We've decided not to let COVID-19 stop all the Relay Running Fun. This time, prepare to lace up and compete on local routes. Get your friends together (not physically, of course) and join us for the Heart of the Valley Virtual Relay!

Most of the race proceeds will be donated to the Community Services Consortium, which maintains the Linn-Benton Food Share and the new COVID-19 Rent Relief program. This organization works across Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties to provide people with resources they need to meet their basic needs and improve their lives.

By joining the relay, you'll enjoy ...

• A 3-week event October 10th - 31st 
• Teams (of 6 or 12) tackle 12 runs per week covering varied terrain and distances
• Time tracking by Eclectic Edge
• Both competitive & non-competitive prizes and awards
• Weekly live updates with the Race Directors

Details

Everything you'd ever want to know is located in the official and shiny race manual.
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(The google doc is official and always up to date. The PDF is for convenience and while it is updated as often as possible to match the google doc, if there are any differences, the google doc is what the RDs will reference.)

• Official Race Manual (Google doc)
• Probably official race manual (pdf) 2020-10-12 version

And of course we painstakingly created a gpx file for each route.

• Download individually
• Or download them all in a tidy little zipped file. HOTV Virtual Relay Legs gpx.zip (163kb)​

Contests, Prizes, and Giveaways (oh my!)

Costume Leg
The race ends on Halloween, so get in the spirit on Leg 3!

• If you’d like to be entered into the photo contest, e-mail your photo to: rnsoicher@gmail.com with your team name OR post to the Facebook event page and caption with your team name.
• Entire teams in costume will be given heavier weight as we consider finalists, so dream big and get creative! Note: You can send a separate photo for each team member, please don’t gather in large groups :)

Weekly “Road Kills”

• In an effort to preserve as many classic elements of an in-person relay as we can, we will be counting “Road Kills”.
• At the end of each week, if your team passes the team ahead of you, count it as a road kill! The race directors will do all the fancy math behind the scenes and announce any road kills at the Monday check-in meeting.

Night Leg
Another fun in-person tradition is a night leg.

• Run a leg starting after 8:00 pm and ending before 5:00 am.
• E-mail news (and/or a picture) to rnsoicher@gmail.com with your team name OR post to the Facebook event page and caption with your team name.
• ***NOTE**** Please do NOT run your trail leg at night. Forests are closed 9pm to 5am.
• ***NOTE**** Please be the safest you have ever been. Wear reflective gear and a headlamp if running in the dark. Stay on sidewalks when you are able. Use caution and common sense. Run a leg at night only if it feels safe to you and let a friend know where you’ll be.

Eagle Eyes
Keep an eye out on your runs. Some of the legs will have a special marker you should find and take a picture with to be entered into our prize drawings. You can get more details on what to find on which legs by following the event on Facebook.

Candid Camera
If we spot you running your route live, win a prize! You never know when or where we might be. (Don’t worry, not as creepy as it sounds).

Questions?

​E-mail your Race Directors: Raechel (rnsoicher@gmail.com) & Chris (cscotton89@gmail.com) 

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