MatSu Relay
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MatSu Relay
MatSu Relay is a point-to-point team relay covering approximately 50 miles across the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. The course starts near Hatcher Pass and follows the Little Susitna River toward the north side of the Valley, then continues through a mix of farmland and forest in autumn color to finish on the shore of Wasilla Lake at Everett’s.
The relay is split into 12 legs and is most commonly completed by a team of six, allowing each runner to run twice. A traditional rotation pairs legs 1 and 7, 2 and 8, and so on, though other splits are permitted. Typical overall finish times range around six to nine hours.
Several legs run on road shoulder with active traffic; most of these roads have sizable shoulders. On legs 3 and 4 the shoulder is narrower and the fog line is coned with increased signage and traffic control. Weather is highly variable; past events have seen snow near the start and temperatures in the 50s later in the day.
Team types include Standard (five to six runners), Ultra (three to four runners), and Duo or Solo. Each team is placed in one of three age divisions - Open, Masters (all runners over age 40), and Super Masters (all runners over age 50) - with gender splits for Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed divisions. Each team supplies a volunteer or pays a volunteer fee used to hire local groups. Everett’s provides a lakeside finish area with appetizers and a first beer or nonalcoholic beverage. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
