Track Is for Adults Too: The 2026 Rose City Relays Are Back!

Running around a track when you were back in school probably either gave you great joy or great anxiety. Luckily, a track meet as an adult is an entirely different experience in the best possible way. Now, if you’re running around in circles, it’s a choice that exists for the sheer joy of running. The 2026 Rose City Relays is coming up, and there’s fun for everyone this year on Saturday, August 1st!

This event takes place at Grant High School Track and there are a few options available to you.

• First on the docket at 9:15AM is the Swedish relay (which is a 100-200-300-400,)
• Next at 9:25AM is a 4x800m relay.
• Lastly, there will be a distance medley relay (1200-400-800-1600) at 9:50AM.

Please note that this heat schedule is tentative and subject to change. All relays will be hand-timed and a 5th relay member is encouraged to come along (though not required) to serve as a backup timer.

In case you have forgotten the “rules of relay,” here’s a quick breakdown:

• A relay team consists of 4 runners and each person will run a leg of the relay carrying a baton.
• After one runner has completed their leg of the journey, they will hand off to the next runner on their team in a designated exchange zone and the race will continue until each runner has run their leg

What this means for you is that you just need to grab 3 friends and invite them to join you. The cost is $6.30 per runner and one person will register the whole team and pay the entire entry fee of $22.20. If you can’t find enough people to form your team of 4, feel free to reach out to the race organizers and they will try to group you up with other folks in the same boat as you!

At least one member of your team needs to check in 30 minutes before your heat begins, so get to the track early! All runners will get a hip number sticker that should be display on their left hips. This helps race organizers line up all the teams appropriately.

If you choose to wait to register at the last minute, you can register on the morning of the meet, but again need to do so a half hour before the relay is scheduled to start.

This event is available to ages 12 and up, so bring your teens too! Youngers kids under the supervision of an adult are always welcome to come and cheer on the teams!