Land And Lakes Relay

Thru January 31, 2023 – $380 per team 

February 1 – March 2 – $460 per team 

Schedule

Friday, March 3 – 4:00-7:00 PM – Mountain Running Company (106 West State Street, Black Mountain, NC)

Saturday, March 4 – Packet Pickup – 4:30-6:45 AM – Devries Athletic Center, Warren Wilson College (701 Warren Wilson Road)

Saturday, March 4 – Team Starts – 5:00-5:30 AM – Devries Athletic Center, Warren Wilson College (701 Warren Wilson Road)

Saturday, March 4 – Post Race Party – 3:00-8:00 PM – Fonta Flora Brewery-Whippoorwhill Farm (6751 NC-126, Nebo, NC)

Teams will depart in 1-2 mass starts from Warren Wilson College in East Asheville and head east through Swannanoa and into Black Mountain and around Lake Tomahawk before following much of the Geyser Growl Half Marathon course into Old Fort.  Once there, teams will go through downtown Marion before reaching the beautiful area around Lake James.  The final runners will then finish with their team mates at the rustic Fonta Flora Brewery-Whippoorwhill Farm.

Full Course Map

Individual Legs-Course Information, Maps & Elevation

Leg 1                Leg 2               Leg 3             Leg 4

Leg 5                Leg 6               Leg 7             Leg 8

Leg 9                Leg 10             Leg 11            Leg 12

Format

Depending on the size of the team, each runner will run either two or three legs during the relay.   They may be follow the usual 1, 2, 3, 4/1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 format or you may structure the legs to fit your team.  The only requirement is your team checks in at each transfer point and we identify the person running the next leg.

If someone gets hurt or cannot continue for some reason, other team members can pick up the slack and run extra legs.

Legs will range in distance from 3.0 miles to 7.4 miles.  

Four-person teams following the traditional 1, 2, 3, 4 – 1, 2, 3, 4 – 1, 2, 3, 4 format will see each runner complete the following cumulative distance:

Runner 1 – 14.0 miles

Runner 2 – 12.7 miles

Runner 3 – 20.1 miles

Runner 4 – 13.9 miles

Six-person teams following the traditional 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 format will see each runner complete the following cumulative distance:

Runner 1 –  13.8 miles

Runner 2 –  10.3 miles

Runner 3 –  8.3 miles

Runner 4 –  10.0 miles

Runner 5 – 12.5 miles

Runner 6 – 6.3 miles

Official Start Times

Teams will start in 1-2 mass starts as early as 5:00 AM with the last teams going out no later than 5:30 AM. The start times will based on the team’s estimated per mile pace.  Those with the slower times will go in the earlier slot; those with the fastest will go in the last one.  Do not put down a faster time just to start later.  This will catch up to you and you might not reach the cut-off time to continue the race.

To estimate an accurate team pace, take the average of each members 10K race pace then add 45 seconds.

Safety

Your safety is our primary concern.  Because all of the roads we will travel on will be open to cars, our requirements for active runners are a little more strict than other relays:  

Every runner must wear a flashing light on their front and back during each leg.

During the hours of 5-8 AM and 4-7 PM, all runners must wear reflective vests and head lamps.

Teams will be checked for compliance at all Transfer Points and those not meeting these requirements will not be allowed to continue.

Time Limit

All teams must start their final leg by 7:00 PM.

Support

Each team is expected to be self-supporting.  There will be restrooms at each Transfer Point but each team is expected to carry their own fluids and food.  

There will be event staff and volunteers on each leg of the course as well as each Transfer Point.  Public safety personnel will be at each busy intersection managing traffic.

Stuff

Each member of each pre-registered team will receive an official race garment.

The pre-sale window for additional swag has closed but we will have this hoodie on sale at packet pickup and the finish line.

                     $32

Photos

Team & Course Photos-2023

Team & Course Photos-2021

Once at Fonta Flora Brewery, teams will be able to cross the finish line together and celebrate the accomplishment and journey with their fellow competitors at a post-race party at the outdoor event space, including a free beer for all 21+ participants.  

