250 teams to compete in Reach the Beach 210-mile relay

Begins at Bretton Woods, travels through Conway to Hampton Beach on Friday

Descending from the White Mountains to Hampton Beach State Park, the upcoming sixth annual Reach the Beach Relay Race symbolizes the ultimate endurance adventure, incorporating teamwork, dedication, and adrenaline. Two hundred fifty teams are set to leave the starting blocks between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday from the lodge at the base of Bretton Woods ski resort.Eastern Mountain Sports is the title sponsor, offering a broad spectrum of backing for the race. Support includes transition station volunteers, donating tents to the official tent city for support personnel, gearing-up all competitors with EMS shirts, and incorporating the Raise the Roof tour into the start and finish-line festivities (the tour includes a 25-foot climbing wall and adventure village for participants and spectators). It was the terrific organization and ambiance of the event that drew us to it, Mark Van Saun, marketing manager of Eastern Mountain Sports, said. Eastern Mountain Sports is a company that lives and breathes outdoor adventure, and we possess a deeply-rooted New England heritage which creates a natural fit for this event partnership. The race allows us to create a loyal following of both amateur and professional athletes. Proceeds from the relay will benefit the New Hampshire state park system. The race has grown from 28 teams in 1999 to a presently sold-out field of 250 teams (2,800 competitors). Timberland Company, of Stratham, is offering race support through City Year New Hampshire, an "urban Peace Corps" that brings together young people from diverse backgrounds for a year of full-time community service, and leadership development. Fifty members will serve as volunteers along the relay course. The course is comprised of 36 segments or "legs" beginning at Bretton Woods resort, the states largest ski resort. The first five legs offer the most aggressive terrain, through Crawford Notch into Bartlett and then down West Side Road to Echo Lake State Park, one of the transition areas along the course. The competitors will race south through the night until they reach the beach.Runners generally compete in teams of 12, rotating through each leg as they cover the course. Presenting 18 different team categories, the race offers one of the most diverse fields of athletes; including various men's, women's, mixed, and corporate combinations. All participants of the race receive a finishers medal, commemorative T-shirt, and a team photo.Bucknell Alumni Reebok Distance Team, a 12-man team with members from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., successfully defended their 2002 title by winning last year's race with a time of 19:42:47 averaging a 5:42 mile throughout the race. They will be defending their title again this year. Another highlight for the upcoming 2004 race is the first two-man team including Badwater Ultra Marathon champion and The North Face-sponsored team member Dean Karnazes, and his running mate, three-time Triple Ironman champion Christopher Bergland. Together, they will split the 210-mile course and race as an ultra team.The EMS Reach the Beach Relay is the creation of race co-directors Mike Dionne and Rich Mazzola. Both Dionne and Mazzola are multi-sport athletes and have over 25 combined years of experience in event promotion. For full results and images of the fifth annual (2003) RTB Relay, visit the RTB web site at http://www.rtbrelay.com www.rtbrelay.com.