So much goes on in a 36 hour Ragnar Relay! It is so difficult to recap a race like Ragnar but I am going to try. Last weekend’s Ragnar Niagara Falls was by far my most favorite Ragnar race to date. Let me tell you all about it.
Ragnar Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls relay starts outside of Toronto in a small town called Cobourg in Ontario. We flew up on Wednesday from DC (an easy 1 hour flight). I will recap the Toronto time in a separate post. Thursday afternoon we headed out to Cobourg to meet up with the rest of our team (12 runners, 2 vans) and check in for the race.
We started our adventure in a small local restaurant with a team dinner. One of our MRTT runners was able to rope in 3 Canadian friends. The rest of us just met them for the first time. I am sure it’s not easy to jump into a van with 9 crazy Americans that you have never met before but they were such good sports. We became instant friends!
One of the most fun rituals of a Ragnar race is to decorate your vans. We like to post all of our photos on the vans and also have some fun with our team name, “Moms Do It All Night Long”.
Van 2 is ready to rock it!
Let the silliness begin…we were armed and ready. No chafing for these mother runners thanks to Body Glide.
Because I was in van 2 this time, we had a later start for our 6 runners. Our van was set to start around noon on Friday (van 1 started at 6:30 am) so we headed out to fuel up for our runs. So what happens when 6 runners in a van eating breakfast meet up with comedians in cars drinking coffee?….
Yup Jerry Seinfeld was sitting at the table next to us in some middle of nowhere Canadian town. I was elected to go over and strike up a convo. This is me explaining to him all about Ragnar relays and how they run. Yup he pretty much thought we were nuts but did agree to a group photo. Our adventure was off to a great start indeed!
We made it to the exchange point and briefly met up with our friends from van 1. I would say the biggest downside to Ragnar is that the 2 vans really do not get to spend that much time together.
Let’s do this van 2! We were excited to start our first runs of the race.
Before I knew it, I was off and running my first leg 6.7 miles.
I was alone on a wooded trail, when I met some new running friends. They wild turkeys were enormous and I mean enormous! I admit I was a little afraid to run by them at the time. Other than that, my first run was pretty good.
Van 2 finished their first runs by around 6 pm and it was time to refuel again. We filled up on pizza and salads. Our second set of runs was set to begin around midnight Friday night. My run was around 1:30 am (5.7 miles) in the pitch black. My headlamp did not seem to do much good and I was so glad that I had my knuckle lights to light up the path. No wild animals on this leg but I did get soaked by some sprinklers. That will wake you up in the middle of the night!
Okay there is no way to recap a whole Ragnar Relay race in one post so to be continued on Friday!
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Wow, those turkeys do look intimidating! What lovely friendship and silliness – love it!
The friendship and silliness are the best part of the race!
I think it’s so cool that you ran into Jerry Seinfeld. What are the chances?
Looking forward to Part 2!
It really was the oddest thing! He really thought we were just nuts 🙂
You did a great job with this recap! I still cant believe that you had a celebrity sighting basically in the middle of nowhere, lol. So great that he posed for a group photo with all of the ladies!
It was the funniest thing. He was very nice and thought we were completely nuts!
Wow on Jerry Seinfeld! How random is that?! Yikes on the wild turkeys. I would love to join you do this one again!
So many wacky things happen! I really do hope we can run one together sometime it’s a great bonding experience
This looks like such a fun time. You guys made the most of the race.
I’m not a Ragnar fan but I would love to run near Niagara Falls.
We sure did make the most of things. I never thought that I would be a Ragnar person until I did one!
I still think it’s so cool you saw Jerry Seinfield in a random restaurant. A good start to the race for sure! Those turkeys are huge but awesome and scary at the same time. Can’t wait to hear about the rest!
Awesome and scary at the same time!
Awesome recap, Deborah. Ragnar Niagara was truly epic!
Thanks Michelle! So glad that you joined us we loved having you on our team. Your positive energy was fantastic! Definitely plan on keeping in touch with you and hope we can race together again sometime.
Wow! I can’t believe that you met Jerry Seinfeld. That is the coolest. I love the way that you decorated your vans. Ragnars are such fun, I can’t wait to read the rest of your recap!
They really are a blast! So much happens in 36 hours
Sounds like such a fun time!! I love that your group had a mix of American and Canadian women, and your team name is fabulous. My hubby did a Ragnar race a few years back and enjoyed it too. That’s hilarious that you ran into Jerry Seinfeld!
Our team was a great blend of ladies! We had an absolutely fabulous time
Seriously, what are the chances of running into Jerry Seinfield? Very cool (what was he doing there, anyway?).
We’ve had wild turkeys in our neighborhood on & off over the years. Yup, them’s some big birds.
Glad your knucklelights lit the trail for you. Even without an encounter that must be spooky!
He was doing a show in the area and just happened to be there. Strange coincidence
What a start to the race!! Jerry Seinfeld, huh? That’s pretty crazy!!! So glad you had a good time and looking forward to part 2.
It was an interesting start to the race!
How fun!!! Yes, the Knuckle Lights are awesome…I have never used a headlamp, but often wondered how effective (or comfortable) they were.
So Ragnar requires the headlamps but I am not a fan. They bug me and they are not very comfy. The knuckle lights are so much better
How fun to have met Jerry Seinfeld! Love that he agreed to a photo with your van!
He was very nice!
That’s so cool that you got to meet Jerry Seinfeld! What an exciting race weekend!
It was an exciting weekend all around
So much fun! Makes me want to sign up for another one! How cool that you saw Jerry Seinfeld. Haha, for sure he thought you were all crazy runners!
Can’t wait to read the rest!
They are addictive aren’t they!?
I will admit that the midnight leg is my favorite, which is really weird for someone who in generally in bed at 9 and hates to run in the dark. It’s just special somehow.
It’s so cool that you met Jerry Seinfeld and your whole adventure sounds like so much fun. I can’t wait to read part 2!
It is unique and special to run in the middle of the night and makes you feel a little extra bad ass!
Jerry Seinfeld?! That’s so cool! And it seems like he was really nice, haha.
He sure was nice!
OMG that is so unbelievably cool that you met, talked with and took a photo with Jerry Seinfeld. So odd that he would be there? I absolutely love his show – so fun!! And yes, wild turkeys are intimidating. I see them around here all the time and just pray they don’t attack.
Love the recap so far and looking forward to part deux 🙂
I had no idea on what would happen with the turkeys!Yes it was fun to meet him and he was apparently doing a show in a nearby town
I love all these races you do. Your recaps are great. I need to get me some friends who have the desire to do these types of races.
I hope you have the chance to do one sometime-they are really a blast!
Yay!!! So far it sounds amazing! I saw that photo of you and Jerry Seinfeld and was like “What?!??” how random that he was there! I would have been a tad freaked out by animal guests on the trail, but then again I guess the humans are the guests! (I had sheep on my late night leg 2 run, which all I saw at first were hundreds of beady glowing eyes!). On to read part 2!
Yes it really was random and fun! Wow sheep??
I had no doubt you were the one to approach Jerry Seinfeld! I would have done the same. Those turkeys would have terrified me! I’ve been hissed at by so many geese, I fear them too!
The turkeys really did freak me out!
Loved reading this! Always wondered what it’s like to run a Ragnar. And I love Comedians in Cars drinking Coffee!
Ragnar races are such a blast and an experience like nothing else. Hope you have a chance to do one sometime