The Draft Challenge Relay (DCR)
Draft Challenge Relay (DCR) Description
DCR 50-50 Pool For mOUnTaiNBACK Race Beneficiary
The Draft Challenge Relay (the DCR for short) started in 2006 as the brainchild of John Sheakoski. Many of the Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK race regulars had run the race for several years, often on the same sized team, with many of the same people. John thought of the DCR as a way of mixing things up, getting new people involved, and having an interesting "competition within a competition".
The objective is to have a draft from among those who want to participate such that the teams end up roughly equal in overall ability. John, as the "Commissioner", set up the rules for the first DCR. The first DCR was such a success that the rules have changed only slightly since.
In the first year, 2006, 24 runners were divided into 6 4-person teams. It was a tough challenge that year, since each runner had to run 3 Legs of the mOUnTaiNBACK. But the success caught on. In 2007, 7 6-person teams participated. In 2008, it was 9 5-person teams. The 2009 team size was 7 and 8 DCR teams ran. That team size was very popular because it allowed many people who thought they could only run 1 Leg of the mOUnTaiNBACK experience the fun of the DCR. So, back by popular demand, the 2010 team size for the DCR was 7. In 2011, it was back to 6 person teams.
Read John's description for this year's DCR. If you're interested, drop John an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
2012 mOUnTaiNBACK Draft Challenge Relay Description
Objective: Create multiple n-person teams of equal running ability. These teams will compete against each other within the rules of the Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK Relay Race
Entry Into The DCR: Eligibility into the DCR is that you can run (not walk) the necessary number of legs based on the team size to, typically 2 or 3 legs each, but could be 1. This year's team size is 7, so 5 runners on a team runners will run 2 Legs and 2 runners will run 1 Leg. Pace is not an issue. In the past, the range of abilities has been great, but since the talent is spread among teams, the race is competitive and fun. Do not be intimidated! Equally matched drafted teams will keep us aligned during the race for plenty of head to head racing as well as lots of trash talking.
Entries are first-come, first-served. The list needs to be a multiple of the team size so that everyone gets drafted. If the list does not have enough runners to complete another team, then the last runners to sign up will not participate in the Draft unless we either scrounge up the additional runners needed, or some runners drop out for some reason.
To enter, send an email to John Sheakoski ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) indicating that you are interested in joining. You can also post your interest to the NVRC Yahoo discussion group. Please include your name, email address. You cannot choose which legs you run; that will be determined once your team is drafted.
As we get closer to the Draft, all runners will be asked to complete a running bio. The captains will need to have an idea of your running ability for the Draft. The bios will be distributed to everyone in the DCR before the Draft. Submission of your bio is your commitment to enter the Draft.
DCR captains will be chosen and ranked by vote. When the entrant list is complete, I will poll selected runners who are familiar with all the runners on the list. This input will determine the captains and the draft order.
Once the list of entrants is final, an NFL style draft is performed where the captains (fastest runners) will pick runners for their team. Each captain is attempting to put together the fastest team they can. The Draft will continue until all runners from the list are chosen. Since this is a draft, you will not know who is on your team until Draft day and you cannot expect your year-long running buddy to be on your team. This is a good opportunity to meet new runners.
The Draft is a lot of fun and is typically held about 1 month before registrations are due. Everyone is invited to attend…DCR entrants, friends, and family. It is common for us to eat and drink (beer) during the draft process. YES, there will be someone picked LAST, but everyone gets drafted. No one is left stranded. Do not be intimidated! The last-round runners contribute to their team’s success as much as the any other round, perhaps even more.
June 2012 Sign up starts for the DCR. This is not a firm commitment, but determines the level of interest
that will shape the team sizes for the year. This is first come first served.
July 31, 2012 Running biographies are due. Submission of the biography is the final commitment to join the DCR.
August 17, 2012 DCR Team Captains were chosen. There will be 7 teams. The Captains, in rank order, are:
Dave Moore, Lauren Philbrook, Beth Herndon, Alan Effrig, Martha Nelson, Jeff Smucker,
and Meira Minard
August 26, 2012 DCR Draft. The Draft was held at Champs on North Atherton.This year's team rosters are below.
October 1, 2012 mOUnTaiNBACK Team Registration Due. Could close sooner if maximum team count is reached!
October 21, 2012 Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK
by John Sheakoski
The bio format has changed a little this year. Linked below are the template and my official submission to be used as an example. If you are certain you want to join the DCR, complete the form and email to me, or the NVRC group if you want ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ). Please remember the following:
- Don't forget your name (many of the entries last year had no name)
- Keep the bio to one page
- Don't forget..the mOUnTaiNBACK is on a SUNDAY!
