Local runners participate in annual Ragnar Relay

by Beth Kraft

The Ragnar Relay—Great River event draws thousands of running enthusiasts from all over the Midwest and beyond into Buffalo County for the 48-hour running journey each year, yet local participants are typically few and far between.

But at this year’s Ragnar Relay, two Mondovi-area runners joined a team and donned a slap bracelet to participate in the 202.8 mile trek from Winona to the Twin Cities.

Steve Williamson and Nash Weiss joined team “Maxilla Drillas,” containing a few dental professionals with whom Williamson works with through his position with Park Dental in the greater Twin Cities area.

“It was a running opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” said Weiss, a 2015 Mondovi High School graduate who participated on the Buffaloes’ cross country and track teams.

Williamson says running Ragnar was something he had talked about doing before, but getting the 12 people needed to form a team can be a difficult feat.

What proved even more challenging during the Ragnar event was the oppressive heat that blanketed the region on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 14 and 15. Temperatures soared into the 90s and the heat index hit 104 degrees on Saturday.

Weiss says his van of six runners went through about 10 gallons of water during the two-day event in an attempt to stay hydrated. 

“We actually got tired of drinking water,” Williamson shared with a laugh.

In addition to the mileage (Weiss logged 21 miles while Williamson ran a total of 16 miles split up into three different “legs”), finding time to sleep during the relay, which continues through the overnight hours, and feeling the burn from the terrain were other challenges.

“Buffalo County has some beautiful scenery, but we also have some really big hills,” Williamson said.

A large section of the relay route loops through Buffalo County with exchange zones in Nelson and Modena before continuing northwest along the Mississippi River.

The logistics of the event can also get confusing as the two vans that carry half of each team leapfrog each other from one exchange zone to the next.

“By Saturday morning I started to question my own sanity,” Weiss laughed, “but I would do it again.”

Williamson noted that Ragnar Relay’s two days “just kind of blend together,” but he enjoyed the challenge, seeing people from out-of-state enjoying the local area, and the experience as a whole.

“I’d do it again,” Williamson said. “I didn’t say that on Saturday, but I’d do it again. The camaraderie with the other runners is good and all of the runners support each other.”

The Maxilla Drillas placed 127th out of 421 teams at this year’s Ragnar Relay, covering the course in just over 32 hours.

For more information about the 2015 Ragnar Relay, please visit www.ragnarrelay.com/race/greatriver.