Organizers form Odyssey Relay Series

The Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Relay has expanded into an international event with a race to be held in London, event organizers said last week.

The fifth annual Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Relay will be held May 29 and 30, and an inaugural event, the American Odyssey Relay, will take place on April 24 and 25 as part of the Odyssey Relay Series. The event then moves to London on Sept. 4 and 5, and a final event, the Southern Odyssey, from Athens, Ga. to suburban Atlanta, will be held Oct. 9 and 10.

Eric Lerude and and Bob Fleshner, directors of the Reno-Tahoe and American Odyssey relays, said London and Atlanta were chosen to bring the relay run concept to large metropolitan areas. Preliminary talks about relay runs in Southern California and elsewhere in the U.S. and Europe are under way, they said.

"The success of the Reno-Tahoe event, and the strong registration response for the American Odyssey Relay next spring tells us our 'run where the locals run' approach is extremely attractive," Lerude said.

The events feature 12-member teams running 200-mile courses. Each runner completes three legs of approximately four to eight miles. Teams interested in the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey can sign up by visiting renotahoeodyysey.com or by calling 825-3399. To register for the American Odyssey log on to americanodyyseyrelay.com. Registration for the London and Southern odysseys opens in January.

The organization also hired Patty Burke, formerly the senior director of corporate relations for the American Heart Association in Washington, D.C., for day-to-day marketing, course design, hiring and event coordination.