If you’ve ever thought about running a relay, there’s one that you’ve heard of that I won’t mention by name here. It’s not that it’s a horrible race, but there’s another relay here in Oregon that I love so much more that deserves the attention. That race is the Cascade Lakes Relay and 2025 is in the books. My legs are tired and my head still kinda feels like it’s made of cotton candy, but my heart is happy and the journey is absolutely worth the hurt that a relay brings.
In case you don’t know, The Cascade Lakes Relay (CLR) is a two-day adventure through Central Oregon that’s over 216 miles long. It starts at the truly spectacular Diamond Lake and finishes at beautiful Riverbend Park in Bend and the route is as stunning as it is challenging, which is plenty. Like many other relays, CRL logistically is made up of 12 runners in two large vehicles taking turns running over two days.
Our team was not elite. We were, in fact, a very “average” team in terms of pace, which is an undertaking for a race that features considerable elevation and heat. Except this year, heat didn’t really factor into the equation. Actually, (and shockingly,) we experienced not only cooler temps but actual SNOW. In June. In Central Oregon. Yeah, we were surprised too. But I’m getting ahead of myself already.
I was our team’s captain and once our team was assembled, my co-captain and I quickly realized that we were going to have to change our status in CRL to be what’s called a “Beer League” because we would not be able to get to the finish line by 8:30PM that Saturday night. All this really means is that we couldn’t compete with other teams or get an official finish time, which we were all okay with since this was supposed to be for fun anyway. We would still get to run our race, get medals and finisher shirts, and even get our beer tokens for the after-party.
Since we opted for this status, we could also “leapfrog” during the race, which meant that vehicle #2 didn’t have to wait for vehicle #1 at exchange points, so there were times where both of our vehicles had runners out running at the same time. So long as people are doing this safely and no one is competing with other “official” teams, it’s fine to do this just for fun so everyone can run stress-free and still get to the finish line in the light of day while everyone is still celebrating.
I feel this is NOT an option for some of those other relays, and CRL actually just wants everyone to enjoy the journey. I mean, isn’t that why you sign up for no sleep and stinky vans for two days?
Another thing that’s so great about CLR is that though it’s a popular race with plenty of people around to make the party fun, it’s not overcrowded. Vehicles can still get in and out of exchanges without clogging up the roads or potentially missing time to rest or catch up to each other simply because they can’t get to the meeting spot in time. The major exchanges were invigorating, with music and food and fun everywhere. The volunteers were friendly and the relay community did not disappoint. All are welcome here.
I was assigned leg 2, which is considered the hardest leg of the relay. For one, it’s 11 miles long, the longest of all the legs. It climbs up (and then down) some dirt and sand and rocks, and there are lots of divots and holes among all the uneven ground. This paired with elevation that you’re not at all used to if you don’t live in Central Oregon makes for a challenging race, and it’s only a third of what’s to be expected for the weekend.
There’s also no shade, so I was personally thankful that heat didn’t turn out to be another factor like it often is in the summer in Central Oregon. This leg, as well as leg #30, are the “WTH” ranked legs in terms of difficulty, and anyone who runs either of them receive special medals.
There were several legs that had giant mosquito/bug warnings on the course pages of the manual, but thankfully the cooler temps seemed to keep them away for the most part. I’ve only ever run CLR in the first van, so I’ve never been able to physically experience what’s happening in the second van.
However, it seems to me that Van #1 gets the majority of the long and hard legs on “off-road” style surfaces and Van #2 typically gets the hottest legs weather-wise in a typical year. As mentioned, that wasn’t really the case this year. At the last minute, many members of our team were packing some extra layers into our gear bags, and we were all grateful for that later.
Once our vehicle reached Silver Lake, there was a little sun and some cheer waiting. This is the spot on the course where CLR24 starts. This is the optional later start for folks who want to run 24 of the legs of CLR rather than all 36 legs. Those opting for CLR24 will have 2 legs to run per team instead of 3 if they have a full team of 12.
Whatever the case, Silver Lake is a fun area to hang because you get all the excitement of the start line all over again, not to mention more runners to pump you up. There are food carts here, coffee, and a floor to stretch out in the community center if you so choose.
Our second van had some issues that we didn’t experience. The elevation got to one of our asthmatic runners and another suffered some pretty bad intestinal issues. Unfortunately, digestion is a factor for a lot of relay runners across the country. Sometimes even if you can dial in what and when to eat, you’ll still end up with troubles.
