24-Hour Relay

Youthful Energy

While taking a nostalgic look through my running scrapbook, I came upon an event I'd almost forgotten. On June 14-15, 1980, in Lynchburg, VA, I participated in a 24-hour relay as part of a ten-member team. The event was organized by endurance icon, Steve Bozeman, a former marine and multi-ironman veteran. Two teams of ten runners competed to see which team could cover the most distance in 24 hours on the Brookville High School track. Each team member ran a mile and handed a baton to the next runner. After all ten team members had run their first mile, the tenth runner would hand off to the first runner who would run his second mile and begin the second relay cycle. This procedure went on for 24 hours with no breaks or runner substitutions.

The average age of our team was 33 years old. The other team was composed of younger guys.  If all runners on our team ran 6 minutes per mile, our team would cover 10 miles in an hour and 240 miles in 24 hours. We ultimately fell short of 240 miles because our team average ended up greater than 6 minutes per mile. Although we finished behind the younger guys who did about 244 miles, we managed to cover a respectable 221.75 miles in 24 hours.

Running started at 8:20am on June 14th. I was the 6th runner in our team's running order and took off with energy and enthusiasm when I first received the baton. I had done no special training or speed work to prepare for this event. Having lost all feeling for pacing, I went out at what I thought was just under 6 minute/mile pace. It turned out I ran with too much enthusiasm because, with a nearly all out effort, I did my first mile in 5:22. Afterward my legs were tight and my breathing violent. The consequences of this foolish pacing wouldn't become apparent until hours later.

After the first mile roughly an hour would pass before I needed to take the baton for my second mile. It might seem that an hour's rest between mile runs is a generous recovery time. This was true for the first few hours, but, gradually, it seemed like the hour was passing too quickly. After handing off the baton I would walk at least two or more very slow laps to cool down and recover. At this point I would still be too charged up to sit or lie down. All too soon it would be time to begin preparing for the next mile. I would walk/jog another couple laps to loosen up. Consequently, less than an hour between relay legs was available for substantial rest.

Soon the baton slapped into my hand for the second time, and I was off for my second mile. This time, again foolishly, I competed with a younger runner from the other team and pushed myself to a 5:21 mile. Afterward, my legs were really tight and my breathing desperate. The strain of the first two miles must have knocked some sense into my knucklehead because I did the third mile in a more reasonable 5:49.

At that point, finally, I thought a good plan would be to pace more wisely and run each mile closer to 6 minutes. The plan worked for the next 3 miles which I ran in 5:41, 5:43, and 5:52. During the 5:52 sixth mile, however, serious back cramps began. The cramps felt like two giant hands squeezing my lungs so I couldn't breath properly. My legs felt reasonably good, but breathing was painful, and it hurt to take a deep breath. The effect of cramps was immediately evident. My notes for the next 5 miles say: 7th mile in 6:04, cramps in back and chest ; 8th mile in 6:37, back cramps affect breathing ; 9th mile in 6:21, cramps loosen a bit ; 10th mile in 6:04, cramps hit on last lap ; 11th mile in 6:26, cramps improving. Cramps caused by my initial fast pace worsened during the heat of the day when there was no escape from the blazing Sun.

Next is a picture of me during a relay leg on the Brookville High School track. You can see the baton in my right hand. I was 31 years old and weighed 145 pounds at the time, 20 pounds lighter than I am today 44 years later. The lyrics to Bob Seger's "Like a Rock" come to mind.

After each run I tried to cool down, rest, drink, and warm up for the next run. Although I brought a folding lounge chair, it was really difficult to sit for any appreciable time after running. Any small advantage gained by sitting would be completely cancelled by muscle tightening. By the time I was ready to sit there wasn't much time remaining before I needed to get up moving again to prepare for the next mile. As the day wore on it became increasingly difficult to get going during the first running lap. I would groan through slow, achy, crampy initial laps until everything loosened enough to run the remaining laps at respectable pace.

Here's another picture taken during the hot day. You can see developing sunburn on my shoulders. Notice the speaker on the track in the background. The younger guys provided music ranging from the Beach Boys to the theme from Rocky.

Near sunset it was time for my 12th mile which I ran in 6:11. After sunset I temporarily felt better in the dark. The 13th mile was covered in 6:16. The 14th mile was 6:13. I noted extreme tightness during the 6:18 15th mile. Somehow I managed a 6:09 16th mile. At this point, a couple hours after midnight, heavy fatigue set in. The 17th mile was 6:31, the slowest since cramp-plagued mile 8. Things got even worse. My notes for the next two miles said, "fading fast". Near my 4:00am low point before dawn, miles 18 and 19 were both covered in 6:43. These were my slowest miles of the entire relay.

During the night many runners would finish running, drink something, then crawl into a sleeping bag until their next turn came up. They would rise groaning, and hobble out stiff-legged to run. Several times we had to wake up teammates by shaking and shouting. I stayed awake the whole 24 hours because I couldn't relax enough to sleep between relay legs. Each time I rose from the lounge chair was agony.

During my 20th mile the Sun rose and I ran 6:28. As the day brightened my 21st mile was covered in 6:30. Now the end was in sight! Sometime close to 7:45am on June 15th I ran my 22nd mile in 6:13. It was my last mile because 24 hours arrived by 8:20am before my next turn came up.      

So, after 24 hours, taking into account precise times instead of the rounded times mentioned above, I had run 22 miles at an average pace of 6:10.1. Although another teammate and I tied for the fastest individual mile time of 5:21, I had only the fourth best overall average among my teammates. On our team the best two overall individual averages were about 5 seconds under 6-minute pace for 24 hours. They did it by sensible pacing. If I could somehow return in a time machine to run this event again, I wouldn't start out with the crazy, all out effort I expended in the first miles. If I had run the first few miles at 5:50 pace, I might have avoided the debilitating cramps that plagued me for the final 17 miles.

I can't remember what I ate or drank during the relay, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the best possible fuel. Modern energy gels were certainly not used, and I didn't drink Gatorade. I probably drank apple juice. Afterward I had lost 7 pounds.

During the entire event I kept a record of all the quarter mile laps I completed either running or walking. Total laps came to 180, so I covered 45 miles during 24 hours. Once upon a time I had the strength and energy to complete this unique event.