As Marriott School Professor Steve Thorley began ascending the 1,400 foot rise, his heart began to pound.
“I was psyched out of my mind,” says Thorley, “It was one of the most difficult sections of the race, and all I could think about was getting to the top.”
During the MyoMed Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back, teams of 12 trek over mountains and run through valleys as they tackle the 178-mile route from Logan to Park City, Utah. Decorated vans, filled with team members, flank the trail in many sections providing nourishment and much needed encouragement to the runners.
“We were in the race to get to know each other better,” says Brian Boyer, assistant professor of finance and captain of the Marriott School team. “When you’re crammed into a van for more than 24 hours, it doesn’t take long to get comfortable with your teammates.”
Boyer began assembling the team in January and found willing runners by networking with Marriott colleagues. The relay team emerged with Monte Swain and Scott Summers, professors of accountancy; Glenn Christensen, Stan Fawcett and Sterling Bone, professors of business management; Thorley and Boyer, professors of finance; and Scott Thompson, a captain in the department of military science. The remaining four spots were filled by Angela Christensen, Tanya Boyer, Dee Fawcett and Jake Swain — family members.
Once organized, the team trained three times a week in Provo Canyon, preparing to meet the 14,283 feet of elevation they would climb over the course of the race. Although the relay would take 28 hours to complete, the team relied on each other for the motivation to keep going.
“You watch your teammates experience sleep deprivation and dehydration,” Fawcett says. “But the race gives you the opportunity to reach your personal best as you work together.”
During the last two miles of the race, Monte Swain felt his muscles cramping and his knees locking. When his arrival was delayed, concerned teammates ran down the trail to find their final runner.
“I was frustrated and in a lot of pain,” Swain says, “but when I saw my team coming, the pain was gone, and we all finished the race together — running hard.”
Together the Marriott School professors and their family members completed the race in 27:52:59. The relay allowed faculty to form friendships that have fostered greater collaboration within the school.
“Between work, family and church it’s hard to get to know colleagues,” Swain says. “This experience formed a connection that has increased my love for working here.”
Many members of the team still run together in Provo Canyon each week, and Boyer has already signed up a team for next year’s race.
The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems and entrepreneurship. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.
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Writer: Scott Hathaway