Awesome! What else can be said about the second annual Blue Ridge Relay, which was held Friday and Saturday, September 8th and 9th. Thirty-five teams (more than triple the number in 2005) participated in this unique event where teams of 6 - 12 runners per team and their enthusiasm, cooperation, and extreme ability to run for 208 miles from Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia to Asheville, North Carolina made this event a remarkable experience for everyone involved.

After 208 miles of running, less than 30 seconds separated the first two teams across the finish line. Norman's Maggots, based in Asheville, NC led the field with a time of 22 hours, 44 minutes, and 12 seconds. The Master's Team winner (40 years and older) and second place finisher overall was Rock Hill Striders, Rock Hill, SC, 25 hours, 37 minutes, and 16 seconds. Norm's Maggots set a new course record and Rock Hill Striders set a new record for the Master's Division.

2006 Blue Ridge Relay Results

Pl	Div	Number	Time	        Pace	Hometown	  Team Name	
1	open	12	22:44:12	6:34	Asheville, NC	  Jus Running - Norman's Maggots	
2	master	12	25:37:16	7:23	Rock Hill, SC	  Rock Hill Striders	
3	master	12	26:14:51	7:34	Marble, NC	  Murphy's Law	
4	mixed	12	26:42:57	7:42	Asheville, NC	  Team Shoulder to Shoulder	
5	open	12	26:56:59	7:46	Hickory, NC	  Hickory Kenyans	
6	open	12	27:14:30	7:51	Richmond, VA	  Blue Mountain Oysters	
7	open	12	27:25:00	7:55	Millers Creek, NC Pace Makers	
8	mixed	12	27:54:30	8:02	Charlotte, NC	  Queen City's Finest	
9	open	6	28:32:09	8:14	Greeneville, TN	  Panic	
10	open	12	28:38:17	8:16	Charlotte, NC	  Essence of Charlie	
11	open	8	28:38:48	8:16	Indian Trail, NC  Playbook for Life Racing	
12	open	12	28:50:13	8:19	Louisville, KY	  Ridge Runners	
13	open	12	28:51:00	8:19	Charlotte, NC	  Bear Footers	
14	open	12	28:51:12	8:19	Blowing Rock, NC  Womble Bulldogs	
15	open	12	28:51:35	8:19	Thomasville, NC	  12 Runners Running	
16	open	12	28:51:36	8:20	Atlanta, GA	  Asskickin' Nametakers	
17	open	12	29:29:13	8:30	Concord, NC	  TEAM VAS-O-LEAN	
18	open	12	29:35:31	8:32	Clyde, NC	  Haywood Harriers	
19	mixed	11	29:36:02	8:32	Highpoint, NC	  Old Enough to Know Better	
20	mixed	12	29:44:31	8:35	Durham, NC	  Worth the Pain	
21	open	11	30:46:51	8:35	Dickson, TN	  Blue Ridge Heelers	
22	mixed	12	30:03:11	8:40	Greenville, SC	  Greenville Lab Rats	
23	open	12	30:04:12	8:40	Asheville, NC	  Team HomeTrust	
24	open	9	30:28:14	8:47	Richmond, VA	  Pack of Fools	
25	mixed	12	30:30:16	8:48	Asheville, NC	  Jus Running - Maggots Too	
26	open	10	30:50:00	8:54	Winston-Salem, NC Bitchingly Close	
27	open	6	30:58:57	8:56	Fort Mill, SC	  Low Hanging Fruit	
28	master	12	31:01:48	8:57	Shelby, NC	  RUN 4 MATT	
29	mixed	12	31:02:40	8:57	Orlando, FL	  Smokey & The Bandit	
30	open	12	31:05:15	8:58	Jacksonville, NC  Hard Name	
31	open	12	31:45:26	9:10	Charlotte, NC	  Trippcat's Trekkers	
32	mixed	12	31:50:38	9:11	Wilkesboro, NC	  Sole Mates	
33	open	12	32:27:25	9:22	Charlotte, NC	  Delaney's Dawgs	
34	open	10	32:34:53	9:24	Edmond, OK	  Okies, Cajuns & Cowboys	
35	open	10	33:58:18	9:48	Nashville, TN	  Southern Stride	

The Blue Ridge Relay is a 208-mile running race, which starts in Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia and finishes in Asheville, North Carolina. Teams of 6-12 runners completed the course in a series of 36 legs/exchanges. The course offers some of the well-known scenery of the Virginia and North Carolina Mountains, but highlights the beauty of our less-traveled countryside, sounds of our sparkling creeks, the coolness of our mountain hollows, and some very big views. The course is as challenging as it is beautiful with a total gain in elevation of over 12,000 feet and total loss of almost 15,000 feet.

