How to Run the Relay in Track

Before race day, train with your relay team. Practice hand-offs and work out together on a regular basis. More than any other event in track, relay teams will benefit from a sense of teamwork and camaraderie.

Figure out who's running during each part of the relay. Your coach will probably assign each of you to one part of it anyway, but just make sure this happens some time before the race so you can focus on your part when it's close to race time.

Warm up and stretch if you haven't already.

Go to the part of the track where you will begin your leg of the relay.

If you are starting the relay, simply relax and wait for the gun to go off. If you are running another leg, wait, but stay loose and relaxed.

When it comes time to hand off the relay, if you are the one handing it off, put your arm out at a 90 degree angle to your body with your arm outstretched and palm pointing down. Look toward the approaching runner and start to run as he or she approaches. Let the approaching runner bring the baton up into your hand between your thumb and forefinger. Grasp the baton and pull it from the approaching runner's hand. It is best if all runners agree ahead of time which hand they will carry the baton in. For example, it is best if all the runners run with the baton in their right hand, and all the receiving runners receive it with their left hand. The runners then transfer the baton from their left hand to their right as they run their leg of the relay. Don't hold on too tightly at this point though.

If you are receiving the baton, start running a little right before you get it, while staying in the hand-off zone and look back to see when you get it. Have your arm outstretched toward the approaching runner with your fingers extended and your palm down. When you feel it in your hand, grip it tightly and take off. If it is a short distance, you may not be able to look back during the hand-off. Hand-offs are especially important in sprint relays, where fractions of a second will win or lose a race, and "blind hand-offs" can be extremely difficult without practice, so make sure you know what you're doing!

The person receiving the hand-off should take the baton in the hand opposite the hand in which their teammate is carrying it. In other words, if your teammate is carrying it in his or her right hand, you should take it in your left, and then switch it to your right if you prefer to carry it in that hand. A right-hand-to-right-hand or left-to-left hand-off can lead to getting your ankles stepped on by your incoming teammate.

Know the event. How fast you run depends on the relay you're running. If you're running the 1600 meter leg of the distance medley, you're going to want to keep a pace, but if you're in the 200 meter leg of the sprint medley, don't hold back!