Dating back to the 1960’s, Utah Tech University (UT) Campus Recreation’s Great Race has engaged and enthralled students. This year’s event held earlier this spring was no different as the race is fully engrained on campus and is one of the school’s premier traditions.
The Great Race is a Utah Tech tradition that first began with a bike race traveling through St. George, Utah, and its surrounding farm roads. In the early 1970’s it became a 10-person relay including activities such as running, motor-cross, horseback riding, bicycling and tubing down the Virgin River. In 2000, the event was brought back to campus in a modified version with many of the original events.
“The Great Race is one of the longest-standing traditions here and allows our students to engage in a fun and competitive event with members of our campus and the larger Southern Utah community,” said David Howell, the director of Campus Recreation. “It allows our students to compete and represent their respective clubs, athletic teams, colleges and dorms on campus. The race gives them the opportunity to participate in an event they may not normally participate in.”
Great Race Details
Competing teams face off in a relay that takes them through campus, with the current iteration of the event featuring a half-mile run, dizzy bat spin, biking, cornhole toss, scooter race, swimming obstacle course, UT history trivia, slip and slide, mud pit crawl, and an obstacle course sprint to the finish.
Each year, there are medals and prizes for the first, second and third place teams, as well as other fun rewards. This spring, Howell said they gave out prizes for the best-dressed and most spirited team.
“Participants love the fact they can come out and participate in the race and receive a prize even if they don’t win,” said Howell. “We also give out a mystery prize that’s not announced until after the race at the awards ceremony during our D-Week— a spirit week like Homecoming — carnival. This year we gave an award to the team that finished in the middle of the pack and in years past have given awards for the last place finisher. This changes each year and is a fun way to keep participants engaged and entertained, regardless of the race outcome.”
This spring race’s consisted of 26 teams from different clubs, departments, academic colleges, alumni, student organizations and community groups from the internal and external campus community.
“Students from each team love the opportunity to come out and compete, but more importantly engage with the other participants and be part of a fun atmosphere,” said Howell. “We have a wide range of competitors each year. Some come to win, others come to participate and be a part of the tradition.”
A Formula for Success
With the Great Race being one of the longest-standing traditions at UT, Howell said the event has allowed his department to engage with the larger campus community and be a part of the weeklong D-Week celebration on campus.
“The exposure we receive and the experience our staff develop by organizing, planning and operating the race is invaluable and allows Campus Recreation to truly be a part of UT’s ‘Active Learning Active Life’ motto,” said Howell. “Even those not participating in the race love coming to support their friends and fellow students. They particularly love watching participants run through one of our fan-favorite legs — the mud pit.”
Howell said the actual race is just one component of what makes the event so successful each year. Developing other aspects of the race to allow individuals to be part of the full tradition no matter their experience level is key.
“Successful events rely on successful planning and execution, but more importantly a desire from the department to create an event that engages the students and creates a lasting memory,” said Howell. “Each year we debrief with our staff and participants to understand what went well and what can improve to make sure we are continually holding an event our students enjoy. Most competitors won’t remember who won the race, but instead will remember the experience, the atmosphere created from participating with so many other students and alumni groups, and the tradition itself.”
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