This day in history: the fourth annual Residence Hall Relay
On Wednesday, Nov. 7, 1979, Central Michigan Life reported on local students participating in the fourth annual Residence Hall Relay, a 214-mile run that goes from Central Michigan University to the University of Toledo.
More than 360 students participated in the run, representing CMU’s 19 residence halls. The runners, escorted by two university vehicles, ran with and passed a football relay-style. There were six fumbles during the run, which took 26.5 hours.
The ball arrived at the University of Toledo, prior to the CMU and Toledo football game. James Hill, vice president for student affairs, ran the first seven miles of the run, starting at the send-off ceremony at the Warriner Hall. Hill was joined by six students, each running one mile.
At a special pre-game set up, the ball was run onto the field and presented to CMU football coach Herb Deromedi.
Students said they were pleased with the run, except for the final ceremony where the run was not acknowledged by the University of Toledo.
However, ABC televised the football game and mentioned the run, as did many local radio stations and local newspapers of towns that runners passed through.