Team photos will be taken at the finish line and in front of our special event backdrop outside in the post-race area.

Team awards will be handed out throughout the day.

Fonta Flora will have two food trucks that evening for teams to purchase from on site.

Fonta Flora has requested that teams stay in the post-race area and not the main tap room.

We will recognize the winning team in the following categories for both four and six-person teams:

Open Male/Female 

Open Mixed

Masters Male & Female (all members 40 & Over)

Mixed Masters

Grandmasters Male & Female (all members 50 & Over)

Mixed Grandmasters

The winning team in each category will receive individual awards for each member of the team.  Awards will be presented throughout the post-race party as categories become complete.

The clock will start for each time at your assigned start time and end when you cross the finish line in Cherokee.  Each leg will be recorded at each Transfer Point.

Individual splits will be calculated after the event and emailed to team captains.

Dogs are not permitted on the course or at the Transfer Points.

Each team will receive a parking pass that must be visible on the drivers side of the vehicle.

One vehicle per team.

Packet Pickup – There is a town parking lot at the corner of US 70 and Highway 9 in downtown Black Mountain.  There is also street parking available on most downtown streets.

Start – Please follow the signs and park in the area around the Devries Athletic Center .  Vehicles may not be left overnight or after the start on Saturday.

Transfer Points – Upon arriving at a Transfer Point, follow the directions of the parking volunteers to the next available spot, being careful to avoid runners coming in and going out.  Spaces at some Transfer Points will be at premium so we ask you to collect your runner and be on your way.

Fonta Flora Brewery-Whippoorwhill Farm – Teams will take the second entrance and follow the gravel road to the designated parking areas. It is a short walk from there to the finish and post-race area.

Glory Hound, Inc. has a NO REFUND policy. 

We will work with any team that was entered in the Land and Sky Relay to switch out team members for the Land and Lakes Relay.  Please email greg@gloryhoundevents.com for instructions on how to do this.

Unofficial results will be posted at the Post Race area throughout the afternoon and evening.

Official results will be posted as soon as possible after the event.

Land and Sky Relay Results

2023 Overall Results

2023 Leg Splits

2021 Overall Results

2021 Leg Splits 

2019 Overall Results

2019 Leg Splits (Corrected)

We need volunteers to act as coordinators at our 11 Transfer Points along the course.  In addition, we need two parking attendants at two of these stations (noted with a * below).  Volunteers receive a 1/2 pullover, a free entry into one Glory Hound Events owned events in 2023 and an invitation to join us at the post-race celebration at Fonta Flora Brewing-Whippoorwhill Farms.

The locations and times are as follows:

Transfer Point 1 (5:00-7:15 AM), Owen Middle School, Swannanoa

Transfer Point 2 (5:45-8:00 AM), Black Mountain Elementary School, Black Mountain

Transfer Point 3 (6:00-8:30 AM), Excel Collge, Black Mountain

Transfer Point 4 (6:30-9:15 AM), Andrews Geyser, Old Fort

Transfer Point 5 (7:15-10:00 AM), Hillman Beer, Old Fort

Transfer Point 6 (7:30-10:40 AM), Lackey Town Missionary Baptist Church, Old Fort

Transfer Point 7 (8:15 AM-12:40 PM), Sugar Hill Volunteer Fire Department, Marion*

Transfer Point 8 (9:15 AM-2:00 PM), Zion Hill Baptist Church, Marion

Transfer Point 9 (10:00 AM-3:00 PM), McDowell Chamber of Commerce/Visitor Center, Marion

Transfer Point 10 (10:45 AM-4:15 PM), Big League Camp, Marion

Transfer Point 11 (11:45 AM-5:45 PM), Oak Grove Baptist Church, Nebo

Finish Line (Parking Only) (12:30-6:30 PM), Fonta Flora Brewing-Whippoorwhill Farms*

We’re using SignUp (the leading online SignUp and reminder tool) to organize our upcoming SignUps.

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link to see our SignUp on SignUp: https://signup.com/go/RuzUWFS
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.

Note: SignUp does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me (greg@gloryhoundevents.com) and I can sign you up manually.