Real Friends Run Relays
What is the ultimate best friend bonding experience? Running a marathon relay, of course! You may think it is impossible, but with a little team work, determination, and training, a 26.2-mile marathon will seem like a breeze.
The four-person relay event is a great way to participate in the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon. You share in the thrill and excitement of the full marathon and gain valuable running experience.
In the four-person relay, the course is divided into four legs. With the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon course, the first leg consists of 6.3 miles, the second 6.1 miles, the third 7.9 miles, and the fourth 5.9 miles. The first runner starts with the team ankle slap bracelet that contains the timing chip for the team. At each of the three handoffs, the ankle bracelet is passed to the next runner.
“The most important reason why I like the relay is because the team trains together, so we continually challenge and encourage each other,” says Katie Logan, fitness director at Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center, and frequent marathon relay team member. “Then on the day of the event, we continue that motivation and that encouragement till the end of the race.”
Members of the team decide which leg each members will run and on occasion, one person may elect to run two legs. The team receives an overall time as well as individual times for each leg.
“All the runners of the relay can have different speeds and different strengths, but we are in the process together,” Logan says.
To add to the excitement, relay teams can compete against other participating teams and win prizes. Male, female and co-ed divisions are offered.
The relay is run along with the marathon and this 26.2-mile course meanders through scenic Knoxville neighborhoods and byways, ending at Neyland Stadium for a thrilling finish on the 50-yard line. Relay participants often meet up just outside the stadium to run through the finish together.
The 2012 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon is set for Sunday, April 1. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. Mandatory packet pick-up is on Saturday, March 31, 2012 at the Convention and Exhibition center, site of the Health and Fitness Expo. For registration and additional information, go to
www.knoxvillemarathon.com
