PORT ANGELES — The inaugural Frosty Moss Relay kicked off Saturday with nearly 150 competitors from around the state running relays 80 miles across the Olympic Peninsula.
Winning the event was the team Tactical Rehabilitation from Port Angeles with a time of 10 hours, 8 minutes, 42 seconds, beating the second-place team the Dad Bod Squad of Port Angeles, which finished with a time of 10:29.29.
Teams ran 15 legs, ranging from three to 10 miles long each, in a single day.
Teams ran with five runners total taking turns on various legs over pavement and forest trails, some of which went up and down extremely steep hills.
Three “ultra” teams only used three runners and they came in third, fourth and fifth overall respectively.
The top ultra team was Forest Gnomes of Silverdale, which finished third overall with a time of 11:33:26. OLA of Indianola/Seattle was the second-place ultra team (and fourth overall) with a time of 11:43:.38.8 and #Runyouradventure was the third-place ultra team (and fifth overall) with a time of 11:59:12.4.
Frosty Moss Relay runners traveled the Olympic Discovery Trail and Adventure Route, beginning at the Camp Creek Trailhead along the Sol Duc River and ending in Blyn, with a post-relay celebration hosted by 7 Cedars Casino. Local groups hosted 14 exchange zones with fun themes and snacks to keep runners’ energy and enthusiasm stoked throughout the day. Slug puns and costumes echoed the relay logo, a banana slug catching a snowflake.
The event was originally scheduled to be held in February, but ironically had to be postponed due to heavy snow that month.
Race directors Lorrie Mittmann, Tim Tucker and Iris Winslow envisioned Frosty Moss Relay as a fun way to showcase the Olympic Peninsula’s diverse outdoor environments: Mossy green forests, Lake Crescent, views of the Olympics and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Port Angeles waterfront, the pastures of Sequim and the cultural heritage of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.
Thirty teams started the race, with 26 teams crossing the finish line.
Frosty Moss 2020 will return to February and organizers say they are optimistic that the race will be chilly but snow-free next when runners hit the trail on Feb. 29, 2020. Registration will open in early September at FrostyMossRelay.com.
Other awards include:
The Mediocrity Award was nabbed by Team Phoenix Dragon Warriors of Port Angeles for crossing the finish in 15th place out of 30 starting teams.
The Last Slugs Standing Award (final team to cross the finish line) went to the super-enthusiastic Team Worst Game of Tag EVER from Port Angeles and Sequim for their time of 15:38:04.2.
Best Dressed Team Van went to Team Slugsicles from Redmond, thanks to the giant banana slug complete with slime trail riding atop their team van.
The Best Exchange Zone went to the Back Country Horsemen Peninsula Chapter. Runners chose the BAC in thanks for the group’s extensive aid station in the Dan Kelly equestrian lot that featured a buffet of snacks and beverages, warming tents and a toasty campfire.
Event sponsors included Wirta Hospitality Worldwide of Sequim, 7 Cedars Casino, Tactical Rehabilitation, Moss, goodie bag items from Costco and Walmart Vision Center, and grant funding from the Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau and the Port Angeles and Sequim Lodging Tax Advisory Boards. Barhop Brewing & Artisan Pizza welcomed runners for packet pickup on Friday evening.
Frosty Moss results
Saturday, April 6
Olympic Peninsula
Tactical Rehabilitation, Port Angeles, first, 10:08:42.0; Dad Bod Squad, PA, second, 10:29:29.9; Forest Gnomes (Ultra), Silverdale, 11:33:26.1; OLA (Ultra), Indianola/Seattle, fourth, 11:43:38.8; #Runyouradventure (Ultra), Bremerton, fifth, 11:59:12.4; Nasty Women, PA/Seattle, sixth, 12:03:59.4; Huxley Wonder Women, seventh, Bellingham, 12:08:24.6; Dirt In My Taco, eighth, Portland, Ore., 12:09:11.7; Slugsicles, ninth, Redmond, 12:14:30.9; Frosty 5, Sequim, 10th, 12:26:03.2; In Search Of Our True Identity, PA, 11th, 12:26:24.2; Captain Smiley And The Fastypants, PA, 12th, 12:31:51.8; Peninsula College Relay Team, PA, 13th, 13:00:10.3; Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Sequim, 14th, 13:01:06.0; Phoenix Dragon Warriors, PA, 15th, 13:21:18.8; Will Run For Beer, PA, 16th, 13:33:29.7; Kelp Whip!, PA, 17th, 13:36:47.0; OMR (Olympic Mountain Rescue/Runners), PA, 18th, 13:42:33.2; Serial Chillers, PA, 19th, 13:47:07.5; Snailed It, Seattle, 20th, 13:51:42.3; The Sasquatch Chasers, Sequim, 21st, 14:09:40.2; Nap Time At The Finish Line, Bellingham, 22nd, 14:30:49.1; The Haggerty Consulting Funner Runners, PA, 23rd, 14:35:14.8; Broken Soles, Forks, 24th, 14:35:19.7; Mixed Bag Of Nuts, Spokane, 25th, 14:38:05.8; Worst Game Of Tag EVER, PA/Sequim, 26th, 15:38:04.2.
Iris Winslow The Team Slugsicles team from Redmond travels along the race route to its next leg on Saturday.