Our van was really very fortunate. Though we had a few complaints here and there in our van (you know, the standard stuff like “running on gravel is awful” or “that seemed way harder than it should have been”, we never felt like we experienced anything that would be impossible to overcome.
My second leg was shorter than the first, but the gravel road wasn’t much fun after the uneven terrain of the first leg. It was a long stretch, but I had the benefit of watching the sun go down on this run and it was pretty beautiful. When I got to the exchange there were kids handing out homemade cookies and I was again reminded of why relays are so special. When the community around the relay embraces you like that, it’s hard not to feel grateful.
The night runs are the hardest on everyone because you really start to feel the fatigue set in. Our vehicle had been up since 3:00AM and some of us had already had some really busy days beforehand preparing, so this is about the time most runners begin to question their choices. However, this is also the time where you realize you aren’t alone. Everyone is on the strugglebus together and for whatever reason, that makes it all better. By the time our 6th runner arrived to the exchange, the night exchange was hopping like a rave.
We headed to LaPine High School for some rest and this really helped invigorate us. Special shout out to my awesome teammate Bree for getting us there without falling asleep at the wheel since none of the rest of us could keep our eyes open!
Showers were an option, as well as breakfast and air mattresses to sleep on in the gym. This was our longest break and we took full advange of the chance to stretch our legs and close our eyes for a bit. The local high schoolers were there to help and all money we donated went back to them. Again, community at it’s best.
The closer we got to Mt Bachelor, the colder it felt. It had rained a bit, but not horribly. We kept trucking along. From what I was told, Van #1 was experiencing all sorts of hail and rain and stormy weather.
My last leg was considered the easiest of my adventure, a “moderate” 7 miler. However, it felt much harder for me than the longer “very hard” leg I’d run previously despite the fact that half of it was on (thankfully!!) paved road. I was really tired and my hip flexors, glutes, and hamstrings were sore.
Moreover, as soon as I hit more gravel at mile 3.5, my feet started to protest and a blister began to form in the same place I’d received one the last time I’d run this very leg assignment. I rarely get blisters but all that uneven ground takes it’s toll. This gravel felt the worst because it rolled washboard-style with no breaks. Another runner told me she’d just seen a bear cross over in front of where I was headed, but I was disappointed I didn’t get to see it.
This leg felt like it climbed for a long time, but I finally made it and felt very accomplished at having run 27 miles in less than 48 hours.
We kept seeing a party bus on the course and finally checked out the inside during the costume leg. That’s right, there’s a leg of CRL that encourages runners to dress in costume and many people go all out. The party bus had a giant slide and a bar on the top of the van.
Our last runner in our vehicle had the hardest run of the relay in my opinion. It’s hard enough when your last leg is your hardest, but running up a mountain in pelting snow and wind is another level of badass. Thankfully, our runner was just that, a badass. She put her head down and put one foot in front of the other and she climbed that mountain. Hanging at Mt. Bachelor after that leg for the final exchange is generally a pretty fun party, but since it was snowing and very windy, we didn’t stick around for long.
We had rented a house in Bend that was only 8 minutes from the finish line, so we all got a shower in before we met up with Van #1 for our finish. Riverbend Park was abuzz with happy people, and you’d never guess that everyone had come from a snowy weather event. Thankfully the weather was decent in Bend, though a bit chillier than what’s typical.
Unlike what you’d find at other relays, it wasn’t hard to find our team. There were lots of people but not a vast overwhelming sea of them. Parking instructions were clear as Van #1 and Van #2 are instructed to go different places, neither far from the finish line. We got there in time to run in with our whole team and didn’t have to wait to get medals and shirts, take photos, or even very long to get a beer.
We had each received a beer token for the many beer options on tap and we even got 2 six packs of Mac & Jack beer to take with us. It was a fun party atmosphere, and we hung out for a bit before we headed back to the house to recuperate.
I would recommend the Cascade Lake Relay to any runner. Though a few of our runners struggled with the elevation change in Central Oregon (including myself with my first climb) I’d say it’s all very manageable. If you take it easy and slow it down a bit to check out the scenery, this will help immensely.
The terrain, milage, and hills are no joke, and harder than what you might experience in other places. But, the beauty of the views more than make up for it and most of us don’t get a lot of chances to run in these places. Lastly, I advise runners to make sure that they are well hydrated, and even more so if it’s going to be a warm weekends. But be prepared for anything .. even snow!
Overall, if you’re really wanting the true relay experience, there’s no better option than Cascade Lakes.
