Definition

Noun: A relay race is a competition between teams in which each team member completes a portion of the total distance, passing a baton or the race position to the next teammate in a designated exchange zone. The race is won by the team whose final member crosses the finish line first.

Usage

The term "relay race" is used to describe the specific team event. It is often modified by the sport or setting (e.g., track relay race, swimming relay race).

Examples

• The 4x100 meter relay race is one of the most exciting events in track and field.
• Our school won the swimming relay race by a narrow margin.
• Strategy in a relay race involves deciding the order of the runners.

Advanced Usage

• "to run a leg of a relay race": This phrase means to be one of the participants who runs/swims one segment of the race.
  • She ran the anchor leg of the relay race.
• The concept can be used metaphorically to describe any sequential effort by a team.
  • The project was like a relay race, with each department completing its part before handing it off.

Variants and Related Words

• Relay (noun): Often used as a shortened, informal form of "relay race."
  • She qualified for the 4x400 relay.
• Relay (verb): To receive and pass on (information or an object).
  • He relayed the message to the team.

Synonyms

• Team race
• Relay (in the specific context of sports)

Related Phrases

• "drop the baton": Literally, to fail to successfully pass the baton in a relay race, often causing disqualification. Metaphorically, it means to fail during a handoff or transition.
  • They were winning until the final exchange, where they dropped the baton.
• "anchor leg": The final segment of a relay race.
  • The fastest runner is usually placed on the anchor leg.

Noun

1. a race between teams; each member runs or swims part of the distance