1.

) RELAY EVENTS

Relay race, also called Relay is a track and field sport that consists of a set number of stages
(legs) in which four members of a team take turns in running down the track. The runner
finishing one leg is required to pass on the next runner with a stick-like object known as a
“Baton”. (Note – The runner must pass on the Baton to the next runner within a 20 – meter
exchange box that is placed 10 meter before and 10 meter after the start of each leg.)

2.) Objective

The main objective of this sport running is to reach the end as quickly as possible and each
member of the team takes a turn completing part of the course.

“The standard relay events are 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays. “

3.) History of Relay events

The concept of relays was originated in Ancient Greece where a message stick was delivered via
a series of couriers. The first modern relay races were organized by the New York fire service in
the 1880s as the charity races in which red pennants were passed on instead of a baton over
every 300 yards. The first Olympic relay took place in 1908 that was divided into two legs of 200
m followed by one of 400 m and the other of 800 m.

4 x 100 meters Relay History

The first Olympic 4 x 100m relay was held in 1912, Stockholm for men’s and 1928, Amsterdam
for women’s.

The men’s event at the Olympics was dominated by the US who won 15 out of 19 Olympic titles
from 1920 to 2000 but later on even Jamaica won the 2012 and 2016 Olympics titles.

4 x 400 meters Relay History

The first Olympic 4 x 400m relay for men was conducted in 1912, Stockholm whereas the
women made their Olympic 4 x 400m relay debut at the 1972 Munich Games.

A mixed (two men, two women) 4 x 400m relay was featured for the first time at the World
Championships in 2019, Doha, Qatar and was later introduced into the Olympic programme at
the Tokyo 2020 Games. The men’s and women’s 4 x 400m relay has been historically dominated
by the USA.

4.) Facilities and equipment

Relays – Clothing

Athletes wear a pair of shorts and a short-sleeved or sleeveless T-shirt or a top indicating the
athlete number.

Relays – Shoes
Athletes use a pair of shoes (usually made from nylon) that have a maximum of 11 cleats which
are not more than 9 mm long offering maximum traction.

Relays – Baton

A baton is a lightweight, hollow aluminum tube used in relay races. It is a smooth tube having a
length of 30cm, diameter of 4 cm and weighing around 50 gram.

(Note: It is the baton whose time around the track is measured and not the time of the athlete.)

___________________

Game Play

In 4 x 100 m relays, athletes must remain in their designated lanes through the run, i.e., from
start to finish. In 4 x 400m relays, the first 500m is run in the designated lanes and then they
typically battle to hold the inside line.

Start Referee

The start referee is responsible for starting the race by giving the commands like “on your
marks” and “set” and for firing the start gun.

Timekeeper

The time keeper is responsible for recording the times of the athletes.

5.) RELAY RULES

• The baton can only be passed within the exchange zone, which is 20 meters long.

• Exchanges made outside the zone—based on the position of the baton, not the runners’ feet
—result in disqualification.

• must remain in their lanes after the pass to avoid blocking other runners.

• The baton must be carried by hand. If it is dropped, the runner can leave the lane to retrieve
the baton as long as the recovery doesn’t lessen his or her total running distance.

• Runners may not wear gloves or place substances on their hands to obtain a better grip on
the baton.

Any athlete entered in the Olympics may compete on a country’s relay team. However, once a
relay team begins competition, only two additional athletes may be used as substitutes in later
heats or the final. For practical purposes, then, a relay team includes a maximum of six runners
—the four who run in the first heat and a maximum of two substitutes
 6.) Lines and Markings

7.) Warm up exercises

Dynamic Stretches

Walking Quad Stretch

Walking Glutes Stretch

Walking Hamstring Stretch

Soleus and Heel Walk

Drills

Skip and Roll Arms (forwards and backwards)

Lateral Shuffle

A-Skip

Driving Knees

Heel to Glutes

High Knee Crossovers

Strength Activations

Crab Walks

Glute Bridge

Clams

Run Throughs (Performed as Continuous Circuit)

Lateral Shuffle

Cross Overs

Back Pedal

Forward Runs

Running
1.) Walk events

Race walking is an event contested in all levels of the sport of track & field, from youth
athletics up to and including the Olympic Games. Race walking combines the endurance
of the long distance runner with the attention to technique of a hurdler or shot putter.
Producing less impact, this technically demanding event continues to grow in popularity
across the younger and older age groups for its fitness and competitive aspects.

The two race walking distances contested at the Summer Olympics are:

1) 20 kilometers race walk – For both men and women

2) 50 kilometers race walk – For men only

Objective

The main objective of the participants in the sport is to swiftly walk through their way to
the finish line.

2.) History of walking Events

Race walking is believed to have originated in the Victorian era (1837-1901) when
noblemen used to bet on their footmen – who walked alongside their employer’s horse-
driven coaches – for a winner.

