Sunday, July 20, 2008

The American Odyssey relay race is about to make a run through history.

The event, a 200-mile, 12-person per team relay from Gettysburg, Pa., to Washington, is preparing for its inaugural run on April 24, 2009. A maximum of 150 teams, using staggered starts, will begin at daybreak and run 36 legs of 4.4 to 8.9 miles each through the night until they reach the finish line near the Washington Monument.

The winning teams in each division -- men, women, coed and more -- should average faster than 6 minutes per mile and finish in less than 20 hours.

The event borrows a page from the popular Hood to Coast Relay, in which more than 16,000 participants will participate in the 27th running next month from Mount Hood in Oregon to the Pacific Ocean 197 miles away. The American Odyssey is the third of a series of events that includes the Reno-Tahoe (Nev.) and Arizona adventure relays.

"The camaraderie is the thing about relay races," race director Bob Fleshner said. "There's so much teamwork involved, and that's missing from a regular 10K or marathon."

Fleshner touts the scenic and historic course, which, aside from Gettysburg, includes Civil War landmarks such as Antietam, Boonsboro, Md. and Harpers Ferry W.Va. Parts of the course will traverse the Appalachian Trail; nearly a third of the race will be run on the C&O Canal.

"We talked with the National Park Service about a start on the [Gettysburg] battlefield," Fleshner said. "They listened politely, smiled and said no."

Other route details, along with specific transition areas, are still being determined, but Fleshner promises a course "where the locals run," avoiding major roads and heavy traffic.

When not running, team members will navigate the course in a minimum of two vans; each team is also required to supply at least three volunteers.

Early registration of $1,140 ends July 31.

· NIGHT VISION: For two decades, Saturday night's Twilight Runfest 8K in Rockville was the only summer run to take advantage of the enticing evening racing conditions. But imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and two years ago, the Twilight Festival 4-Miler in Ashburn quickly established itself as a staple on the June racing calendar. Next Saturday, Crystal City hosts its first Twilighter 5K starting at 8.

-- Jim Hage

hagej@washpost.com