- Please include a guesstimate of your 5k time on the form
- Before you send the bio back, please append your last name to the front of the filename (ie "Sheakoski 2012 DCR Running Bio.doc")
- Your submission of a bio is your official entry into the DCR
- Bios are due by July 31st
You can be as creative as you want filling in the form, as long as you include the include info.
YOUR SUBMISSION OF A RUNNING BIO IS YOUR OFFICIAL ENTRY INTO THE DCR.
Example: John Sheakoski's DCR Bio (2012)
There were sever 7-person teams in 2012. The team name theme was Dr. Seuss.
DCR 50-50 Pool for the Race Beneficiary
There's usually some lively trash talk concerning the Draft Challenge Relay, but until race day it's all just talk. If you've been talking up your team (and talking down the others) here's your chance to put your money where your mouth is, and give a little more to the year's Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK charity. You can also participate if you're a DCR bystander.
All you need to do is pick the top 5 DCR finishing teams in order and get your choices on the pool form along with $5 (cash only) to Marty Mazur by the start of Wave 1 on race morning. The pool form with instructions and an explanation of the scoring will be available after the Draft. The winner splits the pot with race beneficiary In case of a tie, the winners split 50% evenly. If no submission scores any points, all proceeds go to the race beneficiary.
The race beneficiary for 2012 is the Tides program, which offers support for families coping with the death of someone special to them. The pool form for the 2012 mOUnTaiNBACK DCR is here.
In 2011, the DCR had its first Fundraising Challenge for that year's race beneficiary, the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund. It challenged each team to help increase the money presented to the beneficiary with additional contributions by DCR team members. The contributions could be made directly to the donation link on the mOUnTaiNBACK web site, of via several other fundraising opportunities including the 50-50 Pool and a pre-race Happy Hour.
In 2011, Tom Cali's team, the Whizzo Quality Assortment, took the first honors, in large part due to Tom's generous matching challenge at the Happy Hour.
Details of the coming year's Fundraising Challenge will be announced closer to race time.
Your team should keep track of splits and submit them to John Sheakoski after the race. John publishes the splits, which are great for post-race trash talking and future Draft planning. Here is a handy sheet that you can use to keep track of splits. It's also useful for those teams that have specific goals for each runner on each leg.There are side-by-side entries for the goal and achieved time for each Leg. Use the sheet any way you want. But PLEASE, remember to keep track of the splits and submit them to John at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
2012 Teams (7 Person Teams)
DCR Overall
Finish Team Name Time Finish
------ --------- ---- -------
1 DCR Thing 6 5:46:06 7
(Jeff Smucker (C) Judd Michael, Dean Capone,
Amanda Eltringham, Chuck White, Mark Bergstrom,
Scott Gest)
2 Fresh Legs, Quick Legs, Twelve Legs, Sore Legs 5:50:24 9
(Lauren Philbrook (C), John Sheakoski,
Bob Cornwall, Jim Myers, Erik Toombs,
Jean Brownstead, Mike Scherneck)
3 The Who 5:53:31 12
(Meira Minard (C), Tom Cali, Jonathan Thurley,
Tom Karnezos, Jamie Wright, Jamison Colburn,
Kate Ryan)
4 Herndon Hears a Who! 5:57:48 16
(Beth Herndon (C), Ken Davis, Jim Moore,
Wade Renninger, Lynda Nguyen, C. J. Wagner,
Diane Kalata)
5 Can You Lick 7 Tigers Today? 6:06:10 20
(Rusty McCrea (C), Steve Ketcham, Greg Luna,
Michael Goldfine, Marty Mazur, Amy Blake,
Maura White)
6 Green Kegs and Damn, I Love Hills 6:11:34 24
(Martha Nelson (C), Joe Montenegro, John Mcgraw,
Jamie Volkert, Mike Martin, Rob Peterson,
Joel Niemann)
7 We Can Run With Our Eyes Shut 6:15:55 27
(Alan Effrig (C), Mike Weyandt, Lance Bland,
Tara Murray, Ester Prins, Jon Becker,
Stephanie Gordon)
2011 Teams (6 Person Teams)
Ed Thompson was a beloved member of the local running community who succumbed to a heart attack during the 2011 mOUnTaiNBACK. Ed was a member of one of the DCR teams competing that day. At the time Ed fell, his team had a probably insurmountable lead over the other DCR teams. In honor of Ed, the 2011 Draft competition was suspended. The teams are listed in Draft Captain order. In 2012, a memorial to Ed was installed at Transition Zone 1, at the crest of Laurel Run Rd, where Ed took his first of two handoffs that day.
