175-mile Alaska Relay is off the ground running

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Sean Hardy discusses bear safety with runners at the start of the Alaska Relay footrace to Seward on Friday, July 7, 2017, at Mirror Lake in Chugiak. Flanking him are race organizer Nathan Luke, left, and David Luke. (Erik Hill / Alaska Dispatch News)

A dream of six years by Oregon distance runner turned Wasilla resident Nathan Luke is finally turning fruitful.

The inaugural 175-mile Alaska Relay is slated to begin Friday morning at Chugiak's Mirror Lake Park, before concluding at Seward High School the following day.

Sixteen 12-person teams will work to cover 36 legs, three apiece, ranging from 3 to 10 miles long. Race organizers believe it is the longest race of its kind to be held entirely within Alaska.

The Alaska Relay is the brainchild of Nathan Luke, runner of 17 long-distance team relays and volunteer of races Outside. Luke got the running bug as an 11-year-old after participating in Oregon's Hood to Coast Relay.

"I was just hooked from the beginning," Luke said.

His goal was to model the race after that event and the Cascade Relays in Oregon. Luke credits mentor Scott Douglass of the Cascade Relays for providing recommendations including how to handle crisis.

Luke moved to Alaska six years ago, spending five years in St. Michael and the past year in Wasilla. Two years ago Luke and 11 friends informally ran what was to be the course. The gang of 12 finished, demonstrating the distance was feasible and the inherent risks were worth the efforts to create the race.

Last year, two teams were set to run in what Luke dubbed a "soft opening," but the McHugh Creek Fire coincided with the start and forced a cancellation.

"I talked to the captains of the two teams and asked them 'Do we want to do a short course, just the first 12 legs in Anchorage?' " Luke said. "… With the smoke and stuff  (one team) was just a little antsy … so we all agreed we were going to cancel and all look forward to next year."

Following the postponement, Luke enlisted the help of his father, Dave, to act as the Relay's marketing director. Dave Luke acquired Relay sponsors and promoted the event sooner, attracting more runners.

Another hurdle to clear involved receiving permits and permission for the Relay to cover 175 miles of various terrain. Some 10 agencies were contacted including the Department of Transportation, Alaska Railroad and USDA Forest Service.

The Alaska Relay will feature 12 legs in Chugiak, Eagle River and Anchorage. The Relay will then leap frog a couple of times, the last two-thirds along portions of the Seward Highway. It costs $1,300 per team, with the proceeds going toward permits, planning, outhouses and postrace food and awards.

Each team will have two vans — one for resting down the road and one for support nearby. A runner can double as a biker for added support.

The Relay doesn't feature a baton or slap bracelets like in other distance events. High-fives are adequate.

"We're not going to be out there policing that," Nathan Luke said. "… This is meant to be a fun and social race."

Both Nathan and Dave Luke have received calls involving bear concerns, due to the recent rash of bear encounters. Canceling the race again this year wasn't on Nathan's mind. He instead gave a harder look at keeping this year's competitors safe.

Each team is encouraged to run without earbuds. They are also provided bear spray by the organizers. The most sensitive part of the race, the Bird to Gird Trail, will be lighted by volunteers at night. Bikers will also survey this section of the trail. If a risk is detected, this portion of the race will be closed and the designated runner for that leg will join another runner on a later leg.

"I just kind of feel like we're doing as much as we possibly can to prep, but we won't see a bear," said Nathan Luke. "That's my hope; we'll over prepare and won't have any encounters."

Some runners have participated in similar races in the Lower 48, while others are first-timers.

"I'm excited, I think all the participants are excited," Dave Luke said. "… (Nathan) knows (these races are) fun, there's lots of camaraderie, it's a great way to see the scenery, appreciate the beauty of Alaska and he's excited about everybody getting to experience this."

Nathan Luke is antsy and excited the Relay is beginning.

"My hope is that they finish Saturday morning, afternoon in Seward exhausted but happy," he said. "… You know, laughs about that funny thing that happened at 2 in the morning and they're excited to do it again next year with more people."