A running relay race is a team event in which each runner covers a set leg of the course and then hands off to a teammate, either with a baton on the track or by tagging a teammate or slap bracelet on the road. Team sizes run from four on the track to twelve on an overnight mountain relay, and in Colorado you can join anything from a five-person marathon relay in Denver to a 200-mile team adventure over the Rockies. This guide covers the main formats, the rules that decide who gets disqualified, and how to choose a relay that fits your team.
The search results for this topic are full of party games for kids and family reunions. This page is about the other kind: real running relays for adults and teens.
TL;DR
- A track relay uses four runners and a baton. In the 4×100m, the handoff must happen inside a 20m changeover box.
- Road relays split a longer course among teammates. The Denver Colfax Marathon relay divides 26.2 miles among a team of five.
- Colorado also hosts overnight, multi-leg relays with vans and teams of ten or twelve, across mountain passes.
- Most disqualifications come from exchange-zone errors, false starts and cutting the course. Read your event's rules before race day.
- Check legs, elevation, team size and division rules before you pick a race. Our directory lets you compare them side by side.
Table of Contents
- How a running relay race works
- Types of running relay races
- Rules that decide who gets disqualified
- How to choose a relay that fits your team
- Preparing for race day
- Our perspective on relay running in Colorado
- Find your next relay team and race
- FAQ
- Sources
How a running relay race works
Every relay shares one idea: the team's time is the time of the last runner to finish, so one weak handoff costs everyone. At the Olympics and other World Athletics-sanctioned meets, a relay is a sprint in which four athletes each run an equal, predetermined distance and pass a baton. In the 4×100m, the exchange must take place within a 20m changeover box.
Road and trail relays borrow the structure but loosen the rules. Legs are often unequal, because organizers cut the course where the terrain or the road crossings make sense. Teams pick who runs which leg, so strategy matters: put your strongest hill runner on the climb and your steady pacer on the longest leg.
The baton handoff
On the track, the baton is the point. It has to travel from hand to hand within the zone, and dropping it is manageable if you pick it up yourself without impeding anyone. In short sprint relays, the incoming runner and the outgoing runner practice a timed, rehearsed exchange so the outgoing runner is already at speed when the baton arrives. Longer track relays are slower at the exchange, so the outgoing runner starts closer to a jog and watches the incoming runner.
On most road relays, there is no baton at all. Teams use a slap bracelet, a timing chip handed over, or simply a tag in a marked exchange area. Your event guide will say which one applies, and it will tell you exactly where you must wait.
Types of running relay races
The label "relay" covers several very different experiences. The Olympic page lists the main families: the 4×100m and 4×400m, sprint medley relays, long-distance relays with more than five legs, and cross-country relays. World Athletics also added the 4x400m Mixed to its standard relay distances in its February 2025 rule amendments.
For everyday runners, it helps to group relays by the experience they offer:
| Format | Typical team size | Where you see it | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Track sprint relay (4×100m, 4×400m) | 4 | High school and club track meets | Sprinters, school teams |
| Sprint medley and distance medley | 4 | Track meets | Mixed-ability teams |
| Marathon relay | Often 4 to 5 | City marathon weekends | Co-workers, friends, first-timers |
| Cross-country relay | Varies | Club and school seasons | Trail and cross-country runners |
| Overnight multi-leg relay | 6 to 12 | Mountain and scenic road courses | Groups wanting an adventure |
Marathon relays
A marathon relay is the easiest door into team racing. The full 26.2 miles are split among teammates. The Denver Colfax Marathon relay puts five runners on the course, so each person covers a little over five miles on average, depending on the leg you take. The race describes four relay divisions: Open, Corporate, Government and Public Schools. You can register the team before you know all five names, and awards require a full roster of five.
The Colfax weekend is large. Running USA reported that the 20th edition, scheduled for May 15 to 17, 2026, expected more than 27,000 runners, and the weekend includes the relay. Dates move each year, so confirm the current weekend on the official site.
Overnight mountain relays
This is the format that surprises people. The Wild West Relay covers 200 miles in 36 legs, starting in Fort Collins and finishing in Steamboat Springs over two mountain passes. Most teams have twelve runners and two vehicles, with smaller Ultra teams of six sharing one vehicle. The same organizer's Flaming Foliage Relay runs 165 miles from Idaho Springs to Buena Vista over three passes, with ten-runner teams, plus smaller Ultra and Super Ultra categories. Both ran in summer and early fall in 2025, so expect a similar season and check the organizer for the current schedule.
These events are logistics projects as much as races. You sleep in shifts, run three times at different hours, and live out of a van. They suit groups who like the idea of a road trip with a finish line.
Rules that decide who gets disqualified
Relays create more ways to be disqualified than a solo road race, because you are relying on other people and on a defined handoff area. Four problems come up again and again:
- Exchanging outside the zone. A baton or tag handed over beyond the marked area can cost the team its result. Know where the zone starts and ends, and where you wait.
- False starts. In track relays, the starter controls the first leg. Starters work with head umpires, and flag signals such as yellow for prepare and white for ready are used in exchange zones to keep starts fair.
