35 relay race ideas for adults at work and field day

Quick picks by situation

Office relay games for indoors

A hallway or a cleared meeting room is enough. Walking pace works for all of these.

1. 1. Cup pyramid relay

   Each runner walks to a table, builds a 3-2-1 pyramid from six cups, restacks them into one tower and walks back to tag the next player.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · 6 plastic cups per team

2. 2. Paper clip chain relay

   Runners take turns going to the table to add five paper clips to the team's chain. Longest chain when the time runs out wins.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 5 min · A box of paper clips per team

3. 3. Ping pong spoon relay

   Carry a ping pong ball on a spoon to the turnaround and back. Drop it and you go back to the start.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · Spoons and ping pong balls

4. 4. Sticky note category relay

   Call a category, like countries or breakfast cereals. Each runner writes one answer on a sticky note, posts it on the team's wall and runs back. No repeats.

   Teams of 4 to 8 · 5 min a category · Sticky notes and pens

5. 5. Envelope puzzle relay

   Each runner fetches one numbered envelope holding a clue or a puzzle piece. Once every envelope is back, the team solves the final puzzle together.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 15 min · Envelopes with clues

6. 6. Book balance walk

   Walk to the turnaround and back with a notebook or paperback balanced on your head. If it falls, stop, replace it and carry on.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · One book per team

7. 7. Trivia relay

   A runner collects a question from the host, the team answers it, and the runner takes the answer back. Only a right answer earns the next question.

   Teams of 4 to 8 · 15 min · A stack of questions

8. 8. Whiteboard drawing relay

   Each runner adds one part to a drawing on the team's whiteboard, like a cat or a skyline. The rest of the team guesses what it is from the spot.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · A whiteboard per team

9. 9. Mail sort relay

   Each runner takes one card from a stack, walks it to the right labeled tray and comes back. Fastest team with every card in the right tray wins.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · Labeled trays and cards

Running relay games for outdoors and field day

For a park, a lawn or a parking lot. Mark a start line and a turnaround point 15 to 25 yards away.

1. 10. Baton relay

   The classic running relay: four legs, one baton, a handoff zone at each change. A paper towel tube works fine as a baton.

   Teams of 4 · 10 min · A baton and cones

2. 11. Shuttle relay

   Split each team in half, one half at each end. Runners cross and tag the next player on the other side until everyone has run.

   Teams of 6 to 10 · 10 min · Two lines on the ground

3. 12. Egg and spoon relay

   Carry an egg on a spoon to the turnaround and back without touching it. Use hard-boiled or plastic eggs.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · Spoons and eggs

4. 13. Three-legged relay

   Pairs tie their inside legs together at the ankle and run as one to the turnaround and back. Practice a few steps before the start.

   Teams of 4 to 8, in pairs · 10 min · Soft ties or scarves

5. 14. Sack race relay

   Step into a sack or pillowcase, hop to the turnaround and back, then hand it to the next player.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · Burlap sacks or pillowcases

6. 15. Sponge bucket relay

   Soak a sponge in a full bucket, run it to the empty bucket and squeeze. First team to reach a marked line wins. Best on a hot day.

   Teams of 4 to 8 · 15 min · Buckets, sponges and water

7. 16. Obstacle course relay

   Zigzag through cones, step through a hula hoop, toss a beanbag into a bucket and run back. Each runner resets anything they knock over.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 15 min · Cones, a hoop, a beanbag, a bucket

8. 17. Beanbag toss relay

   Run to the throwing line and keep tossing until a beanbag lands in the bucket, then run back and tag the next player.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · Beanbags and buckets

9. 18. Over-under relay

   Teams stand in a line and pass a ball back, over the head then under the legs, alternating. The last person runs to the front and starts again.

   Teams of 6 to 10 · 10 min · One ball per team

10. 19. Soccer dribble relay

    Dribble a soccer ball around a cone and back with your feet only. No hands, no kicking it ahead.

    Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · Soccer balls and cones

Hilarious relay games for adults

Speed matters less than looking ridiculous. These get the most photos.

1. 20. Dress-up relay

   Each runner puts on an oversized shirt, a hat and sunglasses, runs to the turnaround and back, then takes it all off for the next player.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · A pile of oversized clothes per team

2. 21. Balloon knee waddle

   Hold a balloon between your knees and waddle to the turnaround and back. Pop it or drop it and you start over.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · Balloons

3. 22. Back-to-back balloon carry

   Pairs carry a balloon between their backs, arms linked, to the turnaround and back. No hands on the balloon.

   Teams of 4 to 8, in pairs · 10 min · Balloons

4. 23. Flip cup relay

   Teams line up on either side of a table. Each player drinks a little water, sets the cup on the table edge and flips it to land upside down before the next can go.

   Teams of 4 to 8 · 10 min · Plastic cups, water and a table

5. 24. Mummy wrap relay

   One volunteer per team stands still as the mummy. Each runner adds one full lap of toilet paper around them and runs back. Best-wrapped mummy wins.

