Ragnar Ohio

What It Actually Looks Like

Trail running calls for more than just effort on a flat surface. Every bend in the trail presents new challenges. Every step down a hill demands an equal step up. Most steps are on uneven terrain with roots, mud, leaves, and more.

Runners come in before the sun is all the way up. The plate is swapped, fresh legs hit the trail, and so the relay continues.

I was at Ragnar Trail to photograph, which means I was also there to wait, to wander, to figure out where the moment was before it happened. Transition tent, hydration stations. Smiles that look easy until you ask how many miles they're on and they just laugh instead of answering.

I found bear scat on the trail, my boot found it actually. The mosquitoes weren't out yet, so I'll count that as a win - seriously, the most agrivating thing to deal with. I’ll hike miles and miles for a shot, but if I have to stand in one spot while getting eaten alive…

I didn't catch the night portion. My stomach had other ideas. Which really bummed me out. I went to bed early, allocating energy for 4am instead of a late night. Things like this happen, you drive hours and hours to something like this but sometimes it’s just outside of your control. The daytime I got to experience during the race was terrific, the community built inside is built on shared commonalities. Activities like trail running attracts a certain person. Some are life long runners, others came out as friendly group challenge, encouraging eachother to step outside of their comfort zone.

Ragnar doesn't put on a race. They put on an experience, and there's a difference. The relay structure forces you to wait on someone, to be waited on, to share suffering across a team instead of grinding it out alone. Add campfires, live music, and a plank challenge that people actually do, and you have something much harder to replicate than a start line and a finish clock.

I suppose that’s what makes the adventure. You can plan meals, hydration, know the route, time of day, number of competitors, but you have to be mentally prepared for things you can’t control.

Make the most of what is in front of you and work for the things you want. Everyone at this trail race put in the time to train. Often, it’s the work, effort, energy, and time we don’t see behind the scenes that get us down the trail.

Josh Reuck is a photographer based in Northeast Ohio documenting outdoor communities, events, and the people whose lives are shaped by wild places.