Frequently asked questions

For race-related communications, the short answer is no. Please consider the safety of others competing alongside you and avoid anything that reduces your ability to hear and communicate with other racers, course referees and law enforcement (such as headphones). At past Valkyrie races, the Race Rules and Etiquette discouraged personal music and headphone use in the interest of safety; the 2027 rules will be published in the Race Bible before registration opens.

We would love to talk! Email us at info@valkyrierelay.com.

Final registration, cancellation, refund, transfer, and participant policies for each event will be published before registration opens. Please review the applicable event policies before registering.

You can outright change teammates all the way up until packet pickup. If a teammate must be relieved mid-race, Race Organizers will take steps to eliminate any unfair advantage from doing so. If a competitor is injured and requires a replacement, they must inform a course referee or race organizer directly. The replacement athlete must return to the start of that racer’s start of discipline (i.e. previous exchange), starting the leg over. The replacement MUST wear a bib that matches the team – either as an athlete from another leg or one who has taken the bib from the injured competitor.

Yes. Competitors and their Wingmate(s) will need to arrange their own communication schemes to address and respond to such circumstances, as they happen. Please consult course maps to learn safe locations for equipment switch-out and any restrictions or advice on approaching the racecourse. Unlike the rule for replacement of competitors (i.e. for reason of injury), switch-out of equipment can happen on course, without returning to the start of the race leg.

Yes — the race runs on volunteers. At past races, roles included Race & Expo Logistics, Traffic Management, Race Safety, Expo Event Services, Athlete Services, Transition Zone Referees, Social Media, Photography/Videography and Event Hospitality. Volunteer sign-up for the 2027 Durango race will be announced here once it opens — or email info@valkyrierelay.com now and we will keep you posted.

Our Gear page lists the kinds of equipment each leg requires. Local rental and retail options for 2027 will be listed there as they are confirmed.

Mountain bikers and road cyclists should be prepared to make their own repairs along the racecourse, where they can safely move aside without obstructing the course. Assisted mountain-bike repairs or parts exchanges are restricted to designated assistance points, which will be named precisely — with locations — in the Race Bible and Athlete Guide. For road cycling, assisted repairs can happen at any safe, non-obstructing location off the roadway. Wingmates should carry essential tools and know how to use them.

Yes. Every team must provide its swimmer a spotter in the water, on a canoe, kayak or SUP — this is a Valkyrie team requirement. Our recommendation: after tagging the swimmer, have your SUP competitor or another teammate keep pace with your swimmer, off-course, on the SUP board, so you will not need to load and unload additional watercraft. Water-safety staffing for 2027 is being planned with the venue and qualified professionals, and the full water-safety rules will be published in the Race Bible.

At past races, Wingmates were the best real-time source for a competitor’s whereabouts, and the Course Hours published with each leg description helped estimate when teammates would be on-course. The same approach is planned for 2027.

In short, while competing on the road sections of the race, competitors must obey all relevant pedestrian and cyclist laws of the community in which the course is located. For further study, please see the descriptions of each relay leg, "Course Rules & Etiquette" The 2027 course-specific rules will be published in the Race Bible.

Yes, you can change your teammates all the way up until packet pickup, the evening before the race. If this is the case, the new team member will need to sign all waivers and follow any other instructions the rest of the team is subject to at race packet pick-up. We do ask that you submit the most accurate list of teammates you can when you register so we can purchase the correct sizes of event shirts. Last minute changes may result in one of your teammates not having the correct size event shirt.

Logistical services and standard furnishings & equipment, live site staging and audio/visual backline, temporary staffing for event services, volunteers, food & beverage trucks, hydration and nutrition products, radio communications, support vehicle fleet, signage design & printing, timing, merchandising (product supplier), merchandising (transaction services), trade show concessionaires and exhibitors (learn more about the Endurance Sports Summit and register to exhibit ).

Yes. The racecourse follows publicly accessible routes — city and county trail systems, the Lake Nighthorse recreation area, the Animas River, and public roadways. Day-use or entry fees may apply at some venues, so check each venue’s current access rules before you go.

The road sections — the Road Run (RDR) and Road Cycle (RCY) legs — operate under the rules of the road of the communities the course passes through, with selected portions under traffic control or controlled crossings. The water courses at Lake Nighthorse are closed to competitors only during the race and enforced by park officials, and the Trail Run and Mountain Bike circuits are closed to competitors only. Final traffic-control and closure plans for 2027 depend on event permits and will be published in the Race Bible and Athlete Guide.

Yes. A team can split the legs however it likes, and smaller rosters are their own categories: a Trio (three athletes), a Duo (two athletes), or the Ultra Heptathlon — one athlete racing all seven disciplines.