Royaltv01 you’re hosting a birthday party, block party or family reunion, a sports relay is a fun way to add a bit of competition to the event. While traditional road races require a lot of planning to cover a large distance, relays can be run on smaller surfaces and can even include activities that would not be possible in a traditional race.

From Grassroots to Glory: Nurturing Young Talent in Sports Relays

In a sports relay, participants compete in teams of four sprinters. Each runner runs a 100m leg on a track while carrying a baton, which must be exchanged within a changeover box that’s situated 10 metres before and after the start of each subsequent leg. The outgoing runner is typically running at close to full speed and must be able to quickly catch up to the incoming athlete, who is expected to hand over the baton in a quick and precise manner. Runners will usually give a verbal cue (such as “hand!” or “up”) to the outgoing runner when they are about to enter the zone, and a visually-marked handover area is often marked with triangles on the track.

Ideally, the incoming athlete should be able to take over the baton as soon as it touches the outgoing athlete’s palm, which must remain open with the thumb pointing down. Some athletes, however, prefer to extend their hand behind them at hip height and wait for a definite auditory signal (such as the word “stick”) before opening their hand to receive the baton.