Hudson Relays

Hudson Relays 2023

We are excited to invite you to participate in the 2023 Hudson Relays program!

We are so excited to announce that the Hudson relays has returned!  6 teams (all four classes, alumni and graduate students) will once again be fighting for the title of '23 Winners!

Continuing the tradition throughout the past 6 years, we will also be hosting a livestream on Saturday, April 29th at 9:30 am.  We encourage those around campus to join us for a watch party at the Jolly Scholar.  Yes, there will be a competition! Yes, there will be an opening and closing ceremony! Yes, there will be a race to the finish line!

Here's how you can participate: 

Contact your Class Officer President, the Alumni Relations department or if you are a graduate student contact your team captain.


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! 

Check out a few of the amazing submissions above!


The Oldest Programmed Campus Tradition

Beginning in 1910, the Hudson Relays was created to commemorate the campus move from Hudson, OH to Cleveland, OH. The Hudson Relays itself is a race amongst the classes the put each class's best runners to the test in a 26 mile relay around campus. As per tradition, if the same class wins all four years in a row, they are treated to a steak and champagne dinner, courtesy of the President and the Provost. To date, only three classes have ever achieved this goal! Will your class be next?  

Hudson Relays History and Origins

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.

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.