It's hard to explain what this event is like to someone who's never done it. In theory it's simple: 12 team mates, 2 vans, 3 legs per runner, 200 miles. It's so much more than this though. The 6-8 months of planning ahead of time, team logistics, rentals, supplies, etc...
As the captain for my team, I thoroughly enjoyed keeping everyone on point and up to date with deadlines and where we were at in the process. Once we got on the road to Madison, everything seemed to fall into place.
It's a great starting point for a relay. Van 1 drove all the way to Madison to the starting line. Van 2 met us at the 6-7 leg handoff point. It was the first time we had seen them since Chicago. That exchange is a blast. We then had a few hours of down time before we started our second set of runs. We slept under the stars for a few hours, tried to stay energized and hydrated, and definitely learned a lot about one another. The best part of the relay was the overnight runs. We all absolutely loved running by headlamps. It's a unique experience for sure. I didn't even realize my leg was a net uphill until I looked at my Garmin later. The time and the miles flew by. We woke up next to the lake the following morning and started our last set of runs. We drove back to Chicago and met up with the rest of our team so we could finish the relay together. It was pretty incredible running through the finish line w/ 11 of my closest friends. The bonds made during this experience can never be duplicated. While this review seemed scattered and random, that sort of encapsulates what this race is. The easy part is running. The tough/amazing part is the time in between. Do this race. Do one somewhere. It will change your perspective and keep you vested in this "hobby of running" we call "life" forever.