   Teams of 5 to 8 · 10 min · Toilet paper rolls

6. 25. Straw suction relay

   Pick up a paper square by sucking through a straw, carry it to the team's bowl and drop it in. Most squares in the bowl after five minutes wins.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 5 min · Straws, paper squares, bowls

7. 26. Hula hoop chain

   Teams hold hands in a line. Pass a hula hoop from one end to the other by stepping through it, without letting go of anyone's hand.

   Teams of 6 to 10 · 5 min · One hula hoop per team

8. 27. Waiter tray relay

   Carry a tray with three plastic cups of water to the turnaround and back with one hand. Refill before the next waiter goes; least water spilled wins ties.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · Trays, cups and water

Seated and low-mobility relay races

Same relay tension, no running. Good for mixed abilities, formal clothes and small rooms.

1. 28. Seated ball pass

   Teams sit in a row and pass a ball down the line and back, hands only. Add a second and third ball once they get fast.

   Teams of 5 to 10 · 5 min · Balls

2. 29. Alphabet relay

   Pass a clipboard down the row. Each person writes a word in the category for the next letter of the alphabet, then passes it on. First team to Z wins.

   Teams of 4 to 8 · 10 min · Clipboards and pens

3. 30. Answer sheet relay

   Each team shares one sheet of ten trivia questions. Each person answers one and passes the sheet; only the person holding it may write.

   Teams of 4 to 10 · 10 min · Question sheets

4. 31. Cup tower pass

   Each player adds one cup to a tower and slides it to the next person, who adds another. The tower must stand after every pass; if it falls, rebuild from the bottom.

   Teams of 5 to 8 · 10 min · Plastic cups

5. 32. Puzzle pass

   Each team gets a small jigsaw in a box. The box moves one person at a time, and each player places three pieces before passing.

   Teams of 4 to 8 · 15 min · A small jigsaw per team

Relay games for remote teams

The baton becomes a turn order. Each teammate has to finish before the next can start.

1. 33. Fetch relay

   The host names an item. Teammates take turns fetching one each, in a set order, and the next person can't leave until the last is back on camera.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · Breakout rooms

2. 34. Chat story relay

   In a fixed order, each teammate adds one sentence to a story in the chat. A sentence posted out of turn costs a point. Best story wins a vote.

   Teams of 4 to 8 · 10 min · The chat

3. 35. Whiteboard relay

   Each teammate adds one line to a drawing on the call's shared whiteboard, then says 'done' to pass the turn. Another team guesses what it is.

   Teams of 4 to 6 · 10 min · A shared whiteboard

How to form relay teams

Fair teams make close races, and close races are the fun part.

1. 1Keep teams to four to six. Smaller teams mean more turns per person and less standing around. Use eight or more only for shuttle and over-under relays.
2. 2Mix teams on purpose. Spread fast runners, departments and new hires across teams. Count off by fours instead of letting friends pick.
3. 3Make team sizes equal. If they can't be, one volunteer on the smaller team runs twice. Agree on it before the start.
4. 4Give every team a name. It takes two minutes and makes the cheering louder. A team name generator helps.
5. 5Pick a scoring system. Three points for first, two for second, one for third in every race, with a running total on a whiteboard.

Stuck on names? Use our free team name generator.

Relay race safety for adults

Adults pull hamstrings and trip over cables. Eight rules that keep the day injury-free:

• Offer a walking or seated role in every race, and never push anyone to run.
• Use a flat, dry surface with no cords, desks or stairs in the lanes.
• Leave 3 to 4 feet between lanes so teams don't collide at the turnaround.
• Warm up for five minutes before running races.
• Skip rolling office chairs, wheelbarrow races and spinning games; they cause most of the falls.
• Use hard-boiled or plastic eggs and plastic cups only.
• Outdoors, have water and shade, and move the heavy races to the morning in hot weather.
• Name one person as the referee, with the final say on rules and restarts.

A one-hour relay day for work

Seven races, a warmup and a trophy. Swap in seated relays if your group needs them.

• 0 to 10 min: Teams, team names and a walking warmup.
• 10 to 20 min: Two quick office relays, like the cup pyramid relay and the sticky note category relay.
• 20 to 40 min: Three field day races: baton, egg and spoon, sack race.
• 40 to 50 min: Two funny relays to finish loud: dress-up and mummy wrap.
• 50 to 60 min: Final scores, a trophy and a team photo.

Making a whole day of it? Add minute to win it games between races, or run more office competition ideas through a spirit week.

Remote team? Let a host run the games

Our virtual office olympics turns race-the-clock challenges into a live team competition with a host and scoring, on Zoom by default (Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request). For more ideas you can run yourself, see these virtual field day activities.

Planning a company field day or a team event? Get a free quote with your date and headcount.