DSM IMT Marathon Relay

( All photos courtesy of Murdocks Mama )

Two weeks ago I ran my first marathon…wait for it…relay. Marathon relay. I ran a marathon with four other people and together we chalked up 26.2 miles in just over four hours. How cool is that?

Wait, so how does a marathon relay work? Good question. We totally over-analyzed the details of this race when in reality it’s fairly simple. Each person’s leg of the race is between 4 and 6 miles and at the end of the leg ( near a mile marker ) is a transition area where one runner hands of the baton to the next runner.

Batons, really? Well technically it was a timing chip inside of a plastic tube, but yeah, it was basically a baton. We all felt very nostalgic and handed it off like we did in high school track.

What do the other runners do until it’s their turn? Relay racers were able to drive to and from each transition point to drop off the next runner and pick up the one that’s finishing. Oh, and of course cheer, snap a few pics, and laugh at some of the spectator signs before hopping back in the car and navigating to the next point. This isn’t exactly too difficult or stressful, but you don’t have nearly as much time between legs as you think you would.

So who gets to cross the finish line? The entire team! At the last half-mile or so, you’re able to meet up with the runner in their final leg and all cross the finish line together as a team. Which is pretty cool. Maybe not as cool as crossing the finish line on your own after running 13.1 or 26.2 miles solo, but still…crossing that line is a phenomenal feeling no matter how it’s done.