(Photo courtesy of Greg Luna)
The Knights Who Say Knee
Alan Effrig (C), Matt Degges, Nikita Fedkin,Debbie Simoncek, Jackie Funk, Paula Jech
Christine and the Merry Lumberjacks
Pat Singletary (C), Mike Weyandt, Lance Bland, Christine Rodgers, Jamie Volkert, Ed Thompson
The Pythons of the Holy Trail
Scott Falkner (C),George Lesieutre, Bob Cornwall, Blake Cohen, Martin Mazur, Jessica McNutt
The Ministers of Silly Running
Alex Becker (C), Greg Gifford, Jonathan Thurley, Jim Myers, Jaimie Wright, Laura McGowan
King Marthur and the Team Tom Picked For Her
Martha Nelson (C), Joe Montenegro, Alexander Kowaleski, Peter Skelos, Rob Peterson, Ford McNutt
The Rabbit Stakers
Jeff Smucker (C), Mike Misselwitz, Rob Shaver, Esther Prins, Mark Fedkin, Ann Lehman
Whizzo Quality Assortment
Tom Cali (C), Forrest Briscoe, Amanda Eltringham, Tim Spigelmyer, Lynda Nguyen, Mike Martin
The Killer Rabbits
Meira Minard (C), Katie Davis, Dean Capone, Perry Edwards, Amy Blake, Sara Noss
The Spandex Inquisition
Miles Smith (C), Michael Renz, John Wilcock, Michael Goldfine, Rich Olsen, Janet Jonson
Just A Little Bit Of Peril?
Jim Moore (C), Ann Skulas-Ray, Beth Kempton, Tom Karnezos, Grace Small, Kris Greenert
2010 Results (7 Person Teams)
DCR Overall
Finish Team Name Time Finish
------ --------- ---- -------
1 John Jacob Beidleheimer Schweats 5:50:47 10
(John Domico (C), Meira Minard, Jim Moore,
Jaimie Wright, Tom Karnezos, Rob Peterson,
Scott Gest)
2 Humpin' Dumpties 5:51:50 11
(Costas Maranas (C), Ken Davis, George Lesieutre,
Michael Goldfine, Lance Bland, Debbie Simoncek,
Michelle Hutnik)
3 Seven Blind Mice 5:56:19 14
(Alan Effrig (C), Judd Michael, Cory Neff,
Matt Degges, Dana Todd, Kate Ryan,
Sandy Gabel)
4 Hey Diddle Diddle, We'll Just Win A Little 6:00:34 16
(Matt Petrarca (C), Mike Misselwitz, Scott Etter,
Bob Cornwall, Morgan Wasikonis, Kristie Kalvin,
Mike O'Connell)
5 The Grande Olde Dukes of Rothrock 6:01:59 18
(Dave Moore (C), Greg Dillon, Jim Myers,
Marty Klanchar, Ron Cunfer, Julia Birmingham,
Lee Culver)
6 Hot X Buns 6:02:55 19
(Tom Cali (C), Martha Nelson, Carole Dudukovich,
Jamie Volkert, Sherry Tirko, Mike Martin,
Paul Ruby)
7 Rothrock-A-Bye Baby 6:08:00 24
(Elijah Shekinah (C), Mike Weyandt, Jim Kisenwether,
Esther Prins, Matt Soccio, Janet Jonson,
Mike Dahlberg)
8 6 Jacks, 1 Jill, and a Whole Lotta Hills 6:09:27 25
(Tim Aydin (C), Kevin Becker, Nick Downs,
Jonathan Thurley, Joel Niemann, Marty Mazur,
Grace Small)
9 Ringers Around the Rothrock 6:14:02 31
(Dave Mengle (C), John Sheakoski, Jon Oatley,
Mark Lee, Dean Capone, Stephanie Gordon,
Michelle Christensen)
2009 Results (7 Person Teams)
DCR Overall
Finish Team Name Time Finish
------ --------- ---- -------
1 OK Go! 5:42:56 10
(Matt Petrarca (C), Shawn Kelly, Meira Minard,
Jim Kisenwether, Mike Weyandt, Jonathon Thurley,
Sara Noss)
2 The Tussey sEXyBaCKS 5:46:36 11
(Beth Herndon (C), John Domico, Jeremy Zerbe,
Jim Myers, Sherry Tirko, Tom Karnezos, Mike Martin)
3 For Those about to Rothrock, We Salute You 5:47:30 12
(Elijah Shekinah (C), Lance Bland, Jamie Volkert,
Kathy Koetje-Simin, Bob Cornwall, Deb Simoncek,
Paula Jech)
4 Fools on the Hills 5:48:44 13
(Alan Effrig (C), Costas Maranas, Jeff Smucker,
Mark Lee, Rob Shaver, Marty Mazur, Jessica Wekke)
5 Climbing the Walls 5:51:24 16
(Dave Moore (C), Nick Downs, Jim Moore, Julie Grubb,
Dana Todd, Christine Rodgers, Michelle Hutnik)
6 Run to the Hills 5:55:44 17
(Andy Cunningham (C), Judd Michael, Scott Roycroft,
