Reach the Beach, Sept 12-13, 2008

[B the Hiker]

Just so you don't have to wonder what's going on with all the vans driving by if you're up in New Hampshire this weekend, this Friday and Saturday is the Reach the Beach Relay race, which starts at Cannon Mtn, heads up Rt. 3, over 302 to Conway, follows the by-pass road across Rt. 16, and then onward to Hampton Beach.

There are about 350 teams, most of which have twelve runners each, and close to 700 vans and other support vehicles.

The race starts Friday, with teams leaving Cannon anywhere from 7:30am to 3pm, and then the teams run continuously until they reach the beach some time Saturday afternoon.

 

[weatherman]

Ya know, a couple years ago I was going to do this, but the team I was on had to cancel when everyone but 3 people dropped out a month or so before the race. If there is a VFTT team next year, I'd be game... though I'd probably qualify for some old geezer category as they seem to do that after 40. .
Weatherman

 

[bubba]

Weatherman - let's do it!! A VFTT Team - very cool.

 

[roadtripper]

I'd love to join a VFTT team for this next year if I'm back running by then.

 

[LarryD]

If VFTTers are considering forming a road racing "team", and Reach the Beach seems too daunting, I highly recommend the Fred Brown Lake Winnipesaukee relay, held the week after Reach the Beach (this year on 9/20). This is an eight person run around the entire lake. Great scenery and a fun race.

 

[bubba]

...This is an eight person run around the entire lake. Great scenery and a fun race.

RUNNING??? Who mentioned running? I thought this was a van race!

 

[Toe Cozy]

RUNNING??? Who mentioned running? I thought this was a van race!

Wow..that caught me off guard and cracked me up good! Good one Bubba. The skeevy-er the van the more extra credit points you get! Oo Oo...what if you raced in the A-Team Van? That would really kick butt. So many possibilities for van racing. Why hasn't it been done as an organized event before?

 

[weatherman]

I can see it now...
the Caribou Valley Road Steeplechase, with the most points given to the road-legal 4-wheeled motorized vehicle that makes it the farthest up... extra points for small Hondas and hybrid vehicles...

the Cannon Mt Ski Trail Climb, requiring a winch at strategic places...

the Nastiest Vehicle competition, with the most points given for the van that NOBODY would break into at a trailhead...

Anyway, let's think in 6 months or so if we should have a group for next year's RTB thing. I am by no means an extreme athlete or even a good organizer, but anything combining running and NH trails is good by me, as long as training doesn't take away too much from family time.

Weatherman

 

[Mike P.]

My brother & a guy I play VB with are both in the race. If there was a bike version I might be tempted but running is out except for downhills.

 

[Sasquatch]

Drove through the race in Deerfield this morning (same as last 2 years) and I love to see the runners.I only wish I was a part of the race and not on my way to work.

 

[B the Hiker]

I'm back from the race, which was incredibly fun! It's not simply about running through beautiful parts of New Hampshire; it's also about spending 28 hours in a van with a bunch of folks, operating on just a couple hours of sleep, dealing with the rain, getting lost and getting found again, and all the rest. In short, it's a neat very experience that is quite different from the ways we go about living our lives the rest of the time.

This was my fourth race, and I highly recommend it to those who think it might be fun.

Brian

p.s. And yes, there was a team called "The A-Team" with a black van and red racing lines on it!

 

[Seeker]

Three coworkers were in that race--looking forward to hearing about it!