Oval Track Relay with an Exchange Zone
A relay around an oval of cones where teams split into four legs and the baton may only be handed off inside a marked zone. It is a first taste of a real track relay: running the curve, handing off on the move, and respecting the zone.
How to play
- Mark an oval of about 80 m with cones and four 5 m exchange zones with flat disc cones, one in each quarter of the oval (3 min).
- Form 4 teams of 6: one or two students from each team wait in each zone, wearing pinnies or colors to recognize each other (2 min).
- Demo and practice: the receiver waits at the start of the zone, starts jogging when the runner is 3 m away, and takes the baton before leaving the zone (4 min).
- Race: the baton goes one and a half laps, passing through every zone; a handoff outside the zone adds a 3-second penalty to the team (6 min, three races).
- Between races, students rotate zones so they run both straight and curved legs (part of the races).
- Tally: 3 points for the first team, 2 for second, and 1 for the rest, plus 1 point for each race with no penalties (2 min), then an easy walking stretch (3 min).
Rules
- Always run counterclockwise and outside the cones.
- Waiting runners stay at the inside edge of the zone until their teammate arrives.
- After the handoff, the runner walks off toward the inside of the oval.
- Never throw or grab the baton: place it in the hand.
Variations
Easier
Use a 60 m oval, standing handoffs inside the zone, and one lap only.
Standard
Use an 80 m oval with jogging handoffs inside a 5 m zone.
Harder
Shrink the zone to 3 m and have the receiver go without looking back when they hear "Hand!".
Adaptations
- Students with limited mobility: run the shortest leg, cutting across an inner line marked with cones, and hand off in their zone.
- Students with visual impairments: run the straightaway with a sighted guide, and the receiver marks the zone with a sound.
- Fitness or skill level: the fastest students run the curves; students who tire sooner run shorter straight legs.
Learning goals
- Run the curve without losing speed.
- Hand off the baton on the move inside a marked zone.
- Take responsibility for a specific leg of the team relay.
Equipment for a class of 25
- batons: 4
- cones: 20
- flat disc cones: 16
Teacher tip
At first, kids hand off too late; have the receiver start when the runner reaches a warning cone.
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