• Teams will be sent a spreadsheet to fill out in late spring to report anticipated course paces, from which we will assign start times. Slower paced teams will start as early as 5 am on Friday, July 31st and faster paced teams will start as late as 9 am on Friday. The goal is to keep all teams relatively close together on the course and arriving/leaving from each exchange during the Open Times for both volunteer, safety and permitting purposes. 

• Vehicles ARE allowed to be left at the Anhauser Busch brewing plant in Fort Collins throughout the weekend of the race, if team members need to meet there before the start. Carpooling to the start is also recommended. 

• Use the run.Colorado Relays Facebook group if additional carpooling is needed to and from the race start or finish in Steamboat, or if you're looking to join a team or need another team member

Starting a Leg Early to Avoid Exchange Cutoffs: What to do if your team will be above the 10:00 Pace

Relay teams are not required to wait for their incoming runner to arrive before sending the next runner onto the course. If a team is at risk of missing an exchange cutoff time, the next runner may begin their assigned leg early and proceed toward the exchange point. This allows the team to continue making forward progress and remain within exchange opening and closing times.

Once the incoming runner reaches the exchange, they hop into the team vehicle, and the team can continue following the normal relay sequence. Teams are responsible for coordinating these adjustments and ensuring they do not create unsafe situations for runners, volunteers, or other participants. The goal is to help teams safely continue the event and reach the finish line within the overall race cutoff.

Teams may only do this if at risk of falling behind. The only rule is that the adjustments must be tracked via team time logs, must be communicated to the volunteers at the exchange and you cannot leave an exchange until its "open" time and of course must leave each exchange by its "closed" time.  

Bottom line: This adjustment makes it possible for teams of any pace to participate in the relay without the stress of falling behind. Our focus is a fun, inclusive environment and experience for all!

Accommodations and Transportation

Top Tips:

• Book your lodging and vans as soon as possible

• Orient yourself with the Start and Finish of the race 

• • Most teams will choose to stay in Fort Collins, Windsor, or Loveland the night before the race (Thursday night) AND in Steamboat the night after the race (Saturday night)

• Most teams will utilize “camping” locations along the course, sleep in vans or hammocks/tents where allowed

• While there are several hours that "inactive" vans have to rest, the time goes fast, and traveling to a hotel mid-race might add more logistics and planning than you'd like. We recommend utilizing your vans and camping opportunities to rest. Part of the fun is being adaptable to changing clothes, eating, and sleeping in the vans and out in nature!

Fort Collins

There are plenty of hotels in Fort Collins and along the I-25 corridor, as well as VRBO options in town. If arriving Wednesday or Thursday, staying near Old Town is always fun and is where you'll find the best restaurants, bars, shopping, etc. Please see our Visitors Guide on the website.

Steamboat

• Book this lodging ASAP, as Steamboat is a popular town this time of year, with several events going on

• Most lodging is refundable, so book now knowing you can make changes if needed

• Steamboat offers hotels, VRBO's as well as camping and a great KOA with a pool and cabins

• An ideal place to stay would be somewhere near the Steamboat Ski Resort, since this is where you’ll finish

• Getting around Steamboat is easy with their public transportation bus that runs the length of the town.

Vans

• A standard 12-person team needs two vans. One van (Active Van) will be driving along the course while teammates from that van run, while the other van is resting or as we call it "Inactive" Because of this, you'll want to make sure your van is spacious enough for all race operations including changing clothes, prepping to run, eating, sleeping, etc.

• Most teams that will have 6 people per van opt for 10 to 12-person vans 

• Ultra Teams only need one vehicle.

• Volunteers also need to provide their transportation to their assigned location and should not depend on the team vehicles.

• Please note that RVs and Campers are not allowed. Sprinter van types are allowed.

• • Vans must be less than 20ft long