Millennium Running acquires Reach the Beach Relay, prepares for 2027 return
BEDFORD, N.H. —
After weeks of uncertainty around the status of the race, Millennium Running says it has acquired the Reach the Beach Relay and is preparing for the race’s return next year.
The fate of this year’s race came into question when New Hampshire State Parks denied permits for the race because Ragnar Events owed thousands of dollars in fees from last year’s relay.
Millennium Running owner and founder John Mortimer says his company will now be taking responsibility for those obligations.
Millennium Running says it reached the agreement Friday night with Ragnar’s parent company, FitLab.
News 9 reached out to FitLab for comment but did not immediately hear back.
According to Millennium Running, due to the amount of time it will take to meet those obligations and “the work required to deliver the experience participants, communities and partners deserve,” the 2026 race is definitively canceled and moved to next year.
Registered teams will receive a guaranteed entry into the 2027 relay, according to Millennium Running. Teams will receive direct communication about registration transfers and other options in the coming days.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte expressed her approval of the race’s return next year in a statement to News 9.
“For more than two decades, Reach the Beach has been an important tradition for endurance athletes in New Hampshire. I’m glad to see Millennium Running make a long-term commitment to keeping this race going, and I thank them for working collaboratively with our state agencies to make it happen,” Ayotte said. “I look forward to welcoming athletes from across our state and around the country to Reach the Beach in 2027.”
As part of the transition, Reach the Beach co-founder Mike Dionne will help Millennium Running to “guide the event into its next chapter while preserving the traditions that have made Reach the Beach a favorite among runners for more than two decades.”