This was the most fun I've ever had with a group of strangers! I fell into an amazing group of people who were searching for a replacement for a team member who unexpectedly was unable to participate.

It was a blast! We had a full team (12 members) that was split between two vans. We painted the windows, had tons of snacks, and laughed almost the entire time.

The race starts in Austin. Relay teams take turns running legs of varying distances and difficulty non-stop until you hit the finish line 223 miles away in Corpus Christi at the battleship!

Pros:

- The race provides leg summaries and ranks them based in distance/difficulty which is great. Everyone can participate at a level that is good for them!

- There are participants of all levels and abilities, and everyone is extremely welcoming! I had a great time chatting with the members of other teams on the course and at the exchange points

- You get to see some beautiful Texas terrain; it's the longest relay in Texas!

- Great medal

- It is a really cool feeling to run on a Texas highway (thought it was intimidating too!)

- The event goes on day and night, and I absolutely loved the night portions. It was a spooky feeling to be running down a dark road only seeing the lights of other runners.

Cons:

- I'm not a fan of "burnout" material race shirts, so I didn't love the shirt. It was a cute design though!

- Some areas have limited/less than stellar restroom facilities. Not the fault of the RD at all, just the area!

Tips:

- Pack your vans according to legs! We all just hopped in randomly; to get better rest and breaks, put legs 1-6 in one van and legs 7-12 in the other. Trust me, it will make everything so much easier!

- To minimize the smell, have changes of clothes in ziplock bags. After your leg, immediately change into new clothes and put the old ones in a sealed ziplock. It will smell TERRIBLE when you open it at home, but it will contain the smell instead of making the van stink.

- Wear lots of lights! During the night legs, being crazy lit-up can help your teammates see and identify you from further away. Plus it's fun!

- There is a half marathon RIGHT by the hotel most relay runners stay at the day after the relay ends. If you're feeling sassy, go for it!