- Interference. Blocking or bumping another team inside the zone can be penalized.
- Leaving the course. In road races under USATF rules, no competitor may leave the course or rejoin it to gain a place, a point the Lincoln Track Club cites from USATF Rules 163.6 and 243.
At sanctioned track meets, teams also file relay cards before the race. USATF official guidance tells teams to submit the card to the clerk by a stated cut-off before start time, and the exact number of minutes is set by the meet. Check the meet information, not a forum post.
How to choose a relay that fits your team
Teams that enjoy a relay usually matched the event to their group on five points. Run through them before you register.
- Team size and roster rules. Some divisions need a full roster for awards. Corporate and government divisions can require a minimum number of employees, with only immediate family allowed as non-employees. Read the division rules.
- Leg distances. Legs are rarely equal. Ask who can handle the longest leg and who prefers the short, fast one.
- Elevation. Colorado legs can start at altitude or drop thousands of feet in a few miles. Elevation changes how a four-mile leg feels more than the distance does.
- Logistics. Road relays across a city need nothing but transit and a plan. Multi-day mountain relays need vehicles, sleep, food and drivers.
- Your goal. If you want a fast time, recruit similar paces. If you want a good day out, mix paces and give the newest runner a leg that suits them.
A simple leg-assignment plan
For a five-person marathon relay, list each runner's comfortable pace and longest recent run. Give the longest leg to the runner with the best endurance, not the fastest 5K. Give the biggest downhill to someone with strong quads who has run downhill before, because steep descents punish unprepared legs. Put a nervous first-timer on a middle leg, so they are not carrying the start or the finish.
For a mountain relay, assign legs so that every runner gets a mix of short, medium and long segments across the three rounds, then rest while the van moves on. Practice swapping runners at the van before race day so you do not lose time at each handoff.
Preparing for race day
Relay preparation looks like normal training with a few additions. Run back-to-back efforts in training, for example a morning run and an evening run of the same distance, so your legs know what a second leg feels like. Practice your handoff routine, whether that is a baton, a bracelet or a tag. Walk or drive the exchange points if the organizer shares the map.
Pack for waiting. A relay is mostly standing around between efforts, so bring layers, snacks, water and a plan for staying warm. Colorado mornings can be cold even when afternoons are hot.
For organizers, the same principle applies: tell runners the exchange locations, cut-off times and course rules in writing, with a map, before race week. The more teams know about the zone and the starting procedure, the fewer disputes you see on the day.
Our perspective on relay running in Colorado
We built RacesAndEvents.com because Colorado runners kept running into the same problem: the details that matter for a team event are scattered across race websites and social posts. A relay is a group decision, and group decisions fall apart when one person has the map, another has the registration page and a third has the elevation profile.
That is why we put maps, elevation changes and difficulty levels in one place for more than 600 Colorado running events, and why we list more than 150 run clubs. A relay team often starts as a run club, a group of co-workers or a few friends, and the best way to find teammates is to meet people who already run near you.
Our view is simple: the best relay is the one that fits your team's mix of paces, schedule and appetite for adventure. Bookmark the events you are considering, build your own race calendar, and compare them side by side before you commit. That saves time and makes it easier to say yes to something new.
the author
Find your next relay team and race
If you do not have a team yet, start with a local group. Our Colorado run club directory lists more than 150 clubs, and many of them are happy to hear about relay plans. Once you have a team, browse the full Colorado calendar to compare distances, elevation and difficulty, and bookmark the events you like to build a calendar everyone can see.
Start at RacesAndEvents.com to search 600+ Colorado races. If you want a tougher mountain day to train toward a relay leg, look at the Barr Trail Mountain Race or the Grand Traverse Mountain Run. For a shorter, social start, the Avery Brewing Fall 5K is an easy team outing.
FAQ
How many runners are on a relay team?
It depends on the format. Olympic and World Athletics relays such as the 4×100m and 4×400m use four runners. The Denver Colfax marathon relay uses five, and overnight Colorado mountain relays commonly use ten or twelve. Always check the event's own team rules.
What is a marathon relay race?
It is a marathon split among teammates, so each runner covers part of the 26.2 miles. At Denver Colfax, a team of five shares the distance, and you can enter an Open, Corporate, Government or Public Schools division.
What types of relay races are there?
The main ones are track relays (4×100m, 4×400m), sprint medley relays, long-distance relays with more than five legs, and cross-country relays. On the road, you will also find marathon relays and overnight multi-leg events.
What gets a relay team disqualified?
Common causes are a handoff outside the exchange zone, a false start, interfering with another runner and leaving the course to gain a place. Read your event's rule sheet and walk the exchange zones before the start.
Sources
- What is a relay race? Know the rules and the records (Olympics)
- World Athletics competition and technical rule amendments, February 2025
- Denver Colfax Marathon
- Denver Colfax Marathon Relay overview
- 20th Denver Colfax Marathon celebrates a milestone year (Running USA)
- run.Colorado Relays
- Starters monograph (Pacific Association USATF)
- Rules of Competition (Lincoln Track Club)
- Officials' Pre-Meet Notes (USATF)