Relays in boys track are arguably one of the most exciting pieces of a meet, and many fans enjoy the suspense that builds rigorously throughout a 4×400 or 4×800. The swift pass of the baton must be near flawless, and one small mistake can cost the entire relay when competitors are set apart by almost no time at all.
In most recent relays, the runners have been Omar Elsayed, Will Henning, Liam Powers, and Liam McNiven, all seniors for HSE this season. However, several strong juniors and underclassmen will continue to swap into these positions for different relay distances throughout their meets.
“In the 4×800 it’s easier, as the speed that each person is coming in at is a little slower,” said Henning, a typical 4×800 runner, “4×400 and 4×100 are much more complicated than people realize and require lots of practice.”
Each relay works a little differently, but there is always a stigma around the fact that runners simply take their lap, pass the baton, and repeat this process for all four runners. However, the meticulous training and individual steps that occur beyond the eyes of people watching are incredibly significant to the completion of the entire relay. It takes skill to uncover what needs to be done for these laps and handoffs to be nothing other than perfect and is one of the biggest misconceptions about relays specifically.
“Typically, it’s a bad handoff that goes wrong. Sometimes a person’s baton gets knocked out of their hand but that is rare. Usually, a handoff gets messed up just because your hands don’t meet,” said Henning.
Depending on the race, there is some wiggle room for error, however, no one wants that for themselves or their team. Some relays involve runners bolting neck and neck to the finish line, with the last-leg runner using every ounce of energy they have to complete the hard work of those before them. Other relays involve teams that are full seconds ahead, in which the same work ethic goes in, but with less pressure that a mistake will cost the race.
“Ultimately, [a bad handoff is] only worth a few tenths of a second, but it really matters to get it right,” Will Henning said.
Working closely with one’s team is what will drive this tedious aspect of the sport to greatness, and although perfection comes along with added pressure, their tight knit culture overcomes negativity at each and every meet.
Finally, Henning speaks of the golden rule in any relay: “No matter what, never drop the baton.”
