The slow run

You zoom in on your phone and check the map. The small circle with a picture inside is moving towards your location. You zoom out of the phone and look into the horizon. A small dot takes the shape of a friend – it’s time. You quickly finish warming up and get ready to race. The silhouette starts to look a lot more like a human. You can see the struggle of the last hundred meters and start cheering. “Come on, let’s go! You’re doing great; you’re almost done.” The movement of the legs stops, and the leg strap with the monitoring chip switches owners. You put it around your leg, congratulate your teammate, and sprint. It’s your race until you cross the finish line or pass the baton forward.

The relay race is arguably the most exciting run you can do with friends. It’s a social experience; it transforms running from an individual to a team sport. 

At half-marathons, there’s usually the option to do a 3 x 7 km relay race where each team member runs 7 kilometers to complete the 21km route. This is a fast but also a very accessible one for beginners. At marathons, it’s 4 x 10.5 to total 42 kilometers. The distance is longer but still manageable with enough training. Both versions are fun to do. The first runner begins the race at the starting line, along with the competitors for the half or full marathon. Along the route, there are predefined places where the swap takes place. The last runner of the team is the one that runs to the finish line, where his teammates will greet him victoriously.

I ran one relay race with two dear friends at the Bucharest International Half-Marathon. We made it a thematic race by dressing up as bunnies. Our team name was “Two and a half bunnies” – it was so much fun.

If there’s an extraordinarily entertaining way to start running and explore the atmosphere of a race, this is the way. Build your team, signup, practice together and enjoy the run.