The 2004 Great Lakes Relay
- By Doug Kurtis

Last weekend seventy five teams of runners left Oscoda to embrace a three day journey of endurance, logistics and camaraderie to reach the cool Great Lakes waters under the shadow of the Mackinac Bridge.

Three days of racing on foot and jockeying cars for position to get to the next exchange point. Three days of sharing dusty roads, backwoods trails and hand slapping handoffs.

750 runners and support crewmembers traversed northern Michigan towns such as Mio, Grayling and Indian River to be part of the eleventh annual Great Lakes Relay.   Three cars per team, usually done up with graduation like regalia, housed endless supplies of wonderful junk food, suntan lotion, bug spray and music mixes to keep the spirited athletes alive (versus sleeping in the back seat).

For organizers Bob Baril and Nick Papas, setting up a 275 mile course might seem easy compared to the Tour de France. But we're not talking about professional teams and major TV money supporting the event, nor roads wide enough to handle crowds of spectators.   The course has a lot of variety. Designed with the idea of having fun and forging character.  

Just ask Mt. Pleasant's Tadpoles, Brighton's WABORDA, Kalamazoo's I Got Worms or Grand Rapid's Snot Rockets about riding for three days in dust laden SUV's as teammates jumped in and out at designated exchange points while drivers chased ahead via the GLR's auto detours.

Teams cheered for other teams, especially those that have no hope of conquer. Most important was reducing the risk of getting lost on the tricky trails or deciding when to start running concurrent legs to finish by the 7 pm closing time each day.   The trails were marked yet sometimes confusing. It was better to slow down and make the right turn than experience the razzing of your teammates and other team's mates for being lost and losing precious time.

One might think these runners are little nuts and they would be correct.   But where can you go to view a pristine lake while a guy in a wolf hat runs by or women in feathered headdress woo out their team's savage call. Baril and Papas have no problem filling the team slots.

In addition to special trophies and mugs runners rode home with special embroidered shirts as well as unique T's for completing difficult legs.   For the record, the winners were M-10 in the open division and Mizuno A.A.T.C. in the mixed.

Witnessing runners of all abilities, sizes and shapes at each exchange is what makes the race exciting. Teammates, who could care less about the South Beach Diet, wash down Cheerios, animal crackers and Cliff Bars with Powerade, while others are hollering or blowing horns so that everyone knows how proud they are that the battle is about how good you look coming in not how fast you run.   Finish times are based on age and sex handicaps but that still doesn't stop the older experienced runners from trying to challenge the younger legged newbies.

In the end, it still comes down socializing with runners across the state and bonding with teammates, an experience that doesn't happen everyday in the world of the quiet long distance runner.