It takes serious attitude to participate in the Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage.

The relay is 200 miles long, and it features six- or 12-person teams whose members must run three legs of the relay.

The distance members run averages between three and 14 miles per leg.

"It's crazy," explained Kristin Proffitt, a member of Team Red, White and Blue - Joint Base Lewis-McChord, during an interview after the relay.

TeamRWB (Red, White and Blue) is a veterans outreach organization that connects veterans to their community through physical and social activities.  Civilians are welcome.

Six members from the JBLM team and six members from the Seattle team came together to run the relay.

They didn't lack for company.  Another 546 other teams and 17,500 runners participated.

"Our team is the first to do this, so we're in this for the experience and to promote TeamRWB," Proffitt wrote in an email.

She also ran the relay with her husband, Sgt. Josh Proffitt.

"That was wonderful!" Proffitt exclaimed.

The relay takes its name from an 8th century Norse king renowned for his ferocity in battle as he and fellow Vikings ravaged England and France.

"He was an adventure seeking, conquering, tough guy," wrote Dan Hill and Tanner Bell, creators of the relay, in 2004.

In other words, Ragnar had attitude.

This past weekend, JBLM and Seattle's TeamRWB sent a 12-person team to participate in the two day, one night 200-mile relay from Blaine to Whidbey Island.

Each team member is responsible for running three legs of the race with distances ranging between three and 14 miles.

"It was about two hundred miles in length," explained Kristin Proffitt during a telephone interview.

"It was crazy great!"

"And it is a growing nationwide event," continued Proffitt.

"This event is becoming very popular."

Not only are 16 relays scheduled this year in various locales around the country; the Ragnar Relay Series is the largest of its kind.

Team RWB-JBLM began its run at 6:40 a.m. on July 17 and finished the race at 12:45 p.m. on the 18th.

"Our time was 30:50:16.5, and we are very happy with that time," Proffitt continued.

"And you know what else?" she continued.  "Of the 547 teams, we finished in 247th place!"

Along with the Proffitts, Whitney Nolan, David Hamblin, Christina Barnard, Michelle Bregel, Marietta Groh, Tim Andrews, Cy Sack, Brandon Kuehn, Carolyn Jolly and Ben Edgar, comprised the team.

When TeamRWB crossed the finish line, the 11 runners waiting for their teammate to finish met her on the course, joined hands, and crossed the line together.

"Many of the members of the other teams come into this event as strangers and leave as family," Proffitt said.

"But we came into this as a family and we left it as a stronger family.  Which is exactly what TeamRWB here at JBLM and elsewhere is all about."

For more information about TeamRWB-JBLM, visit www.teamrwb.org.  For more information about the Ragnar relays, visit www.ragnarrelays.com.