Great Race Teams by Year

1974 to 2007

Beginning with the inaugural Great Race in 1974, every year a week prior to Eppie's Great Race a three-person team "sets the pace" for all of the relay teams in the race. Known as "The Great Team," Eppie's pacesetters included Eppie Johnson and two other celebrity athletes, typically some of the Sacramento area's most respected government officials, media representatives, regional business leaders, and renowned athletes. If teams could beat the time established by the Great Race Team, the team members would recieve coupons for a free meal at an area restaurant. Eppie was the paddler for all of The Great Teams through 2004 with only one exception, 1982. Beginning in 1987, Great Race Ironpersons were added.

The Great Team's purpose is to run, bike and paddle The Great Race course to the best of their ability a few days before each race, setting the "time to beat" for the rest of The Great Race participants.
Since 1987, the Great Team has also included a Great Team Ironman and Ironwoman, who set the pace for The Great Race's individual athletes who compete in all three events.

If any Eppie's Great Race participant beats the time set by The Great Team, that participant receives a certificate for a free meal at Brookfields Restaurants..

Some years, the time set by the Great Team has been very hard to beat. Other years, depending upon the fitness level of Great Team members, the time to beat has been pretty easy!

Notable past participants have included Kristine Hanson, a KCRA Channel 3 newscaster and former Playboy centerfold, Assemblyman Tom Hannigan, Sheriff Lou Blanas, and County Supervisors Illa Collins and Roger Niello. Bjorg Austrheim-Smith, the Great Team runner in 1984, was a three-time winner of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Event. She finished second in Western States the weekend before running in the Great Team event.

The Great Team has sometimes been as entertaining as it has been athletic. For example, Olympic champion "miler" Peter Snell competed as the runner of Eppie's Great Team in 1977. After finishing his leg, Snell downed two 16-ounce glasses of beer at the finish line before a cheering crowd. In 1979, while paddling, Eppie spotted a naked woman on a raft floating far off to one side of the river. "She was seated in a crouch, her hands on her knees, and her hair glistening and wet," Eppie told a reporter. "I lost two minutes off my time." In 1982, County Supervisor Illa Collin biked her leg of The Great Team in a heavy cruiser bike, complete with fenders. The Great Team time that year was over three hours.

Below is a list of the Great Team members through the years and their occupation at the time (if known). .


The Great Race I - July 27, 1974
Runner Burnett Miller, former Mayor of Sacramento
Cyclist Larry Turner, Executive Director of the Aquarian Effort
Paddler Eppie

Great Race II - July 19, 1975
The Great Team:
Cyclist Dick Cable, news anchor for KXTV Channel 10
Runner Alan Galaway, Sacramento-area insurance and real estate broker
Paddler Eppie

Great Race III - July 17, 1976
The Great Team
Cyclist Pete Liebengood, TV personality
Runner Jim O'Neil, renowned athlete
Paddler Eppie

Great Race IV - July 16, 1977
The Great Team
Cyclist Creighton Sanders, KCRA sports anchor
Runner Peter Snell, three-time Olympic gold medalist
Paddler Eppie

Great Race V - July 15, 1978
Great Team
Cyclist General Willard Shank, California National Guard
Runner Bruce Reid, Sacramento Union reporter
Paddler Eppie

Great Race VI - July 21, 1979
The Great Team
Runner Christine Hanson, KCRA weather and former Playboy Bunny
Cyclist Cary Nosler, Founder and Owner of Sunrise Natural Foods
Paddler Eppie

The Great Team
Runner Sally Edwards, founder of Fleet Feet Sports
Cyclist Jack Heckel, President of Aerojet Corp.
Paddler Eppie

Great Race VIII - July 18, 1981
The Great Team
Runner Tom Hannigan, California State Assembly Member
Cyclist Frank McPeak, Sacramento Bee Community Relations Manager
Paddler Eppie

Great Race IX - July 17, 1982
The Great Team
Runner Illa Collin, Sacramento County Supervisor
Cyclist Bart Von Housen, Sacramento Businessman
Paddler John Weed, World-Class Kayaker

Great Race X - July 16, 1983
The Great Team
Runner John McIntosh, owner of McIntosh Sports Cottage
Cyclist Bob Duvall
Paddler Eppie

Great Race XI - July 14, 1984
The Great Team
Runner Bjorg Austrheim-Smith, Western States 100-Mile Run champion
Cyclist Jerry Ketchum, owner of Carmichael Honda
Paddler Eppie

Great Race XII - July 13, 1985
The Great Team
Runner Frank Corfee, owner of Heavenly Valley Ski Resort
Cyclist Colonel John B. Wood, Commander of McClellan AFB
Paddler Eppie

Great Race XIII - July 19, 1986
The Great Team
Runner Ken Campbell, Sacramento-area dentist/motivational speaker
Cyclist Bill Briner, Director, Sacramento Dept. Parks and Rec.
Paddler Eppie

Great Race XIV - July 18, 1987
The Great Team
Runner Peter Raffetto, President of River City Bank
Cyclist Ramey Osborne, President of Spare Time Fitness Centers
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Cindy Trimble
Great Race Ironman - Rich Ongerth, Sacramento Attorney

Great Race XV - July 16, 1988
The Great Team
Runner Charlie Massey, General Manager of A.T.T.
Cyclist Bess Polakoff, owner City Bike Works
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Shirley Willd-Wagner, Eppie's Great Race Director
Great Race Ironman - Frank Cirrill, Director Emeritus of Eppie's Great Race

Great Race XVI - July 15, 1989
The Great Team
Runner Dave Spottiswood, Sacramento-area Attorney
Jeff Holden, Dir. of Sales, 100.5 The Zone
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Nancy Fish
Great Race Ironman - Frank Cirrill, Director Emeritus of Eppie's Great Race

Great Race XVII - July 21, 1990
The Great Team
Runner Butch MacElwee, VP of Markstein Beverage Company
Cyclist David T. Lane, General Manager, KXTV-Channel 10
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironman - Richard Ongerth, Eppie's Great Race Director

Great Race XVIII - July 20, 1991
The Great Team
Runner Jim Sochor, Football Coach for UC-Davis
Cyclist Michelle Canny Gilles, Dir. of Nutrition Wenmat Fitness Centers
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Shirley Willd-Wagner, Eppie's Great Race Director
Great Race Ironman - John Green, Owner of Carmichael Honda

Great Race XIX - July 18, 1992
The Great Team
Runner Jim Sochor, Football Coach for UC-Davis
Cyclist Michelle Canny Gilles, Dir. of Nutrition, Wenmat Fitness Centers
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Shirley Willd-Wagner, Eppie's Great Race director
Great Race Ironman - John Green, Owner of Carmichael Honda

Great Race XX - July 19, 1993
The Great Race Team
Runner Taylor Carey, Asst. Chief Counsel, State Dept. of Health Services
Cyclist Jeff McMurray, morning personality, 96.9-The Eagle
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Shirley Willd-Wagner, Eppie's Great Race director
Great Race Ironman - Lin Feil, Stockbroker

Great Race XXI - July 16, 1994
The Great Team
Runner Carl Otto, Principal for John Otto Const. Company
Cyclist Jeff McMurray, radio personality, 96.9, The Eagle
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Shirley Willd-Wagner, Eppie's Great Race Director
Great Race Ironman - Jeff Stevens

Great Race XXII - July 15, 1995
The Great Race Team
Runner Patrick Johnston, California State Senator
Cyclist Will Kempton, Folsom, Calif. Assistant City Manager
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Shirley Willd-Wagner, Eppie's Great Race Director
Great Race Ironman - David Ono, KOVR Anchor

Great Race XXIII - July 20, 1996
The Great Race Team
Runner Patrick Johnston, California State Senator
Cyclist Will Kempton, Folsom, Calif. Assistant City Manager
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Shirley Willd-Wagner, race director
Great Race Ironman - David Ono (I), KOVR Anchor

Great Race XIV - July 19, 1997
The Great Race Team
Runner Midori Waugh, Reporter for KOVR- Channel 13
Cyclist John O'Farrell, Administrator, Sacramento Co. Community Development and Neighborhood Assistance
Paddler Eppie

Great Race XXV - July 18, 1998
The Great Race Team
Runner Dan Koellen, Vice President of Level One Communications
Cyclist Michael P. Lyon, President of Lyon Real Estate
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Eleni Tsakopoulous (I), President, AKT Development
Great Race Ironman - Will Kempton, Race Director

Great Race XXVI - July 17, 1999
The Great Race Team
Runner Roger Niello, Sacramento Co. Supervisor
Cyclist Lou Blanas, Sacramento Co. Sheriff
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Beth O'Farrell
Great Race Ironman - Mike O'Farrell

Great Race XXVII - July 29, 2000
The Great Race Team
Runner Mike Ammon, State Dept. of Waterways
Cyclist Pat Zinn, Computer Salesman
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Noelle Buel, past champion team member
Great Race Ironman - John Weed, past champion team member

Great Race XXVIII - July 21, 2001
The Great Race Team
Runner Nina-Germaine Salarno-Ashford, Dir. CA Office of Victims Services
Cyclist Bill Griffith, Sacramento Dept.of Parks and Rec.
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Deirdre Fitzpatrick (I), morning news anchor for KCRA-TV
Great Race Ironman - Charlie Fox, commercial real estate broker

Great Race XXIX - July 20, 2002
The Great Race Team
Runner Dan Kennedy, Publisher of The Sacramento Business Journal
Cyclist Jeannine Kuhn, Co-Founder of California Family Fitness
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Barbara Ashe, Business Analyst for EDS
Great Race Ironman - John Segerdell, Director of Engineering & Construction for Sacramento Regional Transit

Great Race XXX - July 19, 2003
The Great Race Team
Runner Gary Pruitt, President of McClatchy Publishing
Cyclist Ron Suter, Director, Sacramento Co. Parks and Recreation
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman - Deirdre Fitzpatrick, morning news anchor for KCRA-TV
Great Race Ironman - Charlie Willard, Great Race Co-race Director

Great Race XXXI - July 24, 2004
The Great Race Team
Runner David Luchetti, President Pacific Coast Building Products
Cyclist Eric Heiden, MD, 5-time Olympic Speed skating Gold Medalist
Paddler Eppie
Great Race Ironwoman Jennifer Whitney, KOVR-Channel 13 News Anchor
Great Race Ironman Jeff Holden, Clear Channel Director of Sales, Sacramento Region

Great Race XXXII - July 16, 2005
The Great Race Team
Runner Will Kempton, Director of Cal Trans
Cyclist Jot Condit, President/CEO California Restaurant Assoc.
Paddler Bob Hanna, Great Race athlete for over 20 years
Great Race Ironwoman Lynne Ruddell, River City Paddlers Treasurer
Great Race Ironman Pat Hambright, KTXL Weeknight Weathercaster

Great Race XXXII - July 15, 2006
The Great Race Team
Runner Meredith Bean, Director of Sports Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, South Sacramento Medical Center
Cyclist Steve Boutin, Co-founder, Sacramento law firm of Boutin Dentino Gibson Di Giusto Hodell Inc.
Paddler Meredith Wharton, President, River City Paddlers
Great Race Ironwoman Jennifer Whitney, former news anchor at KOVR-13
Great Race Ironman Jon Thomas, Director and Owner of Campus Commons Physical Therapy Inc.