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Hudson Relay Rules, Routes, and Winners

 

Origins | Rules, Routes & Winners | Celebrations | Firsts


When planning for the first race began, running from Painesville to Cleveland was proposed as the route. Quay Findley, Class of 1911 and member of the planning committee, suggested running from Hudson to Cleveland. His suggestion was accepted and, until 1990, Hudson to Cleveland, with minor variations, was the race’s route.

Phil Ritzenberg's 1950 Hudson Relay Map
1950 Hudson Relay Map by Phil Ritzenberg (Adelbert 1953)

The length of each leg was 1 mile until the 1970s, when half-mile legs began. Early rules required each runner to finish his mile unassisted and no runner could participate in more than one mile. Team sizes varied from 24 to 52, It was the custom for the class president to run the final mile, with elected team captains running the first mile. The overall length was 26 miles until 2003 when the course was changed to pass through the North Residential Village, shortening the distance to 24.5 miles.

Hudson Relay Rock, 1915
Adding Winning Teams to Hudson Relay Rock, 1915
Adding Winning Teams to Hudson Relay Rock, 1982
Adding Winning Teams to Hudson Relay Rock, 1982

Monitoring progress of the race was a constant, but the method changed over time. In the early years, people who lived along the route phoned in updates, which were recorded on a large map of the course at the steps of Adelbert Main. In 1972 WRUW, the student radio station, offered live coverage of the race using a radio car.


Winning Teams


The First 100 Years

Year
Winning Class
Year
Winning Class
Year
Winning Class
1910
1912
1947
1949
1981
1982
1911
1914
1948 1951 1982 1982
1912
1915
1949 1951 1983 1986
1913
1915
1950 1951 1984 1987
1914
1916
1951 1953 1985 1986
1915
1918
1952 1953 1986 1986
1916
1919
1954 1957 1987 1990
1918
1921
1955 1955 1988 1990
1919
1921
1956 1958 1989 1990
1920
1922
1957 1960 1990 1990
1921
1922
1959 1960 1991 1994
1922
1922
1960 1963 1992 1994
1923
1926
1961 1964 1993 1994
1924
1926
1962 1965 1994 1994
1925
1926
1963 1965 1995 1998
1926
1929
1964 1967 1996 1998
1927
1928
1965 1968 1997 2000
1928
1931
1966 1968 1998 2001
1929
1931
1967 1968 1999 2001
1930
1933
1968 1970 2000 2002
1931
1933
1969 1971 2001 2004
1932
1934
1972 1974 2002 2004
1933
1936
1973 1973 2003 2006
1934
1936
1974 Alumni 2004 2006
1935
1938
1975 Alumni 2005 2006
1938
1941
1976 1979 2006 2006
1939
1942
1977 1979 2007 2009
1940
1943
1978 1979 2008 2011
1941
1944
1979 1982 2009 2011
1942
1944
1980 1982 2010 2011


The Second 100 Years

Year
Winning Class
Year
Winning Class
Year
Winning Class
2011 2011        
2012 2014        
2013 2014        
2014 2017        
2015 2017        
2016 2017        
2017 2017        
2018 2020        




Information was compiled by staff of the Case Western Reserve University Archives, April 2010.

Hudson Relay images are available in the University Archives Images of Events and Activities collection in Digital Case.


Origins | Rules, Routes & Winners | Celebrations | Firsts