Looking for a fun challenge? Join the 2023 Bourbon Chase Team, October 6-7, 2023
By Christopher Hickey, LMS EVP/CEO
Read about the 2017 LMS Bourbon Chase Team
Read about the 2018 LMS Bourbon Chase Team
LMS is recruiting runners for our 2023 Bourbon Chase Team. The race is October 6-7, 2023. This is open to all LMS members from medical students and physicians and their spouses of all ages who can run at least a 10:30 mile pace over a 10KM distance. LMS Bourbon Chase runners need only to provide their energy and enthusiasm. LMS covers the registration fees, van rentals, hotel rooms, provides all the night running equipment (lights and vests) team shirts, and lots of water, Gatorade, and snacks. LMS will host a team dinner prior to the race to thoroughly brief the team and get the required race paperwork completed.
What is the Bourbon Chase? It is a 203-mile team relay race starting at the Jim Bean Distillery in Clermont and ending about 32 hours later in downtown Lexington. A team consist of 12 runners divided into two large rental vans. Our team will be assigned a start time, I anticipate about 9:00 am on Friday, October 6th and should complete the race between 2pm to 6p.m. on Saturday, October 7th. The Bourbon Chase assigns team start times based on their average team mile pace time. The slower teams start earlier. Each van will run six legs of about 5-6 miles each before handing off to the other van. While one van is running, the other van leaps ahead six legs to the van transition point. During the van’s off time, runners can tour the various bourbon distilleries, eat and rest. The vans will alternate over six running segments of about 34 miles each, each van running 3 segments, for a total of 36 legs. A typical runner will run about 6 miles, 3 times over the course of the race.
The most difficult leg assignment has the runner running a total of 21.2 miles over two difficult and one moderate legs. The least difficult assignment has the runner running a total of 12.5 miles over two easy and one moderate legs. The team captain will assign the runner leg assignments based on their average mile pace time and running experience level. Previous teams have had active and retired physicians, residents, and UK medical students. Our runners’ experience level ranged from runners who had never run a competitive race before to runners who had competed in 10KMs, half marathons, marathons, and triathlons. The Bourbon Chase course is well marked, each van has a course book with printed leg maps, and there is GPS leg smart phone app that makes it easy to navigate the van from leg to leg.
The Bourbon Chase has an overall fun, festive, and community spirit atmosphere among the runners. There are teams that are super competitive, but most are like our team and strive to have fun while completing a significant physical challenge.
The small Kentucky towns we run through are friendly and supportive of the runners. The town of Stanford, where our runners will reach in the middle of the night, opens its community center, offers free refreshments, and lots of encouragement. LMS has secured hotel rooms in Danville and Lawrenceburg where our runners can take a shower, rest, and eat.
Let us know if you are interested in being part of our team. The sooner you let us know the better. We keep an alternate list of runners in case you drop due to injury, work, or school issues. In previous years, everyone on the alternate list was able to participate. Please contact me at email-link or (859) 967-4099 if you want more information about the race or want to join the team.
Resources: