Some might say this idea of a relay started about a couple years ago over some adult beverages, and a moment of temporary insanity. Others would tell you it dates back much farther than that, and the insanity was anything but temporary. Funny thing is, they'd both be right.
It really started on a road trip up the east coast by event director Lenny Ulrich who glanced at a Florida state map and thought "Wouldn't it be cool to run from here to there?", pointing from the Indian River area to roughly Ft Myers. Being he was alone at the time, nobody called his idea crazy...yet. Guilt by association brought Leonard to make a phone call to his longtime friend Matt Ringer (living 3000 miles away in Portland, Oregon at the time) where he pitched the idea of a relay race, going from "Sunrise to Sunset". During that phone call he recounted his road trip, and that fateful pointing at the map, all the while explaining how this relay would take about 24 hours for runners to complete, and saying "get it, sun rises in the east and sets in the west...Sunrise to Sunset...quit your job and get out here!"
A history lesson may be in order here to fully understand the dynamics at work during this call. Matt and Lenny go back about 20 years, where they've shared such experiences as 6th grade history projects, mountain dew drinking contests (in their elder years other kinds of drinking contests), and countless road trips. Both ran on middle school, high school, and college track teams together, as well as cross country (although Matt's tenure running in college could be counted in days not seasons). So while in college Lenny continued his winning running ways, and Matt well he..uhh, never mind. Anyway, after college life happened, and Lenny got married to an absolutely wonderful girl (and I'm not just saying that because she's reading this). A more hospitable climate and job opportunity called Lenny to Florida, where he and his wife continued to run 5k's and 10k's, but they were looking for an event with a little bit more.
Matt, with longtime girlfriend and a love for rainy Barbeque's (Summer's the best 2-weeks of the year!), remained in Portland, and that day when the phone rang he assumed it was Lenny wanting to talk about the 8 touchdowns he threw in 9th grade P. E class, or how he got a B- on an English final in college and he didn't know there was a backside to the test! Instead all he heard on the other end of the receiver was "Sunrise to Sunset Relay...quit your job and get out here". At first Matt was skeptical, and although he knew how much fun a relay could be, was he and Lenny ready to make this event happen?
Needless to say Matt didn't do the obvious that day, which would be telling Lenny he was crazy and hanging up the phone, and after about 300 phone calls, and a some good natured "persuading" from Lenny, Matt took the plunge and went full time working to help his buddy and wife (make that wonderful wife) bring the Sunrise to Sunset relay to the masses.
So there you have it...what started as a "point to the map" turned into the inaugural Sunrise to Sunset Relay 2007.
We knew from day one we were excited about this event, and we knew first hand how much fun long distance relays could be, our only question was could we get anyone else to believe it? The short answer to that is we can, and what we have found is a multitude of like minded runners, adventurers, and the temporarily insane, who are sure to make this a very special event. More than just a run, more than just a workout, we hope to bring you an event that promises to be an experience, an adventure, and a lot of fun!
We also know we want to give something back, and for us that means not only providing a fun and festive atmosphere, but supporting charities we hold near and dear to our hearts. Please take a moment to look over the "Charity Info " page, as it means a lot to us on very personal levels to be able to give to such worthy organizations.
So that's a little about us and how it all started. Bottom line is we've had a blast setting up this event for you, and we only hope our enthusiasm translates into a one of a kind event you and your families will participate in year after year.
Respectfully,
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