Three Reasons To Run A Relay Race
If you have never run a relay, it's time for grab some teammates and go!
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I recently ran my first relay race. I finished and immediately wondered what was wrong with me…why had I never done this before? I had the time of my life and have vowed to run as many relays as my little legs can. In case you have no idea what the heck you are missing out on, I’ve come up with three reasons why YOU need to run a relay race.
- Relay races are ridiculously fun. Why are they so fun? Well, in my limited experience, the whole atmosphere is focused on teamwork. That means that everyone is serious about having a good time. I ran the North Face Endurance Challenge Marathon Relay. My gals and I camped out all day and spent our time cheering on runners, eating snacks and just chatting. As one of my teammates said, the running was fun, but the best part was just getting to spend time with friends.
- Relay races mean you get to spend a lot of time with runner friends. Just given the nature of relay races, you are going to be spending a significant amount of time with your teammates. I was with my gals from 8:30 until 4pm. It was an all-day affair and the only time I was “alone” was while I was running. It meant I spent a lot of time sitting, chatting and having fun with women I admire and respect. We talked about running. We talked about relationships and marriage. We talked about weird, random stuff that I’d never share online. In short, it was perfect.
- Relay races motivate you to really do your absolute best. When I was suffering a little bit in mile four of my relay race, I thought about my three teammates and how I really wanted to make them proud. Yes, I wanted to run well for myself but the (lowkey) pressure of having a team who was depending on me made me pick up my pace and get to work. I loved the extra motivation that I got from being part of a relay team. If you are similar to me and sometimes have a hard time motivating yourself during the tough portions of a race, a relay is perfect for you! Built in motivation!!
Clearly, I’m a fan of relay races. Tell me, have you run a relay race? Did you love it?