For the third year in a row, and with a third and completely different name, we have put together a team for The Relay! Out of our 12 runners, 9 work in (or graduated from) two closely related labs at Stanford's Materials Science department (yes, that explains the geeky name).

With about 40% of the team being new runners (at least to this team), we're excited to continue to bring new people to a race that has proven to be a fantastic experience in the past. Whether it is running at the weirdest hour, having delicious Mexican food + beers (van 1, make sure to pile on the guac), going wine tasting before running our first leg (any winery suggestions for van 2?), or hosting impromptu techno dance parties on the side of the road (safety first!), we're determined to have a great time. But before the race day gets here, we need to raise money to help ORU, a charity benefiting people in need of organ transplants. All donations are appreciated.

Here's a bit about us (in the order we'll hit the road on race day):

Adam is a professor at UC Davis and has run this race twice before.  He heard about our team from Scott (Adam was Scott's undergraduate advisor) and Alberto (the PhD advisor for some of us). Welcome to the team, Adam.

Diane is an accomplished athlete whether it is in the water, on her bike, or on her feet. She also introduced a few of us to the fascinating world of whiskey slaps (it's exactly what you think: drink a shot of whiskey and then get slapped). This is her first time running The Relay, and we're happy to have her on the team.

Duc looks just as cool skating on his longboard or running on a trail. A returning runner, his only request was to go easy on the downhills; so, the phrase "it's all downhill from here" is not a relief for him.

Zach has been on the team since the beginning. If you come out to cheer us on, you may be able to see his golden locks bobbing while he's doing his share of the running or when he's dancing to Saahil's music selection at 6 AM (after listening to it 7 or 8 times already).

Mike is also a veteran of our team, with two races under his belt. A former student of the McGehee lab, he's holding on to the grad school lifestyle while enjoying the perks of working in the real world.

Scott is sort of a runner, I guess.

Toby is returning to the team after a one-year hiatus. If our solar cells had a lifetime half as good as his running stamina, we would be fossil fuel free by now. Welcome back, Toby!

Liza will take a break from saving lives to run with us for the third time. Keep an eye out for her sock selection; you won't be disappointed.

Megan is so committed to studying the different counties in California that she will visit six of them in two days while running The Relay! It will be her first time, and we're happy to be there to cheer her on. Welcome, Megan!

Eric is another veteran of the team, and what one might call a "rigorous" runner. He has consistently chosen the hardest legs, and always has a surprise for the last one. Will the costume make a third appearance this year?

Rodrigo is running The Relay for the second time. He is not easily intimidated by hills or organizing this crazy group for race day. Thanks, Rodrigo, for keeping us on track!

Saahil is also a returning member of the team. Not only does he have fun during the race, but he has also hosted the post-race parties the past two years. If you need a bit more team spirit, borrow some from him.

Note: The picture is last year's finish. We all joined Duc for the final stretch... except Eric (taking the photo), Albertino (too tired), and Saahil (also too tired).