Ride & Tie is an obscure endurance sport that's part relay race and part horse race, dreamed up as a publicity stunt by a Levi's marketing executive in 1971 (competitors wore cutoff Levi's). A team of two covers a distance of 20 to 100 miles -- one person running, the other on horseback. After a few miles (the distance is up to each pair), the two switch off: The rider ties up the horse, the runner hops on, and they set out again. This scenario is repeated until the duo reaches the finish line. Ride & Tie is popular among athletic millionaires with their own horses -- San Francisco financier Warren Hellman is a longtime participant; Robert Redford used to be. Most races are held in Northern California parks, with practice sessions at Tennessee Valley. Organizers are happy to pair athletes who have running or riding abilities with a horse and partner.