Wanna know more about Cascade Lakes Relay?

I have a running shirt that says “Enjoy The Journey” and I’ve always felt relay races perfectly capture this exact sentiment. And relay races provide a journey in and of itself. Maybe this is the year you should consider trying out the Cascade Lakes Relay in Bend on June 20 & 21, 2025.

Check out our 2019 recap here!

The Basics

The Cascade Lakes Relay (CRL36) is a challenging 216.6 mile race split between 12 runners (or less depending on what your team is up for,) in two vehicles (vans, minivans, Suburbans, etc.) over the course of 2 days. Each leg of the race is anywhere from 3 to 9 miles and there are 36 legs in all, with each of the 12 runners running 3 legs, or about 18 miles each. Ultra teams, which are comprised of less than 12 runners, will offer teams a bigger challenge, as everyone will run anywhere from 4 to 6 legs.

Course

The race begins at Diamond Lake Resort in Southern Oregon and travels all through the beautiful Oregon Outback and country before looping back to the Cascade Lakes Highway and around gorgeous Mt. Bachelor and into Bend. The website claims you’ll see “more cows than semi-trucks and smell pine trees instead of exhaust” so saddle up for an incredibly scenic adventure that will likely take around 32 hours to complete.

Other Options

If running the relay isn’t your thing, there is also the option of a walk relay, which begins at leg #18 of the course, beginning in Willow Butte. This walk relay is 94 miles long and teams of 6-12 walkers will complete 18 legs to the finish. Everyone on the walking teams of 12 will complete 2 legs of the race for a total mileage of about 11 miles each and teams of 8 will complete 3 legs each. The walking relay should take approximately 30 hours and like the running relay, all participants should plan to walk through the night.

Because options, as mentioned, are always a good thing, you could also participate in CLR24. CLR24 consists of teams of 6-12 runners who start from Silver Lake at exchange #12 and run the final 24 legs of the CLR course only. A team of 12 means each team member would run 2 legs each, and an 8-person team consists of 3 legs each.  CLR24 teams get all the same perks that that the full relay runners do, so this is a great option for you if you aren’t sure if you’re ready for the “full” version yet.

For Consideration

As with most relays, teams are “self-supporting,” so runners are responsibly for carrying their own water and food throughout the race. There won’t be aid stations or water stops along the course, but there will be aid in critical areas where teams may not be able to have access to their runners or walkers.

All teams are required to provide 2 volunteers, unless you are an Ultra team, in which you would only be required to have 1. You can also sign up for the “Hire a Volunteer” program in which 100% of the amount will go to local charities and community groups who will provide volunteer(s) on the course for your team.

If you don’t feel you can pull together a team – fear not – CLR has a “Find a Team” option. Simply head to this spreadsheet to find teams looking for runners/walkers or runners/walkers looking for a team. You can contact them directly.

Post-Race

After you’ve completed the race, celebrate at the beer garden with your old and new best friends. Friends and family can join the party and enjoy the beer, the numerous food options, and the music at Riverbend Park.

If you have never tried running a relay before, I would highly recommend you put this on your “bucket list” of races. The community of doing this together as a team is something you can’t quite explain unless you’ve been there.

And you should be there.