Getting Started

Reach the Beach Relays combine fun, fitness, adventure and team building like no other running event. Click here for the basics. Once you get a team started, everyone wants to join in. We guide you through all the planning until Race Day when our amazing volunteers join in to support you until you reach the beach for our awesome party!

Here's our 5 simple steps to get you started:

You do not need to pay for a team to hold a spot. So go ahead and do it! Our races do fill up (in part due to our refund policy that most relays do not provide).

We get teams from Running Clubs, Moms Clubs, college friends looking to reunite, there are work teams, neighborhood teams and best of all...LOTS of mixed teams that might begin with a few running club friends who each add people from their lives. Trust us, it works and it's very fun! The beauty of RTB is that super fast friends can be on the same team with newbies and it just doesn't really matter. Here is a link showing the legs and the estimated total distances for each leg of a 12 person team and here's a link to a great video you might want to share with potential teammates.

****NEW!!!**** 2 New Categories starting in 2013 to make gathering your team easier!

Freestyle - no rules or rotation or age requirements. Anyone can run any leg or any number of legs! Click here for details

'Half team' - gather 3-5 friends to fill your van and we will combine you with another team of 4-6 to make a standard 8-12 person team! All the fun of a full team with 'half' the effort! Click here for details.

Can't find that last one or two runners? Post a note on our Facebook "find a team/runner" section.. https://www.facebook.com/RTBRelay/notes

Once you have a core group that says they want to run, go back to your team registration page and enter a credit card to make it official. Then you can direct your teammates to join the team. Click here for Entry Fee and Refund information.

While not required, many of our seasoned RTBers will tell you that renting 2 large vans is worth the investment. If you plan to rent, make your reservations early at a location geographically close to where most of your runners live.

VERC Car Rental
20% discount or free delivery 15-Passenger Van rates for all Reach the Beach Relay participants!

Book yours today at www.verc.com Discount Code: relay

Team names, van decorations, team shirts...RTB prides itself on having some of the most creative runners on the planet. Again, while not required, you may feel a bit "out of it" if you don't join in. THAT'S IT! We will share more tips and tools for planning as the race approaches. We give you EXTREMELY comprehensive route maps and descriptions so you can plan exactly who gets what leg and what to expect along the way. Sooooo... What are you waiting for? You've GOT TO REACH THE BEACH.



Below you will find additional details for your perusal.

The RTB Relay: Wachusett to Westport will take place in Massachusetts, starting in Princeton, MA at the Mount Wachusett Ski Area and finishing at Horseneck Beach State Reservation in Westport, MA. The relay will consist of (a maximum of) 12 person teams that will rotate through 36 transition areas as they cover the approximate 200 mile distance of the race. This means that each relay team member will run 3 legs of varying lengths and difficulty and will cover an average total distance of ~15 miles. There will also be an Ultra Distance division that will have a team limit of 6 members. In this case, the average distance covered per Ultra Distance Team runner would be ~ 30 miles. The runners will rotate in a set order once the race begins and will be obligated to follow this rotation until the final runner Reaches the Beach!

Friday & Saturday, May 17-18, 2013
Start: Wachusett Ski Area, Princeton, MA
Finish: Horseneck Beach State Reservation, Westport, MA

Friday May 17, 2013; from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Teams start in "waves" every 30 minutes. The event will conclude by 8:00 PM on Saturday May 18, 2013. All teams must have completed the race by this time. All teams are expected to be able to run the event at an average pace of approximately 10 minutes per mile.

Team limit for 2013 will be held to the first 300 teams.

Last Day to ask for Refund: Friday, February 01, 2013
Make final changes for FREE to roster: Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Team Addition/Substitution Late Fee begins: Thursday, April 18, 2013
Start Times Posted: Monday, May 06, 2013
Registration Closes: Friday, May 10, 2013
Race Start: Friday May 17, 2013
Race Finish: Saturday May 18, 2013
Registration Opens for 2014: Wednesday, August 01, 2013

$1,440 for a Standard team (7-12 members) and $840 for an Ultra team or 'Half team' (4-6 members).

Register before Dec 31, 2012 and the captain will receive a shoe code for a FREE pair of New Balance Running Shoes.

Your entry fee includes:

• An RTB / New Balance performance race shirt for each relay team runner
• An RTB race medal for each relay team runner
• Prizes for the winners of each category (see below).
• A 5"x7" Team photo for each runner will be digitally provided to the team captain within 21 days of the event.**
• Refueling and rest areas along the route provided by various community organizations that partner with RTB
• A completely marked course (arrows) along with maps
• Post race lunch/dinner at the finish.
• 2 full days of an adventure race with your friends!

