Get Outside Mountain Relay (GOMR) – May 31, 2018 – Glade Valley NC

A really interesting twist on the relay format.

FROM THE RACE ORGANIZERS

Think of wheel:

• The Hub is GOMR Nation where Gomers rest, have fun, and live as a community. It is the logistics headquarters of GOMR.
• The Spokes are where GOMR Volunteers will be taking Gomers out to their start legs and bringing them back to the Hub when their leg is done.
• The Tire is the beautiful and challenging mountain course of GOMR.
• GOMR is a road race where teams of between 4-12 runners (Gomers) will rotate through 36 legs, as they run 208 miles around Alleghany County, NC.
• The course is a 104-mile loop, beginning and ending at GOMR Nation. The loop will be completed twice for the 208-mile relay.

The format for most relay races these days is to start in one location and end up 200 or more miles away, usually in a busy city with difficult parking. Though a percentage of people enjoy that aspect, the vast majority of runners will cross the finish line, maybe grab a meal with their team, then head home.

And this is usually the problem. Because you’ve been without your personal vehicle, it is almost logistically impossible for those two vans to get everyone where they need to be. It is more likely that you will have to have someone come pick you up; which is another additional expense of time and money. You also have to find unique ways to rest, stretch, and sleep while cramped in a van with all your team’s belongings.

GOMR is radically changing the norm, but sticks to the spirit of relay racing. The two major differences between GOMR and other relays are that the start and finish are in the same location and teams will not have to rent vans and drive during the relay. Let’s face it, the journey is the destination.

We’re all doing relays because we want to achieve a personal goal and spend time with friends (or strangers that become friends). Getting to spend that down time with your whole team (except those running) in the relaxing and festive atmosphere on GOMR Nation trumps trying to find a parking space in some city with heavy traffic and hundreds of other vans.

GOMR Nation (campus of Blue Ridge Christian School) will be the hub for the relay. Starting and ending in the same location has enormous benefits.

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