Southern Blue Relay

Date: April 24

The 200 mile Southern Blue, which is one of the longest running relay races in the United States, takes place in the picturesque and inspirational Southern Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. From the Start at breathtaking Amicalola Falls, the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River (729 feet), the course primarily follows mountain roads through the wild and scenic Chattahoochee National Forest and along the Chattahoochee River, until its spectacular Finish in the foothills of Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains at the 38,000 acre Lake Sidney Lanier.

The vision for Southern Blue and inspiration for its course is a joint effort between the directors of the Blue Ridge Relay and their brother/brother-in-law, who resides, works, and trains for marathons in North Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains. The course was designed from a runner's perspective; to minimize road traffic and avoid the "beaten path", and to showcase the breathtaking beauty and deep history of Georgia's Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition to the Start at Amicalola Falls State Park, which is a short hike (8.5 miles) to the Southern trailhead of the Appalachian Trail, Southern Blue courses around Dahlonega, Georgia's Gateway to the Appalachian Mountains and site of America's first gold rush, Brasstown Bald (4,784 ft), Georgia's highest point, Tallulah Falls State Park, one of the most spectacular canyons (1,000 ft deep) in the Eastern United States, to its eventual finish on the shores of Lake Sidney Lanier.

Southern Blue consists of maximum 12 person (4 person minimum) teams that rotate through 36 transition areas as they cover the 200-mile distance of the race. Each relay team member runs 3 legs of varying lengths and difficulty and will cover an average total distance of ~16 miles. The runners rotate in a set order once the race begins and will be obligated to follow this rotation until the final runner finishes at Lake Sidney Lanier!
 

www.southernbluerelay.com