In order to register for this year’s OTO relay races, you’ll need the following:

1. Team Captain (person responsible for registration)

2. Team Name

That’s it! The rest will come later.

After registration, the team captain will receive an email with instructions on how to add team members. The captain can enter each participant’s email, and they will receive an invitation to join the team and sign their waivers. Team members will not be charged—only the team captain is responsible for payment at the time of registration.

Alternatively, each team member can go to the registration page, enter their personal information, and then select "Join a Team." From there, they will enter the team name provided by the captain and complete their waiver. Again, there is no cost for team members to join—only the team captain pays the registration fee.

Additionally, the runner’s packet will be sent after the team registration is complete.

No worries! If you’ve got one van full (a 6-person team), we can help connect you with another 6-person team to complete your relay crew. Just select the Connect Team option during registration, and we’ll handle the rest.

Teams have full control over how they divide the legs and assign the running order. The only rule is that no team member can run more than one leg more than any other teammate.

For example, on a 10-person team, everyone will run at least 3 legs, and 6 runners will need to run a 4th leg. Just make sure that no runner runs 2 more legs than another—everyone’s total should be within +/- 1 of each other.

Official race start is 6:00 AM Friday, with staggered starts between 6:00 AM and 12:00 PM based on your team’s average 10k trail pace. Your team will be notified of their start time by October 6th.

No alternates needed. If a team member can’t run due to injury, their remaining legs can be divided among the other runners. It’s not a disqualification—just a leg adjustment.

Don’t know 12 runners? Don’t worry.
You probably know 3 or 4—and they probably know 3 or 4 more. Some of the most fun teams are made up of friends of friends. By the end of the race, you’ll have 11 great new ones.

Recruit with a buddy.
Find someone who’s a good leader and excited about the race. Put them in charge of filling one of the vans. That way, each of you only needs to find 5 runners instead of 11.

Set a deadline and collect entry fees.
Pick a registration deadline and start collecting entry fees early. Once someone has paid and registered, they’re much more likely to stay committed.

Pace matters.
Your team must average an 11-minute mile pace to complete the course within the time limits. There are hard cutoffs along the route, so plan accordingly!

No. Motor-homes, RVs, campers, trailers, buses, and limos are not allowed on the course at any time by any team or spectator. This rule is in place to ensure safety on narrow and rural roads throughout the course. Please plan accordingly with standard passenger vehicles or vans.

It depends on your team’s pace (give or take two legs), but darkness usually falls around Leg 13 (just after Withrow Springs), and the sun begins rising around Leg 24 (starting at Fort Smith Lake).

The course is primarily pavement and packed-down dirt roads. Only 8% of the course is trail. Leg 7 is the only leg that is entirely trail, while Legs 1, 8, 29, and 30 feature a mix of trail, pavement, and/or dirt. For a full leg-by-leg breakdown and terrain details, check out page 8 of our Runner’s Guide Linked Here.