Land and Sky Relay

February 1-June 30 – $380 per team

July 1 – November 5 – $460 per team

Friday, November 5 – Packet Pickup – 4:00-7:00 PM – White Duck Taco (380 Riverside Drive, Asheville)

Saturday, November 6 – Packet Pickup – 4:30-7:00 AM – White Duck Taco (380 Riverside Drive, Asheville)

Saturday, November 6 – Team Starts – 5:00-7:00 AM – White Duck Taco (380 Riverside Drive, Asheville)

Saturday, November 6 – Post Race Party – 4:00-8:00 PM – Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort

Teams will depart from White Duck Taco on Riverside Drive in Asheville and follow the French Broad River through the Old Leicester area of Buncombe County before connecting to Newfound Road into Haywood County.  Once there, teams will go through Clyde, Canton, Lake Junaluska, and Maggie Valley before the new sections on the Blue Ridge Parkway (pending NPS approval).  After leaving the parkway, teams will enter the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.  Once there, runners will enjoy lightly traveled paved and graveled roads before finishing with their team mates at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

Full Course Turn-By-Turn Directions

Individual Legs-Course 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 8.1 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 – 16.3 miles

Runner 2 – 17.8 miles

Runner 3 – 15.8 miles

Runner 4 – 13.1 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 –  11.3 miles

Runner 2 –  7.6 miles

Runner 3 –  7.3 miles

Runner 4 –  13.4 miles

Runner 5 – 13.5 miles

Runner 6 – 9.9 miles

Official Start Times

The start times will based on the team’s estimated per mile pace.  Those with the slower times will go in the earlier slots; those with the fastest will go later.  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.  Our friends at Noxgear are providing a 35% discount (code: Gloryhound) to purchase their latest lighted vest, the Noxgear Tracer2.  This vest will satisfy our safety requirement.

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

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 7:30 PM.

Support

Each team is expected to be self-supporting.  There will be portajohns 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 long-sleeve race shirt.

Hoodies for Sale

Many of you saw the hoodies our staff wore at the 2019 event and now you can buy them.  They are available during online registration or you can order one after the fact.  Here’s how to do that:

Didn’t buy a hoodie during registration but decided you want one after all?  Here is how you add one:

1. Go here: https://www.imathlete.com/#/legacy?url=%2Fevents%2FEventStore.aspx%3FfEID%3D70809%26mSource%3DimAOverview
2. Click Get it! next to *Land and Sky Relay *
3. In the box that pops up, select a quantity and check the box that says “Add this to my 2021 Land and Sky Relay registration”
4. Enter your confirmation code found in the email confirmation you received of your registration
5. Click Search
6. Select your registration from the drop down menu
7. Click Add Item
8. Continue through the check out process, and you’ll be all set!

2019 Photographs

Team & Course Photos

Finish Line Photos

Once in Cherokee, 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 inside Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort with free food from the Harrah’s culinary team, a free beer and other refreshments.

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

Team awards will be handed out throughout the evening.

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.

Dogs are not permitted on the course, at the Transfer Points or at the finish line at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort

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

One vehicle per team.

Packet Pickup and Start – Please park in the south end of the parking lot at White Duck Taco for both Friday Packet Pickup and the start of the race on Saturday.  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.

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort – Teams will park in the Hotel Parking Deck, which is the first parking date on your left after exiting US 19.

Glory Hound, Inc. has a NO REFUND policy. However, we do offer partial discount codes for cancellations during our cancellation periods. If the event is NOT sold out, a discount code for 50% of your race registration fee will be offered until 7 days prior to the race date. If the event IS sold out, a discount code for 100% of your race registration fee will be offered until 7 days prior to the race date.

Discount codes can be used to register for the 2022 event and will be valid for 12 months after the event date.

This policy only applies to the Land and Sky Relay.  Discount codes from the previous year may not be used for any other events owned or managed by Glory Hound Events or its partnerships.

Teams may substitute team members by submitting this Substitution Form. This is the only way transfer the registration of one team member to another. Any team who is discovered to have substituted runners without submitting this form will be disqualified and banned from future races.

Unofficial results will be posted in the Post Race area inside Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.  Official results will be posted as soon as possible after the event.

2019 Overall Results

2019 Leg Splits (Corrected)

TBA