Relay Race

Relay races have been a part of track and field events for many years and are still use in elementary schools, high schools, colleges and the Olympics. A relay race is when members of a team, usually four, take turns running or swimming, sometimes with a baton, doing a specific activity. Many unusual relay races take place at track events or private parties.

There are many types of relay races as can be seen in the Olympics. Many of the different kinds of relay races for kids are played at activities. Often you will see parents planning relay races for parties for their children's birthdays. Family relay races are becoming more popular as the need for physical fitness is becoming more a part of our everyday life. If you have kids in a large group, relay races are a great way to keep them occupied and having fun. There are many places, including the internet, where you can learn how to run relay races.

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One very popular and fun relay race is the baton relay race. This race consists of more than one person. The first runner is holding a baton and runs so far until he gets to a portion of the track called the "passing zone". This is where the first runner passes the baton to the second runner, who continues on this way. This continues until the race is over and a winner is declared.

The race consists of the four members and is held on a track for a relay race. The first one is usually not the fastest of the four. He has to run a certain distance with the baton and hands it off. There are certain relay race rules that need to be followed such as losing the baton or improperly handing off the baton that will mean disqualification.

The origin of relay race and other Olympic games that are part of track events started as part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the father of the Greek Gods. The events were held in Olympia. The first ancient Olympic Games (600-foot long race) were started in 776 BC, or so it's believed. The history of relay racing began during these events. The Olympic Games were then played every 4 years with more and more events added such as discus, long jump, javelin, boxing, wrestling, three foot races, etc. This is where and how the Olympic relay race first began.