Local team competing in 190-mile relay run
SANDPOINT — This weekend figures to be rife with adventure, fun and plenty of running — more than seven marathons, actually — for a dozen local women participating in the 190-mile Spokane to Sandpoint team relay race.
Hunny McKelvy, Nancy Herron, Kate Neu, Debbie Hackworthy, Jennings Waterhouse, Dodi Sykes, Amy Daughtery, Kimberly Ward, Rose Preston, Sue Helander, Pama Bangeman and Rebecca Johnson will each run take part in the first-year adventure race.
They’ll leave Friday morning from the top of Mt. Spokane and finish sometime Saturday afternoon/evening at Lakeview Park in Sandpoint. It’s the scenic journey in between, along with the zany nature of the race, that drew team captain Hunny McKelvy to round up a squadron of runners.
Among the many features of the race that set it apart are a ride on the Tremors roller coaster at Silverwood, frisbee golf, awards for costumes, and an over-arching theme of having a good time.
“The organizers are really fun and that’s part of what made us look forward to it,” said McKelvy, who along with Preston got the ball rolling for the team. “We’re not racing for race, just for fun.”
All of the runners are either staff or members of Sandpoint West Athletic Club, where the sign up sheet was originally posted. One of the team’s members even started from ground zero, taking up running and training explicitly for this race.
“It’s hard to find that many crazy people,” joked Preston on finding the team of 12 runners.
The age of the team runs from 18 year-old Rebecca Johnson to 58 year-old Nancy Herron. Each runner is responsible for three legs, varying in length from 3-8 miles, each time passing a relay bracelet on to the next runner. A van will follow along for most of the journey, which will hit Riverfront Park, parts of the Centennial Trail, Coeur d’Alene City Beach and of course the Long Bridge.
The race is the brainchild of Spokane brothers Ben and Bart Orth, who have been planning it for more than 17 months. Since Spokane to Sandpoint is only 80 miles by car, the brothers spent four months last summer trying to derive the best possible course, which included a finish in Sandpoint.
“It doesn’t get much better than that,” said Ben of crossing the Long Bridge at the end of the race. “It’s a dramatic and great backdrop to a finish.”
One of the most unique features of the race is a spooky night ride on the Tremors roller coaster, which most teams will hit between midnight and 4 a.m. At least one team member is required to ride for relay purposes, but all 12 of the Sandpointer Sisters plan to, including McKelvy, who will then don a suit of bright lights and proceed north to Sandpoint.
The team is made up of runners of varying pace, from a slow jog to the quicker pace of Kate Neu, who Helander joked likes to “just run up to Schweitzer for fun.”
More than 60 teams will be racing, with the slowest starting early in the morning and the fastest later in the day, the idea being that faster teams will catch up at some point later in the race. Orth hopes it becomes an annual event, calling it 190 miles of outrageous fun. Awards like brightest running costume, best wig and most awesome costume are part of the allure.
“Our mantra is ‘just get her done,’” said Helander.