Road relays: The opportunities await
By Tom Kaufman One of the great things about running is the control you have over your workouts. You decide when to go, where, how far, how fast, and whom you run with. Want a little solitude? Go out by yourself at 6 a.m. Want some company for a speed work session? Check in with your local running club and hook up with some like-minded folks.
Running is great, unless you crave the affinity of team sports. Sure, there are track and cross country teams. Most of these options lie at the high school or collegiate levels in the United States. But as much as I dearly love track and field, I have to admit that it can be difficult to have a true team connection. There just isn't that much in common between your shot putter, high hurdler, and your 5,000 meter runner. Yes, they wear
the same uniform, but it's really hard for each athlete to know and appreciate what the other one is going through.
Then there are relays – the one absolute team connection that runners can make. In the track and field world, relays are obvious. Four fast guys (men or women) pass a baton around the track. These races are great but they are not the relays I'm thinking about this week. The races that really get me motivated to train and compete are road relays.
Generally long (distances range from the marathon to 200 miles), road relays allow road racers to connect as part of a team. Team members need to work together to accomplish a common goal. For some, that goal may be a fast time and the reward that comes from beating their opponents. For others, the goal may be the completion of an event far too arduous to do alone. Nothing motivates better than knowing you have
teammates supporting you. They know exactly what you are going through and they are out there giving their best efforts as well.
Road relays can generally be divided into three categories. The shortest races are those done as part of a marathon. The 26.2 miles is usually divided into five legs of about 5 miles each; each runner does one leg. While running at the same time as the marathoners, the relay runners compete only against other relay
runners. These relatively short legs give many more people a chance to participate in the marathon. A number of the Midwest marathons have relay divisions, including Grandma's, Madison and Milwaukee. Check with the race you're interested in to be sure.
I consider a second category of relays to be those of 50 to 100 miles. These races usually have teams of six to eight runners. The distance is divided into enough shorter legs so that each runner must run a minimum of
two to three times. These races often begin very early in the morning and are completed before dark. Teams travel in one or two vehicles and transport their members down the route, while one person is always running. Teams are responsible for their own aid, water, food and directions. The whole process resembles a moving, leap-frogging caravan, as one runner completes their leg only to tag off to the next team member,
then jumps into the van and drives to the next exchange. The race organizers predetermine the length of each leg. Exchanges can only take place at designated intervals.
A favorite race of our club in this category is the "River To River Relay." Held across the southern tip of Illinois, this 80-mile race starts at the Mississippi River and ends at the Ohio River, hence the name. The
course traverses some of the hilliest terrain in Illinois. The 24 legs for each eight-person team average 5 kilometers. As I write this article, our club teams are getting ready to travel down to this year's event. We will be part of 240 teams competing in a number of divisions. "River" offers a handicapped division. Team members are assigned a "handicap" time based on their age and sex. The total of their handicap is added
together and then subtracted from their "scratch" time to determine the adjusted time.
Competition in this division is usually fierce. In recent years the top two teams in this division have been men and women masters runners between the ages of 45 and 80. Teams travel from as far away as Florida for a chance to run in this unique event. The other competition is just to get into the race in the first place. With a
limit of 240 teams, "River To River" typically fills in about a week. Should you be interested in the 2001 race, you can contact them at P.O. Box 981, Carbondale, IL 62903-0981.
The third relay category is the mega-mileage event that covers 160- 200 miles. These races are organized in a similar fashion to their shorter cousins, but require your team to run and transport members through the
night. Held primarily but not exclusively on the West Coast, these relays usually consist of teams of 12 runners covering the distance divided into 36 legs. Each runner runs three 5 to 6 mile legs.
This is a true test of teamwork and friendship. Despite little or no sleep, runners go out and give their absolute best effort each time. They know that everyone else is in the same position and would expect no
less from anyone. Our club members have always been amazed at how well they have been able to run at 2:30 in the morning on an eerily dark highway with nothing more than a AA battery powered flashlight for illumination. One of my most memorable runs ever was pounding across the Golden Gate Bridge at 3 a.m. with a full moon over the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco below. It reminded me of why I love this sport so much.
A relay is a labor of love. The organization of a team can be difficult. The logistics for the race committee are nearly unfathomable (imagine trying to place 1,000 portable toilets across 200 miles of road and trail). However, the experience of running in one of these events is unforgettable. It will cement friendships, revitalize your running, and hopefully remind you of your love for the sport.
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