Have you heard of Ohio’s next best overnight relay race? If not, let me set the stage for why it is so important.
You might be able to relate to the “Why” of our race! Our community like many has been faced with a drug epidemic, and even closer to home, we have young children we want to protect. After First Capital Rotary Club of Chillicothe became the Provider for our 8 local drug prevention chapters called M.A.D.E. (My Attitude Determines Everything), we needed a funding mechanism. Like many, when an issue is this vast, we wondered, how do we get involved, how do we help find a solution? So in September of 2015 our race committee was created and The Buck Fifty was born.
The what? The Buck Fifty. An overnight relay race on April 7th & 8th that will take you over 150 scenic and rolling miles in Southern Ohio. You will travel through several communities, run trails in 4 amazing National and State Parks and across several school campuses.
- And the best part of this race? 100% of the profit will go to support these teens. That’s right, all of it. This year, the funds raised by our race will go directly to sponsor over 1,500 high school students in Ross County who are participating in our Drug Free Clubs of America program. This is a volunteer drug testing program that is rewards based with incentives from local businesses. So by running this race, not only will you have an unbelievable experience, but you will also be making a difference in the lives of our youth.
- So let’s talk about the race. If you’ve never run in a relay before, let me take the fear out of that right now. It’s a boat load (or two van loads) of fun. Here’s how it works. Your team of 10 runners will be broken into two groups of 5. Your team will also need two non-running drivers and two vans. Van #1 with its 5 runners will begin the race at the starting line. Van # 2 gets checked in at the first transition zone where runner number 5 finishes their first leg. Runner number 5 will hand off to runner 6 (the first runner of van #2) and van #1 will start their first rest period. These two vans will leapfrog each other until they complete their 150 mile journey and then will finish as a team running across the finish line together Saturday afternoon. Each runner will run about 5 miles for each of their three different legs of the race. They will have about 6-8 hours of rest between each run depending on how fast or slow their other teammates are.
- Sound like fun yet? Forget about it…what’s more fun than running with 10 of your best friends, running buddies, spouses or co-workers? Who cares if they are sweaty, smelly, tired and slap happy. That is what makes it a wonderful friendship, bonding, team-building experience from beginning to end.
- So where will this race take place? In the beautiful, rolling, historic hills of Ross County, Ohio. 60% of the route is beautiful back country roads, 15% is trail runs, and the remaining 25% is in historic Chillicothe. For you history buffs, here are some things that you may be interested in knowing, and seeing, when you run in our race.
- Trail run anyone? We have some amazing state parks in southern Ohio and we are going to take full advantage of them. We have 23 miles of trail runs incorporated in this race, with hills, peaks and valleys that will stimulate all of your senses and challenge the muscles and minds of runners of all skill levels. We are really excited to bring this component of the race to you! Learn more about the included state parks here.
- Hopewell – Hopewell Culture National Historical Park is a United States national historical park with earthworks and burial mounds from the Hopewell culture, indigenous peoples who flourished from about 200 BC to AD 500. Our race route will be taking you on trails around one of these sites, Hopewell Mound Group. Learn more here. http://www.nps.gov/hocu/learn/historyculture/hopewell-mound-group.htm
- Great Seal – The history of the Shawnee nation and Ohio’s early statehood is centered in these rugged hills. Challenging trails through the 1,862-acre park take visitors to scenic vistas of distant ridgetops and the Scioto Valley below. These very hills are depicted on the Great Seal of the State of Ohio, from which the park gets its name. Learn more here. http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/greatseal
- Tar Hollow – Twisting park and forest roads pass through 604 acres of deep ravines and dense woodlands. Scattered shortleaf and pitch pines growing on the ridges were once a source of pine tar for early settlers, hence the name Tar Hollow. Dogwoods, redbuds and a variety of wildflowers color the hillsides in the springtime. Learn more here. http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/tarhollow
- Scioto Trails – Small, quiet, and nestled in beautiful 9,000-acre Scioto Trail State Forest, this 218-acre state park is an undisturbed wooded refuge just south of Chillicothe. The ridgetops and winding forest roads offer breathtaking vistas of the Scioto River Valley. The beauty and remoteness of Scioto Trail offers the best of escapes to park visitors. Learn more here. http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/sciototrail
- This race will be full of nature’s beauty, sweat, maybe a few tears, hopefully lots of laughs and memories to last a lifetime. Race day is April 7th with a team registration cost of $1,450 for 10 runners or $850 for our Elite 5 person teams. You can use the code COMPASS to save $200 off your first deposit. Registration is open until March 1st or when we hit our 150 team cap. Follow us on your favorite social media outlet at The Buck Fifty or find out more information at www.thebuckfifty.com. We are humbled to bring this event to you and welcome you to our course, our cause, and our community!
- The Buck Fifty