The runners enjoyed many of our small towns and quaint, mountain communities. Some of the towns are well established, others are finding a rebirth, and others offer the warmth, charm, and hospitality of a lone country store. Thank you for your support, for your hospitality, for encouraging the runners, and for being courteous while driving.

The Blue Ridge Relay is grateful for the support received from Gum Ridge Mill & Flying Pig Furniture and Hometown Realty, both of Ashe County, NC; Hometrust Bank of Asheville, NC; Grayson Highlands State Park; the Blue Ridge Parkway; Carolina West Wireless; Ashe County Arts Council; and Wendell Family Chiropractic Center.

The Blue Ridge Relay would not have been possible without the gracious support from our local community, who allowed the Relay to use their facilities for exchange zones. These exchange zones were kind enough to provide both location and volunteers: Grayson Highlands State Park, Helton United Methodist Church, Ashe County Park, Bald Mountain Baptist Church, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Grandfather Mountain, Pensacola Sales and Service, Ox Creek Community Center and Hometrust Bank.

We are also grateful to:

Grayson Highlands State Park (Grayson County)
Helton United Methodist Church (Ashe County)
Landmark Baptist Church (Ashe County)
Ashe County Park (Ashe County)
Friendly Grove Baptist Church (Ashe County)
Bald Mountain Baptist Church (Ashe County)
Zion Methodist Church (Ashe County)
Mr. I.S. Cooper (Ashe County)
Green Valley Community Park (Watauga County)
Laurel Springs Baptist Church (Watauga County)
Mount Vernon Baptist Church (Watauga County)
The Tanger Outlets (Watauga County)
Grandfather Mountain Market (Watauga County)
Grandfather Mountain (Avery County)
Mr. Jim Hughes (Avery County)
Newland Elementary School (Avery County)
Mount Pleasant Baptist Church (Avery County)
Gragg Farm and Nursery (Avery County)
Mount Pleasant Baptist Church (Avery County)
Plumtree Presbyterian Church (Avery County)
The Toe River Lodge (Avery County)
Riverside Elementary School (Avery County)
Mt. Carmel Baptist Church (Mitchell County)
Ingles Grocery Store, Spruce Pine (Mitchell County)
Penland School (Mitchell County) 
Snow Creek Storage (Mitchell County) 
Snow Hill Plaza (Mitchell County)
Mine Creek Tack and Supply (Mitchell County)
Cornerstone Bible Church (Mitchell County)
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church (Yancey County)
The Whitson General Store (Yancey County)
Clearmont Elementary School (Yancey County)
Mountain Heritage High School (Yancey County)
Cooper's Feed and Tack (Yancey County)
Pensacola Sales and Service (Yancey County)
Laurel Branch Baptist Church (Yancey County) 
Pensacola United Methodist Church (Yancey County)
Hawksnest Resort (Yancey County)
North Black Mountain Missionary Baptist Church (Buncombe County)
Beech Community Center (Buncombe County)
Ox Creek Community Center (Buncombe County)
South Fork Independent Methodist Church (Buncombe County)
Hometrust Bank, Asheville (Buncombe County)

The Blue Ridge Relay is also grateful for the generous support, time, and lack of sleep given by our volunteers who served as Race Officials, including students from the Health Leisure and Exercise Science Department at Appalachian State University, friends, and family.

"This event was one of the most amazing things I have ever done! Everything from my team to the course exceeded my expectations and I will be there next year. I battled some motion sickness from riding on those twisty mountains roads (coming from Central Ohio, I'm not used to that) but that is not going to stop me from coming back. I can't wait to tell all the runners I know about this event," Amy, Ridge Runners.

Plans are underway for the 2007 Blue Ridge Relay. For additional information about the Blue Ridge Relay visit www.BlueRidgeRelay.com or call 336.877.8888.