LOVE THE LOCALS CAMPAIGN
“I pledge to be safe, kind, thoughtful of this community and will ‘Love the Locals.’ As Ragnarians, we run hard, sleep little and remember that how we live is more important than how fast we run.”
RESPECT 101
Ragnar relays cannot happen without the locals’ permission and it is so important that we cultivate good relationships with the people of the places we run through. That’s why we’re encouraging all Ragnarians to love the locals.
These people are kind enough to give us their blessing and let us run wild through their town. We want to thank them for it and treat them right. You’ll see a “Love the Locals” icon anywhere you need to be extra mindful of this.
To most, these will seem like no-brainers. But some people need to hear this. Please heed the guidelines. They don’t cover all courtesy issues — when in doubt, err on the side of being a good human.
1. Vans blocking the flow of traffic (shadowing)
Don’t shadow your runner, or in other words, don’t drive creepy. If you are slowly driving up behind a running teammate, you are going to freak them out. At the same time, everyone driving behind your van is going to be feeling unhappy feelings toward you. Shadowing runners has a big impact on traffic and can make life miserable for the local communities where we run. Drive when you are driving. If you are on a van-support leg, then stop to support your runner. Don’t try to do both at the same time. Don’t be a creeper, don’t shadow your runners, it’s unsafe and uncool and kinda creepy when you think about it.
2. Noncompliance to speed limit (speeding and driving too slowly)
We understand that you want to finish your Ragnar experience in a respectable time, but let the runners be the speed demons. We’ve heard the excuses: getting to an exchange, beating another team, wanting to set a new PR for your division, and NONE of them are worth it. Simply obey speed limits. Don’t speed because you can hurt someone. Don’t drive under speed limits because it is incredibly aggravating and could cause someone to drive around your van. Either way, it creates a dangerous running environment. As the Eagles would say “Take it Easy.”
3. Disrespecting other people’s property (not parking at designated locations, blocking residents’ driveways, using lawns as toilets, etc.)
This might seem like a no-brainer, but please park only in designated parking areas. Do it for yourself because having your van towed in the middle of a Ragnar is a major bummer and also because nobody wants a bunch of random stinky runners parking their vans on their property without permission. Even if you think you are sneaky and nobody is going to notice, everyone is going to notice and a whole bunch of other teams will follow your lead.
And let’s be adults and pee and poop exclusively in toilets. There are toilets along the course and at most exchange points. Let’s not get disqualified or even arrested for public urination.
Also give a hoot. Litter bugs are not cool. Same for trespassers. Stay off lawns and gardens. Respect everyone’s space. Again getting arrested for trespassing will ruin your whole weekend.
We work hard to find the best routes available to serve the needs of runners and the communities we run through and ask that you play along for the benefit of everyone.
4. Noise in quiet areas
Ever had an annoying neighbor who throws a party and blasts music all night long? Don’t be that person. Although you won't be getting much sleep during your Ragnar adventure, we do run through communities that do in fact value sleep. Keep an eye on course maps for locations and legs where communities have asked us to tone it down. But common sense should prevail. If you driving through a small town at 2 a.m., it’s not the best time to lean on your horn and blast “Up All Night to Get Lucky.” Put that megaphone away when the sun goes down. Karaoke is best in bars and not in a sleepy community. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to shout until your voice is hoarse the next morning.
5. Noncompliance with traffic and pedestrian laws (reckless driving by vans, illegal u-turns, speeding, pedestrians crossing the street before crossing aids say to, etc.)
Running a Ragnar isn’t an excuse to break traffic laws, even if you are late to an exchange. You might be a few minutes later, but obeying traffic laws is vital for us all to create running adventures that are safe for our runners, vans, communities and random people who might just be trying to cross the street when you are freaking out because your teammate is angry. Let’s chill out and drive safely. In general, follow the rules. Running a Ragnar isn’t an excuse to break traffic laws or dash across the street in traffic. Follow the rules, be extra safe and be a good guest to the communities where we run.