A Reddit conversation with Q & A from the writer
Relay Iowa is an annual charity run across the state of Iowa. At 339 miles, it is among the longest of its kind in the world.
Runners on teams of 12 take turns carrying a GPS tracker around their waist for individual legs of (usually) six miles. The 12-man rotation repeats several times; an individual will usually run about a marathon in total over the course of the relay. There is always someone running from each team, 24 hours a day. Most teams take just under 48 hours to complete the course.
I run Cross Country and Track in high school, and the majority of my team consisted of my XC teammates. We managed to complete the course in less than 44 hours. That said, you don’t have to be a runner by trade to do this relay. The organization stresses the idea that the relay is a run, not a race; they encourage people of all ability levels to run, whether they’re running 6:30s or 13:00s.
Proceeds from the relay benefit Restoring Hope Village, a group of homes for orphans in South Africa.
Have you run this relay or something like it before? Do you want to know more about my experience last weekend or about the relay in general?