Blue Ridge Relay

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the Blue Ridge Relay!  The Blue Ridge Relay course is staffed by over 200 volunteers.  We're thrilled to partner with community groups based in the communities through which BRR runs.  BRR makes a financial contribution to each community group for their time, energy and enthusiasm in support of BRR.  Through 2023, BRR contributions exceeded $400,000.  Your participation as a Relay Official should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.  If your community organization would like more information on being involved in BRR, please let us know: info@blueridgerelay.com or 336-877-8888.

Steps for Volunteer Registration

1. Contact the Blue Ridge Relay for detailed volunteer opportunities.  Most volunteers staff the Start, Finish and 35 Exchange Zones (support stations) along the 208-mile course.

2. Each volunteer community group will have one primary contact who will lead/captain their respective volunteer team.

3. Each volunteer is required to sign a waiver.  CLICK HERE to view your printable Volunteer Waiver. (pdf)

4. Volunteer Waivers will be collected by the Blue Ridge Relay.

5. Volunteer assignments will be made on a first-come basis.  (Most years we may have 1-2 openings for a new volunteer team.)

6. A BRR representative will schedule a meeting with your volunteer captain to review the assigned site and provide the necessary supplies.

7. To learn more about volunteering, please CLICK HERE to see the Volunteer Handbook.

General Blue Ridge Relay Information

The Blue Ridge Relay is a 208-mile running relay, comprised of teams of 4-12 runners/team. The course is broken up into 36 stages or legs, each of which is run by one runner per team. Each runner on a 12 person team will run 3 times. Each runner on a 4 person team will run 9 times. The shortest leg is 2 miles, the longest is 10 miles, and the average is 5.8 miles.

Each Exchange Zone is located at a church, park, business, school, private property, or other location on the course, which has permitted the Blue Ridge Relay access to their property. An Exchange Zone is the location where one runner passes a wrist strap (rather than a baton) to the next runner.

Each team is permitted two support vehicles, which are most often vans. The support vehicles transport the teams between Exchange Zones. As a runner finishes his/her leg, he/she will pass the wrist strap to the next runner. The runner, who just finished, gets into the team support vehicle, which drives to the next exchange zone to wait the arrival of the active runner.

Most exchange zones will be staffed with 3-4 volunteers. However, several Exchange Zones will be staffed with 8-10 volunteers. Approximately 200 Relay Volunteers are needed to make this is a successful relay. Your effort and enthusiasm is vital to the success of this relay.

REQUIREMENTS

1. Volunteers must be a minimum 13 years old. If under the age of 18, the volunteers MUST be accompanied by their parent, guardian, or organization/group leader.

2. A volunteer cannot be a member of a Blue Ridge Relay team.

3. Volunteers are not allowed to have young children with them at an exchange zone – there are just too many dangers.

4. Time Requirement - Volunteers will work one shift that is between 4 - 8 hours.

5. Location - The Relay course covers 208 miles between Grayson Highlands State Park, VA and Asheville, NC. Location requests will be considered, but not guaranteed. Volunteers representing the site used as an Exchange Zone will be assigned that specific Exchange Zone.

6. Time of Day: The Relay starts 5:00am Friday and finishes 6:00pm Saturday. The runners run through the night. Some Exchange Zones require daylight hours, others require night coverage.

7. Volunteer assignments will be finalized no later than one month before the Start of BRR.

8. All volunteers must complete the volunteer waiver.

9. All volunteers are covered under the Blue Ridge Relay's Liability Insurance Policy, which is received through USA Track & Field.

10. Volunteers are NOT required to attend a pre-race meeting.  However, a member of the Blue Ridge Relay staff will contact your captain to discuss location of assignment, responsibilities and what to expect and to answer any questions.  Each volunteer captain will receive exchange zone supplies in advance of the race. 
    

Responsibilities

Exchange Zone Volunteers will serve as Relay Officials and will have the following responsibilities:

1. Record bib numbers of incoming runners and outgoing runners.

2. Record time of wrist strap exchange between runners.

3. Monitor for rule violations. (Ruling on violations is the responsibility of the Race Director and Relay Committee.)

4. Direct support vehicle parking.

5. Supervision of the Exchange Zone site.

6. Ensure that the exchange zone site is maintained and thoroughly cleared of trash.

Safety and Courtesy

Your safety and the safety of the runners, fellow volunteers and community are of critical importance.  Always be alert to all vehicles and aware of your surrounding.

The Departments of Transportation in Virginia and North Carolina, and the Blue Ridge Parkway have permitted the Blue Ridge Relay access to the roadways. County Sheriff Departments, Municipal Police Departments, and North Carolina State Highway Patrol have been informed of the Blue Ridge Relay. Roads will remain open to normal, community traffic. The Blue Ridge Relay, Relay staff, Relay volunteers, Relay participants, Relay spectators, Support Vehicle drivers, etc… must obey all traffic laws, at all times, and must not interfere with normal traffic.

As stated earlier, each Exchange Zone is located, with permission, at a church, park, business, school, private property, or other location on the course. The Blue Ridge Relay could not exist without the support of these landowners. Please follow property owners' requests and please be diligent to ensure no trace is left behind.