Tara Murray, Joe Bollinger, Marv Hall, Sandy Gabel)
7 Everybody Hurts 6:01:52 21
(Tim Aydin (C), Ann Skulas-Ray, John Sheakoski,
Anna Shamey, John Wilcock, Janet Jonson, Amy Blake)
8 Holy Cannoli 6:10:07 22
(Martha Nelson (C), Tom Cali, Selena Smart,
Beth Kempton, Mike Goldfine, Kate Ryan,
Tracy Williams)
2008 Results (5 Person Teams)
DCR Overall
Finish Team Name Time Finish
------ --------- ---- -------
1 Luke and the Millenium Falcons 5:46:34 8
(Luke Watson (C), Cheryl Capone Keller, Jim Myers,
Lauren Radvansky, Michelle Hutnik)
2 Captain Anyone? 5:48:24 10
(Bob Chandler (C), Nick Downs, Mark Lee,
Matt Soccio, Janet Jonson)
3 Thor Legth 5:49:32 12
(Tom Cali (C), Meira Minard, Jim Moore,
Sherry Tirko, Lee Culver)
4 The Band of the Bland 5:49:53 13
(Lance Bland (C), John Sheakoski, Beth Kempton,
Jon Thurley, Dave Miller)
5 The Ambiguously Fast Five 5:51:16 14
(John Domico (C), Andy Mazur, Ann Skula-Ray,
John Wilcock, Christine Rodgers)
6 Gravity Girl and the Vapor Men 5:51:26 15
(Judd Michael (C), Laura Shackelton, Brett Michaud,
Ron Cunfer, Andy Arndt)
7 Team Robin and the Useless Sidekicks 5:57:47 17
(Martha Nelson (C), Bob Jones, Jamie Volkert,
Joel Niemann, Julia Hess)
8 Bigger, Stronger, Faster, Harder, and Moore 6:06:43 23
(Dave Moore (C), Tara Murray, Mark Traband,
Marty Mazur, Donna Matthews)
9 Fantastic Five 6:10:39 26
(Andy Cunningham (C), Jim Kisenwether,
Jinger Gotschall, Michael Goldfine, Sandy Gabel)
2007 Results (6 Person Teams)
DCR Overall
Finish Team Name Time Finish
------ --------- ---- -------
1 Los Luchadores del Rothrock 5:45:20 6
(Dave Moore (C), Beth Kempton, Jamie Volkert,
Mark Traband, Greg Luna, Jim Weinschenck)
2 Greenbacks 5:47:46 7
(Tim Murphy (C), Meira Minard, Cheryl Capone,
George Lesieutre, Michael Goldfine, Bill Wortman)
3 Sara's Six 5:51:40 10
(Lance Bland (C), John Domico, Sarah Pabian,
Jim Myers, Joe Horn, Shaun Wood)
4 One Wookie, Four Jedi, and Princess Tara 5:51:59 11
(Greg Dillon (C), John Sheakoski, Costas Maranas,
Tara Murray, Matt Soccio, John Daley)
5 The Quick and the Dead Tired 6:03:14 15
(Andrew Webb (C), Laura Shackelton, Esther Prins,
Jinger Gottschalk, Jeff Weinschenck, Paul Mount)
6 Six Pack of Speed 6:08:13 20
(Eric Tyo (C), Duane Serpentine, Frank Zaffino,
Ruscena Wiederholt. Martin Mazur, Lee Culver)
7 No Whizzing 6:28:00 27
(Tom Cali (C), Martha Nelson, Jessica Neff,
Miruna Sasuclark, Jonathan Thurley, Sherry Tirko)
2006 Results (4 Person Teams)
DCR Overall
Finish Team Name Time Finish
------ --------- ---- -------
1 The Good, the Bad, and the Uglies 5:43:22 7
(Andrew Webb (C), John Sheakoski,
Esther Prins, Tim Brenza)
2 Three Mules and Sister Tara 5:48:33 8
(John Domico (C), Matt Newcomb,
Tara Murray, Marty Mazur)
3 Third Wind 5:50:20 9
(Lance Bland (C), Meira Minard,
Jim Myers, Brooke Fambrough)
4 The Mixed Quads 5:52:39 10
(Judd Michael (C), Mark Fedkin,
Kelly Sampson, Erin T. Wyble)
5 The Hairy Bar Stewards 5:53:48 11
(Greg Dillon (C), Jim Kisenwether,
Louise Miltich, Mark Traband)
6 Little Big Man 5:56:50 13
(Tom Cali (C), Greg Mitchell,
Morgan Wasikonis, Matt Soccio)
Over the years, the stat geeks in the DCR have compiled information on all the past races, including team times, runners, Leg splits, along with a fair bit of analysis. Team captains and betting handicappers might find the information useful. Here's the spreadsheet, current to the 2012 race:
A spreadsheet including the 2012 results will be posted as soon as available.