Sometimes August seems so focused on half-marathon and marathon training runs, it can leave some runners and walkers feeling a bit left out. Here at Another Mother Runner, we’re all about inclusivity so we’re exploring a few other race options as we kick off this month. Today on the podcast, we are talking about 5K races, and this post is a collection of recommendations for relay races. 

These suggestions are crowd-sourced from our Facebook page in response to a question from Nicole in North Dakota, who was looking for a racing adventure for her and nearly a dozen (!) training partners. (They’d already run the mother of all relays, the Hood to Coast, which happens later this month, and several Ragnar races.) We hope one of these might light a spark in you.

River to River Relay in southern Illinois. You run from the Mississippi to the Ohio River. It’s 80 miles for eight runners who run three legs each. It’s extremely hilly and all on road. I have done it many times, and it’s super fun. Southern Illinois is a gorgeous part of the state and includes the massive Shawnee National Forest. —Amy

Wild West Relay that runs from Ft. Collins to Steamboat, Colorado. About 200 miles. Lots of mountains, and lots of fun! —Jenny

The Seneca7 in central New York State. Teams of 7, run 77.7 miles around Seneca Lake. Each leg is three to five miles, and each person runs three times. —Anna

Klondike Relay. I did this  in 2019 with a group of girlfriends—it was so awesome! Starts in Skagway, Alaska, and ends in Whitehouse, Yukon Territory, Canada. It’s in early September and is just gorgeous! —Gina

Down East Sunrise Trail Relay. It is an overnight from Ellsworth to Eastport, Maine. It’s 102 miles for teams of up to eight people. It goes along a former railroad line that is now a recreational trail. —Deedra

Lake to Lake Relay. This 50-mile relay is in St George, Utah, and it goes through the best parts of the county. Plus they do a banquet for all the participants the evening of the race. You can have one to five people on a team. —Rachel

Texas Independence Relay. It runs from Gonzales to Houston in late March timeframe. It’s a fun 198-mile race, with stops in places like Shiner, Texas (home of Shiner beer). There’s also a van exchange with a shoe store sponsoring breakfast tacos. —Heather

Burning River Endurance Run + Relay. This 100-mile, 8-person event is in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. There is also a marathon, 50-mile, and 100-mile race on the same course so the people watching/ inspiration gained is so fun! Parts of it go through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. —Abbie

Add your favorite in the comments below!