or FFR finisher medal	No high fives or hugs from my teammates when I finish my leg
	No awesome volunteers at the runner exchanges
	No crossing the finish line with my team

Here are the 2020 medals you will earn.

2020 is the first year of the four-year series of Flaming Foliage Relay medals. Don't regret missing out on the first year of this medal series..

SO HOW WILL A RLT VIRTUAL RELAY WORK?

Flexibility will be the name of the game this year. Teams can be any size, from a solo runner to up to twelve for the Wild West Relay and ten for the Flaming Foliage Relay.

Ultra teams run six legs and normally consist of six runners for the WWR and five for the FFR. Again, team size is flexible with the requirement being each runner runs six legs.

The only requirement is each team is required to run number of of legs that is based on their team size (example: team of three runs nine legs; an ultra team runs 18 legs) of the appropriate distances for the chosen relay within a 36 hour period. The leg distances will be assigned so that each team size is running the same total distance.

Runners will design their own legs using their favorite running routes or discovering new ones, using using MapMyRun or Google Earth, to create a route with the appropriate distance for each of their assigned legs.

Bibs, shirts, and finisher medals will be mailed prior to each virtual relay, unless the team would like all the swag mailed to the captain, so you'll have the props for taking great photos. Be sure your mailing address in the online database is correct.

DATES

For the Wild West Relay, teams must finish and post their results by midnight on Sunday August 9th. Ideally, teams are running their virtual relay between August 7th and 9th so teams can share their race via social media.

For the Flaming Foliage Relay, teams must finish and post their results by midnight on Sunday September 13th. Ideally, teams are running their virtual relay between September 11th and 13th so teams can share their race via social media.

But it's not all about running; it's also about having fun. The camaraderie that happens on the team (and amongst the teams) is a big part of what makes our races so special. We encourage you to throw on some costumes, decorate your van, and get to know your fellow runners through social media. In short: we want you to have a freaking blast out there. This is about building a sense of community both on and off the race course.

RLT RELAY PHILOSOPHY

We organize our relay races with one thing in mind: you. Keeping the runner in the forefront of our minds during the development and execution of our relays has allowed us to implement multi-component running events that benefit both the runner and the community.

The building of camaraderie between your team and those you are running against, as well as sleep deprivation, van decorations, costumes, and silly inside jokes adds to the fun and uniqueness of a relay race.

If you've never done a relay before, or are considering being a team captain for the first time, please read Relay 101.

GIVING BACK

One of the things that makes our races really special is that we're not just trying to provide a positive experience for our runners. We're also trying to help the communities that our races run through. We have raised and distributed over $390,000 for local charities through our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Volunteers with a Purpose, Inc. See each race's Volunteer Options page for more information (we pioneered the concept of giving teams the option to involving non-profit organizations in relays as the race marshals through a donation - we are the only relay that does this through a non-profit organization making your donation tax deductible and transparent).

We also donate 1% of our total revenue to environmental organizations through our membership in 1% For the Planet. Our donations have totaled over $23,000 since 2006.

SINCE 2005, WE'VE FOCUSED ON BRINGING QUALITY TO RELAY RACING BY:

• Designing courses that give each participant a great running experience
• Working with the communities along the course, so you'll feel welcomed
• Actively soliciting participant feedback so we can keep improving
• Improving relay racing for all with our industry-leading innovations
• Raising funds to involve and support local non-profit organizations
• Reducing our environmental impact through noise control and green practices: we donate one percent of our total revenue to environmental organizations through our membership with 1% For the Planet (since 2006).

We invite you to take a look at our races and to celebrate running with us.

WHAT RUNNERS HAVE TOLD US

The Wild West Relay is such a great Colorado race - Denver Post Aug 2014

Your races are SUPERBLY RUN and the standard by which all relay events should be judged.
MT, Denver CO

My first year with your relay though I had competed in several other versions in the past.  Your event stands head and shoulders above the other two companies I have experience with.
BW, Wheat Ridge CO

Thank you so much for an extraordinarily well-run (pun intended) event. I can’t believe how smoothly this race went—extending over such a big chunk of the state, over an extended period of time, and involving so many runners and volunteers. You clearly have put a great deal of thought and love into the relay.

I want to call out a few things that struck me as being very special about the FFR. The first is that everyone involved in the race, from the race director through every last volunteer and runner I interacted with, was kind, polite, and positive. I have NEVER encountered that; it just felt to me like a big love in for running and for Colorado, which made the relay even more special to me. The other thing that I noticed was the quality of the maps, directions, and signage. A great deal of care was taken for accuracy, which helped my own confidence about running at night and in crappy weather. I knew that you weren’t going to lose me!

I knew before the FFR from word of mouth that it was a good event, but now I feel like a FFR evangelist. I’m looking forward to next year’s race, and I hope to bring some new-to-relays runners with me.

KJ, Boulder CO

Our team just ran the Wild West relay for the second time - our first one was four years ago. Four years ago we couldn't appreciate how well organized this race was, our first one hadn't taught us the lessons of a poorly organized relay yet. The past few years we have done other relays in Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. Yours by far has the absolute best organization, setup, and volunteer base that we have ever seen.  I know you pull your volunteers from a third-party organization, but you are ultimately the one responsible for making sure they are prepared to do their job and they clearly are. They are knowledgeable, helpful, friendly, and chipper which is all a team can ask for at 4am when they are rolling into an exchange point on zero sleep and miles and miles down in 90+ degree weather.  Additionally, your leg maps, handbooks, and many many emails go above and beyond.  I am sure your job is a difficult and a stressful one and we all just wanted you to know how much we appreciate your obvious passion for your job.  We look forward to our next RLT Relay! AB, Casper WY

When you start this adventure you think this is just about being crazy and running; but, you soon learn this is about relationships and analogous to life in general. In the early legs of life you start with ambition, energy and excitement. In the tougher legs of life you rely on your friends, will and desire or determination to get you through.
SK, Arvada CO

We were extremely impressed by the Wild West Relay. You could not have picked and designed a more beautiful course! Your course challenged us and provided us with memories that will last a lifetime. CD Littleton, CO

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QUESTIONS?

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding our relay races.