Why You Would Want to Run a 190 Mile Relay

Are you looking for a challenge that’s a bit different than the typical 5K, 10K or marathon? Well, you might consider putting a team together and signing up for a relay event. To find a relay race in your area, do a Google search.

About a month back 12 members of my urban tribe signed up to run the Great Midwest Relay.
The race is a two-day relay run from Madison Wisconsin to Chicago Illinois, via Milwaukee, WI. A total of 190 miles will be run (or joggled in my case). On our 12 person team each member will run 3 legs of various distances. My joggling legs will be 4.5, 5.5 and 9.0 miles.

Benefits of running a relay race

While I’ve never actually juggled a relay race some benefits are already obvious.

1. There’s extra excitement about the race. When training for a solo race you focus on yourself. You can talk about your training with other people but mostly they won’t care. When you’re part of a team, they’ll be more interested in you and your progress.

2. There’s added incentive to train. Having people who will rely on you provides extra motivation to get your training runs done.

3. Creates more camaraderie among the group. When a team goes through a shared event it will make everyone feel closer.

4. Greater accomplishment. Most people will never be able to run 190 miles or even a 26.2 mile marathon. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be part of a team that accomplishes the same feat. You’ll still feel a sense of pride and accomplishment and to on-lookers, the feat is equally impressive.

5. Easier to rally support. My wife is incredibly supportive of my running efforts. Now that she is part of the relay team, she’s even more enthusiastic about running. Every chance I get I like to run with her. And despite our different paces, the time together makes training even better. Following these tips about running with a partner help a bit.

While there are obvious benefits there are also tricks and tips to consider when participating in a relay race. We have to think about things like transportation, food, equipment, etc. Later on in the week, we’ll look at things to consider when doing a relay race.