Didn't get drawn for Hood to Coast next year? There's now a fresh alternative for you and your team - the Ameri-Cana International Relay. The Ameri-Cana International Relay is becoming a well-established relay and a great choice for runners seeking a long distance relay. Over the past three seasons the Ameri-Cana impressed athletes from two nations with its beautiful and challenging course, organization and friendly atmosphere.

As its name suggests, the event spans America and Canada, a unique characteristic to any athletic event. It's 220-mile length makes it the longest continuous relay in the U.S. or Canada. For those teams that just can't get all twelve runners together, the event also includes a 10-person 170-mile running course with the same start and finish points as the 220-mile event. There are walking courses for 8 and 12-person teams that are 90 and 140-miles in length respectively.

At the top of scenic Kootenay Skyway: Team FOBAR makes the exchange and checks the time.

While the format of the Ameri-Cana International Relay is similar to Hood to Coast, the Ameri-Cana strives to reach goals that other larger relays have difficulty achieving because of their size.

The Ameri-Cana is about bringing communities, teams, and people from two nations together for a common purpose. Twenty-two different agencies provide approval for the event to pass through their jurisdictions. Even in our post-9/11 world, the border authorities are supportive of the event and provide extra officers so that participants flow smoothly through the border. Ameri-Cana participants have come from the northwestern United States and Canada as well as from California, Alaska, Texas, Arizona, Virginia, Illinois, and New Hampshire. After three years of conducting the event, participants, event staff, and some of their families know each other and look forward to seeing one another annually. Teams develop camaraderie and friendly competition that often starts at the pre-event dinner where team captains introduce their team and share stories about their team's name or background.

The Ameri-Cana is about accomplishment. Teams accomplish the feat of running from one country to another in the longest relay on the continent. Each person runs three legs, averaging 6-miles each. The course crosses scenic Kootenay Skyway, one of the highest mountain passes in Canada. Inexperienced runners need not be intimidated since the legs are shorter where the terrain is steep to accommodate a wide range of athletic ability. One runner on 12-person teams runs a fourth leg, referred to as "Glory" since it travels over the 1.75-mile Lake Pend Oreille Long Bridge before crossing the finish line in Sandpoint. Teams celebrate as they cross the finish line, and usually start thinking about next year's event on the trip home. Historically, the event included participants eager for camaraderie and personal accomplishment rather than intense competition, although a very competitive course record was set the first year when a team from Vancouver, BC finished the 220-mile course in 24 hours. The event managers strive for meticulous organization and coordination to provide a thoroughly marked and safe 220-mile course. Managers are satisfied by the accomplishment of hosting a large caliber event and receiving feedback from participants like Steve Moe who said, "What a great time! Thank you for the wonderful organization. In particular, the course marking was the best I have ever seen. You could have done the entire relay without a map." And, yes, there are outhouses at each exchange point.

And, last but certainly not least, the Ameri-Cana is about a course that is second to none in terms of beauty. The course starts in Nelson, British Columbia and finishes in Sandpoint, Idaho. The two cities are similar in that they sit adjacent to pristine lakes surrounded by mountains with quaint shops and fine restaurants, not to mention large parks on the water for the start and finish lines. The course passes several lakes and follows many rivers as it winds through the forests and fertile valleys from British Columbia to Idaho. Of course, the view from the top of Kootenay Skyway is breathtaking. Participants run under the stars, sleep on the ground in the middle of nowhere, and enjoy the wildlife - deer, moose, caribou, big horn sheep, (and yes) bear and wolf.

Teams enjoy running along a trail prior to reaching the 1.75-mile Long Bridge over lake Pend Oreille immediately south of Sandpoint and the finish line.

Next year's event will take place Friday and Saturday, June 17 and 18. Participants traveling by air typically fly in and out of Spokane, Washington, which is about a five hour drive from Nelson and about two hours from Sandpoint. Most participants arrive in Nelson Thursday afternoon before the event in time for the pre-event dinner. Friday start times vary depending on team speeds. Teams finish Saturday afternoon. The finish is a non-commercialized activity. You will not find a renowned band or hundreds of vendors, but a simple dinner and awards ceremony. Participants can travel home Saturday afternoon after the finish or Sunday, although participants from outside the area usually wish they had planned to spend more time in either Nelson or Sandpoint.

The Ameri-Cana Relay has been a fresh experience for several Hood to Coast participants. If your team didn't get drawn for Hood to Coast in 2005, or are tired of the crowds, give the Ameri-Cana International Relay a try. Veteran Hood to Coast team captain Gordon Gillmouth of Fremont, California found himself in this situation in 2002. You can see Gordon's article "From Reject to Rich Rewards" on the Ameri-Cana website (www.acrelay.com). After participating in the 2005 Ameri-Cana you may find yourself like Gordon and not receive another Hood to Coast rejection letter again!

Matt Neukom, Relay Director

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