Ragnar Relay Trots into SC
San Clemente Times
The Ragnar Relay Series Southern California race is coming through San Clemente. For those who want to catch a glimpse of the runners, there will be plenty of time. The window in which to see them pass through town will be on April 4 between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. the following day.
The Ragnar Relay Southern California is a 195-mile team relay race that stretches from Huntington Beach to San Diego. Teams of six and 12 runners compete in different divisions, with an average finishing time between 30-32 hours, according to race organizer Lambert Budzinski.
The runners will cross into San Clemente by way of Doheny State Beach. They will travel down Pacific Coast Highway and snake their way through town before exiting through San Onofre State Beach. The San Clemente stretch will be the 13th leg of a 36-leg race. Each team is required to have one runner on the course at all times. The rest follow along in vans and await the next exchange.
Budzinski said that in years past, the relay would head east, into the Inland Empire, before making its way south to San Diego. But many of the event’s 700 teams in 2014 demanded a more scenic run, which caused the route to be altered.
“One of the biggest complaints has been the run wasn’t coastal enough. There were not enough beach exchanges. We really took it head-on to make sure it was along the coast this year, so that brings San Clemente into play,” Budzinski said.
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