It came to be known as pedestrianism and made its way to the United States in the late
19th century. It caught on as a spectacle sport, with participants walking nearly 1,000
kms in six days inside packed indoor arenas.

History of 20 km Race Walk

The 20 km race walk has been contested for the men at the Olympic Games since 1956
whereas the women competed for the first time at the 1992 Olympic Games, initially
over 10 km. But, later on it went over with 20 km at the 2000 Sydney Games.

China has been one of the dominant 20 km race walking nations in the recent times,
winning four of the six men’s medals available at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.

History of 50 Kilometer Race Walk

The men’s 50 km race walk became part of the Olympic Games since 1932 expect at the
1976 Olympic Games in Montreal whereas women first competed at the 2017 World
Athletics Championships held at London for the 50 km race walking. Moreover, 50 km
race walk for women did not feature as part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Programme.
 The finest 50 km race walker in history is Robert Korzeniowski of Poland who had won a
stunning hat-trick of Olympic titles from 1996-2004.

3.) Equipments and facilities

1) Race walk – T-Shirts

Athletes wear lightweight, loose fitted, sleeveless or short-sleeved T-shirts or top that absorbs
sweat and keeps them cool.

2) Race walk – Shorts

Loose fitted, lightweight shorts are worn by athletes that are made of breathable fiber to avoid
chafing.

3) Race walk – Shoes

Athletes wear lightweight, thin-soled shoes with padded heels that reduce friction w

4) Running Tracks

The race walking is also conducted on running tracks because of its consistent surface. The
tracks are rubber coated to make the surface uniform and unbroken. Each lane on the track is
about 122 cm wide and the length of the track ranges from 200 m to 400 m long

There are a few major differences between running and race walking beyond the speed.
In race walking, one foot must always be in contact with the ground. A violation of this
rule is called “lifting.”

In addition, rules state that an athlete’s advancing leg must remain straight from the point
of contact with the ground until the athlete’s passes over it. Race walking differs from
running in that it requires the competitor to maintain contact with the ground at all times
and requires the leading leg to be straightened as the foot makes contact with the ground.
It must remain straightened until the leg passes under the body. Judges evaluate the
technique of race walkers and report fouls which may lead to disqualification. All judging
is done by the eye of the judge and no outside technology is used in making judging
decisions
There are only two rules that govern racewalking.[6][7] The first dictates that the
athlete’s back toe cannot leave the ground until the heel of the front foot has touched.
Violation of this rule is known as loss of contact. The second rule requires that the
supporting leg must straighten from the point of contact with the ground and remain
straightened until the body passes directly over it. These rules are judged by the unaided
human eye. Athletes regularly lose contact for a few milliseconds per stride, which can be
caught on film, but such a short flight phase is said to be undetectable to the human eye.
[5]

Athletes stay low to the ground by keeping their arms pumping low, close to their hips. If
one sees a racewalker’s shoulders rising, it may be a sign that the athlete is losing contact
with the ground. What appears to be an exaggerated swivel to the hip is, in fact, a full
rotation of the pelvis. Athletes aim to move the pelvis forward and to minimize sideways
motion in order to achieve maximum forward propulsion. Speed is achieved by stepping
quickly with the aim of rapid turnover. This minimizes the risk of the feet leaving the
ground. Strides are short and quick, with pushoff coming forward from the ball of the
foot, again to minimize the risk of losing contact with the ground. World-class
racewalkers (male and female) can average under four and five minutes per kilometre in a
20-km racewalk.[8]

Races have been walked at distances as short as 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) at the 1920
Summer Olympics, and as long as 100 km (62.1 mi). The men’s world record for the 50-
mile race walk is held by Israeli Shaul Ladany, whose time of 7:23:50 in 1972 beat the
world record that had stood since 1935.[9] The modern Olympic events are the 20 km
(12.4 mi) race walk (men and women) and 50 km (31 mi) race walk (men only). One
example of a longer racewalking competition is the annual Paris-Colmar which is 450 to
500 km. Indoor races are 3000 m and 5000 m.

In most relays, team members cover equal distances: Olympic events for both men and
women are the 400-metre (4 × 100-metre) and 1,600-metre (4 × 400-metre) relays.

Race walking is an event contested in all levels of the sport of track & field, from youth
athletics up to and including the Olympic Games. Race walking combines the endurance
of the long distance runner with the attention to technique of a hurdler or shot putter.
Producing less impact, this technically demanding event continues to grow in popularity
across the younger and older age groups for its fitness and competitive aspects.

Race walking is believed to have originated in the Victorian era (1837-1901) when
noblemen used to bet on their footmen – who walked alongside their employer’s horse-
driven coaches – for a winner.

It came to be known as pedestrianism and made its way to the United States in the late
19th century. It caught on as a spectacle sport, with participants walking nearly 1,000 kms
in six days inside packed indoor arenas.