mlg5039
Well-Known Member
This past weekend I had the pleasure of participating in the Tuna Run 200, a 204 mile relay from Raleigh, NC to Atlantic Beach, NC. I was part of 12 person Team "We Persevere for NC Beer," which was comprised of brewery employees, beer enthusiasts, and other members of the NC beer community. Additionally, our team was backed with sponsorships from several NC breweries: Mother Earth Brewery, Lonerider, Highland Brewing Company, NoDa Brewing Company, and Big Boss Brewing Company. These sponsors did everything from provide us with a BUS and fuel to use for the weekend (thanks MEB), clothe us in badass, beer-themed apparel, and make sure we didn't run out of local beer. My team members along with the breweries we represented made this event a blast. Our team webpage is here and you can meet the rest of the team.
The actual event itself was pretty spectacular. It began Saturday morning at 8am with our first runner beginning the initial leg. From there it's a game of shuttling runners to the next exchange zone so they can take the baton on their leg of the race. Every runner runs 3 legs, which varied from 2-11 miles each. When you're not running, you're often trying to catch some rest, getting the next runner ready, driving the bus, or maybe enjoying a beer or making friends with a neighboring team. We were, after all, the 'beer' team. After running all day, through the night, and into the next day the team arrives at the beach, exhausted and thirsty. We finished the course in a little under 30 hours, and we ran the last little stretch together to cross the finish as a team
The post-race festivities were a hit. Mother Earth Brewery was also a major event sponsor so each finisher was rewarded with 2 cans of free craft beer, no Michelob Ultra here
There was also a tuna and barbeque buffet, and all the racers partied together on the beach all afternoon.
In conclusion, I think the idea of craft beer being involved in events like this is wonderful. It was super-cool to be representing NC beer. Endurance athletes, more often than not, turn out to be beer nerds once you meet them. I look forward to next years race(s) with this team and hope to see even more brewery involvement. The event staff, volunteers, my teammates, and the beer all deserve a round of applause for a great weekend of running and camaraderie.
We Persevere for NC Beer!:rockin:
The actual event itself was pretty spectacular. It began Saturday morning at 8am with our first runner beginning the initial leg. From there it's a game of shuttling runners to the next exchange zone so they can take the baton on their leg of the race. Every runner runs 3 legs, which varied from 2-11 miles each. When you're not running, you're often trying to catch some rest, getting the next runner ready, driving the bus, or maybe enjoying a beer or making friends with a neighboring team. We were, after all, the 'beer' team. After running all day, through the night, and into the next day the team arrives at the beach, exhausted and thirsty. We finished the course in a little under 30 hours, and we ran the last little stretch together to cross the finish as a team
The post-race festivities were a hit. Mother Earth Brewery was also a major event sponsor so each finisher was rewarded with 2 cans of free craft beer, no Michelob Ultra here
There was also a tuna and barbeque buffet, and all the racers partied together on the beach all afternoon.
In conclusion, I think the idea of craft beer being involved in events like this is wonderful. It was super-cool to be representing NC beer. Endurance athletes, more often than not, turn out to be beer nerds once you meet them. I look forward to next years race(s) with this team and hope to see even more brewery involvement. The event staff, volunteers, my teammates, and the beer all deserve a round of applause for a great weekend of running and camaraderie.
We Persevere for NC Beer!:rockin:
