In 1882, Western Reserve University moved 26 miles from Hudson, Ohio, to the University Circle area. Case Western Reserve University annually commemorates this event with Hudson Relays, a 26-mile relay race around the current campus. The event orginally began in 1910, starting in Hudson, Ohio, and ending at the rock in front of Adelbert Hall.
In 1990, the race was changed to its current course to comply with traffic and safety concerns. The current course is 26 miles long and consists of five laps around a pre-set course. A team from each class year—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior—and an alumni team compete in the race. In 2009, graduate and professional students came together to have a team running in Hudson Relays.
The winner of the race has their class year engraved upon the Hudson Relays rock outside the south wall of Adelbert Hall. In addition, if a class team wins four years in a row, the administration provides a steak and champagne dinner for them at graduation. The Class of 2017 was the most recent class to earn this honor.
Remembering Doc Oc
Since his death in 2005, the Hudson Relays have been run in memory of Dr. Ignacio Ocasio. Dr. Ocasio was a chemistry professor who mostly taught first-year students but was loved by all his students—past and present.
Doc Oc's passion for student life led him to be a coach for the first-year team and a strong supporter of the Relays. Now when the race is run, all runners and volunteers wear shirts that say "Thank You, Doc" in celebration of his passion for student life— both in and out of the classroom.
Doc Oc: Hudson Relays' #1 Fan
Case Western Reserve University students, faculty, and staff have mourned the passing of a beloved faculty member, "Doc Oc." Ignacio Ocasio, a former CWRU Teagle Professor of Chemistry, passed away suddenly in May of 2005.
Immediately following his death, students, alumni, faculty, and staff initiated a fund to commemorate him, and in the spring of 2008, hired artist Joseph Kinkel to create a bronze statue in his honor. The life-sized bronze statue was dedicated at the opening ceremony of the 2009 Hudson Relays on April 25, 2009. He was honored by alumni, students, President Barbara Snyder, and members of his family during a celebration on the steps of Adelbert Hall.
Ocasio, a classically trained pianist and prodigiously talented chemistry professor, came to the Case campus in 1980. During his time at Case, thousands of students had passed through his chemistry courses and were infected with his energy, enthusiasm, and dedication. Doc Oc won numerous teaching awards, including the Wittke Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching in 1993 and the J. Bruce Jackson, MD, Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring in 2006 (posthumously). He was dedicated to helping students develop—not only academically—but also as members of society.
Doc Oc supported students outside the classroom as well as inside, whether it was through his celebrity judging of the Mr. CWRU contest, as Hudson Relays coach to the first-year class, or as fraternity advisor. Most of all, we remember him as a caring friend whose uplifting personality would instantly bring smiles to our faces even on the gloomiest of days.
Hudson Relays at Home 2020
Although the 2020 race wasn't on campus, over 300 people from the campus community including students, alumni, and staff/faculty participated in the Hudson Relays at Home event during the second to last week of April.
Between Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020 through Saturday, April 25th, 2020: folks from all over submitted or posted photos, videos, or narratives sharing their 2020 #HudsonRelaysAtHome stories.
On Saturday, April 25th, 2020 we hosted a live webcast that featured presentations from President Barbara Synder, Provost Ben Vinson III, team captains, and members of the Hudson Relays committee. If you missed out on the livestream and want to view it, click here. Over 350 people tuned in on the day of the event to catch the show and chat with others watching.
Thank you to everyone who participated or watched the production. We couldn't have done it without you!
Many Thanks to the Archive Staff!
We appreciate the tireless work and efforts from the staff of University Archives! With their help, we developed a detailed history that highlights 100 years of the Hudson Relays. From winning classes, to changes in the routes, to bits of trivia you may not have known, check out one of Case's greatest traditions.