A2ZUKEY 2.0

Is A2ZUKEY 2022 going to be BIGGER than ever? Nah.

Why not? Sometimes bigger isn’t always better.

Rather than expanding the field and having to water down the experience for the sake of scaling up and generating more revenue, we have made A2ZUKEY smarter and more runner-friendly instead.

What made Year One so special was the camaraderie along the course, and at each relay exchange point. It was incredible to see representation from so many corners of the local running community, all running the same relay race.

We had 57 teams last year, and that was about all that the course could safely handle without introducing multiple waves, and losing some of that community magic. This year, we are capping the field at 60 teams.

Our team behind the scenes has added more firepower this year, too. In addition to our friends from AARC, PR Run Club, and M-RUN, we have been picking the pickled brains of Bad Decisions Track Club, Woodward Track Club, and the Speakeasy Sunday crew.

During the duldrums of winter running, we’ve been fantasizing about feeling a cool summer breeze along Joy Rd, and what we can do to enhnace an already amazing experience provided by Mother Nature.

Here are some the smart changes for A2ZUKEY 2.0

More ZUKEY.

Zukey Lake Tavern will be opening an hour early, at 11am to serve all you thirsty maniacs.

As a THANK YOU to the servers, bartenders, and kitchen staff coming in early, 15% of all registration fees collected will be given to Zukey Lake Tavern employees as a tip for their hard work.

Real Bathrooms.

Our friends at Old St. Patrick Catholic Church have blessed the use of their bathrooms for runners on race morning. No word yet on whether we are allowed to wash up with Holy Water.

Safer Relay Exchange Zones.

Bandit Races volunteers will be previewing the course in May, and implementing some minor tweaks to the course with safety in mind. Our primary focus will be at the N. Territorial and Webster Church intersections.

Instant Finish Line Results

Team Captains will receive push notification results, courtesy of RF Timing. Our good friend, Trevor Step, will be on site to handle timing duties, but has promised not to shave time off BDTC relay teams.

Smaller Carbon Footprint.

Zero plastic water bottles. We have been hunting down gently used water thermoses, and repurposing them for Bandit Races events. Teams will be encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottle, and refill at our stations along their way. Additionally, we are re-using nearly all of our race day supplies from last year, and making a conscious effort to buy anything new that will end up in a landfill.

So, are you ready to join us?

Zukey or Bust.