** Photo staging takes place only on the morning of the start of the event. Team Photos will be attached as a digital file that can be downloaded from the Team Captain’s page within 30-days of the event.

Refunds will only be granted if a written request from the team captain is received on or before Feb 1, 2013. No refunds will be made after this time. Refunds will be sent to the designated team captain in the form of a check made out to his or her name within 30 business days of receipt of cancellation notice. Entry fees are not transferable.

No entries will be accepted after 5/11/2013.
Note: this event will sell out. Your place in the race is not reserved until we receive your complete entry fee along with your on-line application. Enter early to assure acceptance.

If a significant event (weather, terrorism, etc.) were to occur on race weekend and State and Local authorities deem it unsafe for us to hold the event, we will be obligated to cancel this event. Notification of this cancellation will occur through direct e-mail to all team captains and through updates to the RTB website.
No refunds will be provided in the event of this form of cancellation. Race shirts and medals would be mailed to each team captain. Based on the complexity of executing this event it is not possible to have a 'rain' date.
Many RTB veterans will recall that we have run this event through hurricanes in the past so we take our preparation very seriously. However, we do require the support of State and Local officials to conduct this race and will only do so with their continued approval.

Only the entry of the Team Captain is required to register an entire team. Your teammates can register starting on December 17. Please note that registering without paying the complete entry fee will not reserve your spot in the event.

A few additional clarifications:

• Captains can register a team by going to the Team Application Page.
• Team Name: if you have not selected a name for your team then it will be the last name of the team captain. Corporate teams should indicate the name of the company they represent.
• Team Category: select the number which best matches your team category or composition and list it in the space provided. Check our category descriptions to help guide you.
• T-shirt size: Race shirts are ordered months in advance of the close of registration. They are sized for both men and women. We will make every effort to provide you with the size requested. Please verify your shirt size at registration and request a swap if necessary. Swaps will not be made once registration closes on race day.
• Half Marathon Pace: please list your actual or potential time in "minutes per mile". This must be precise for us to determine an accurate anticipated finish time for your team. Significant differences (+/- 1 minute/mile) between your teams estimate and actual paces may result in your team being moved forward or held back during the event.
• Runners will be able to join your team starting December 17. They will have up to May 11 to submit their individual registrations. Registrations received after April 17, 2013 will be assessed a $10 late fee that must be paid prior to your team's start.
• All captains will have a Team Page from which they will be able to manage their teams.
• Click here to register on-line.
  Note: you will have the option of paying by check (US funds) or by credit card. You will be directed to our secure credit card site after going through our online registration process.

• Runner registration will open on December 17.
• Please choose the team name that your captain registered.
• All fully registered teams will appear in a drop-down menu. If your team is not listed, it most likely means that your captain has not yet completed the registration process.
• A few clarifications:
  • T-shirt size: Race shirts are ordered months in advance of the close of registration. They are sized for both men and women. We will make every effort to provide you with the size requested. Please verify your shirt size at registration and request a swap if necessary. Swaps will not be made once registration closes on race day.
  • Half Marathon Pace: please list your actual or potential time in "minutes per mile". This must be precise for us to determine an accurate anticipated finish time for your team. Significant differences (+/- 1 minute/mile) between your teams estimate and actual paces may result in your team being moved forward or held back during the event.
  • Once you have submitted your registration, only your team captain may make changes.

Substitutions and Additions must be submitted using the Runner Registration process above. The team captain is responsible for deleting the runner being replaced using the Team Captain page. Applications for substitutions received after April 17, 2013 will be assessed a $10 late fee that must be paid prior to your team's start.

The following is a list of planned prizes. The actual prizes may differ from these.
The final prize list will be contained in the Official Race Handbook.

• Top Male, Female and Mixed Teams: 1st and 2nd place prizes

Start times will be available online on or before May 6. Failure to complete your team’s roster prior to this date will prevent us from providing you with a start time. Please be diligent about having all of your teammates complete the registration process. For safety reasons, we will not accept the entry of any team which we anticipate to finish in over 36 hours. The race course and finish line will close on Saturday evening at 8:00 PM. Teams on the course who fall behind this closure time schedule will be asked to jump ahead and be assessed a time penalty.

The official Race Handbook will be available for download by April 1 (PDF format).
Course Maps can be found on the Course page and will be updated with the route changes on or before April 1 as well.

Please plan to arrive at the starting area at least 1.5 hours before your scheduled start time so that you can attend Team Orientation, go through Safety Check, pick-up your race bag (numbers, batons, etc) and have your team's picture taken.

There will be a pay as you go breakfast offered on Friday morning between 6:30AM and 10:30 AM hosted by Wachusett Mountain Catering.