In a world populated by runners, there are runners, and there are trail runners. And for the those trail runners, there’s the R-Scape 18 Hours of Ogden, 18-hour relay race that’s run entirely on trails that wind around Ogden’s east bench. This year’s R-Scape 18 Hours of Ogden begins on Friday, August 10th, and organizers promise this event will, “get the adrenaline flowing through your veins and spirit of running in your heart!”
The idea of 18 Hours of Ogden is to make runners, “lose the road.” The race is 100% on trails, meaning you’ll get dirty, but not have to worry about cars, traffic, or the monotony of pounding boring, flat pavement. The course is a 6.2 mile loop that starts at Mt. Ogden Park, runs along the winding and rolling trails of Ogden’s east bench between Taylor and Strong Canyons, then ends back at the park. Runners will be treated to a truly natural running experience with sweeping vistas, uneven terrain, weather, and maybe even wildlife.
Teams of 4-6 runners will compete. The start time is at 6pm on Friday, when the first runners will begin with a mass start. It’s a relay race, so when a runner completes a 6.3 mile loop, they hand off to the next runner at the park. This is done until every runner on the team completes a loop, and the whole process starts again. The race ends on Saturday, August 11 at noon. The team that completes the most loops in the least amount of time wins.
Of course, 18 hours is a long time, and there will be some down time for runners waiting between laps. That’s why there will be the R-Scape race village. It’s going to be one big party with music, movies, food, massages and more. Plus, the first four hours of the race will be broadcast on a big screen so you can see all the shenanigans that always happen in the chaos of a mass start.
Since much of the run will happen at night, headlamps will be required for running after dark. During the night hours, the course will be marked with glow sticks.
Sounds like 18 Hours of Ogden is an awesome event for the serious trail runner, or street runner looking to “get dirty” and make a change for the better by running on the trails at R-Scape.
For more information or to register, visit www.r-scape.com