24-hour relay begins today

Every one of the nearly 2,000 athletes who are lacing up their shoes for the third-annual XanGo Wasatch Back Relay has a reason to run.

Today, 185 teams of 12 runners each will start the 173-mile race at the Hardware Ranch in Cache County and finish on Main Street in Park City. Each runner takes his or her turn running three different legs of the race, with each leg ranging from three to seven miles.

The runners endure about 24 hours in a van packed with at least five other runners from their squad. They run through the scenery, sometimes in the middle of the night, to cover the back of the Wasatch Mountains.

Why they do this changes with the team and sometimes each runner, but for the race organizers, it's to provide a unique experience while raising money for Operation Kids, an umbrella organization for a number of children's charities.

"We're ahead of schedule and so far we've raised about $50,000 for Operation Kids," said Tanner Bell of Backroad Adventures, who along with Dan Hill helped get the race started three years ago.

The race attracts runners of all abilities, from college athletes to weekend warriors. Each team has a unique story, usually summed up in a team name. Most decorate their vans.

Some will even wear costumes, like the Xena Warrior Princess team of 12 women ranging in age from 15 to 51. One of the runners, Cindee Stanley, is blind and will run with her new guide dog, Becker.

"We're just doing it for fun," said team captain Tracey Scadden of Roy. "The only requirement is that the women promise to wear the outfits for at least two legs."

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E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com

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Amy Donaldson will compete in this weekend's Wasatch Back Relay.