Although track and field is often pegged as an individual sport, the SIU men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams have shown the importance of team camaraderie.

The 4×400-meter race is a four-legged relay during which four runners individually one lap around the 400 meter track. Runners carry a baton to hand off to their teamate once their leg is completed. SIU sprints coach Chidi Enyia said the baton handoff is a crucial aspect of the race that depends on trust.

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“When (runners) are exchanging the baton, they are not looking at the person-they are just waiting for a call,” he said. “They have to be able to trust that person coming in is going to be where they need to be and that they can exchange where they need to exchange it on the track.”

The key to the handoff is that the two runners must sync up their pace, sophomore sprinter Amiris Warren said.

“You want to take out strong but don’t take out too fast because we are all running, coming in off of a full lap,” she said. “You want to finish hard and hand off your baton on time and push out on that curve.”

Senior sprinter Tess Shubert said, the women’s relay team is very close — some even live with each other.

“We all live in the same apartment complex and the other (runner) live right down the road from us,” she said. “We are all a family. We spend every day together and go everywhere together. They are like my sisters, which makes it more meaningful to have success with them.”

Shubert said having such a close-knit team translates into a better performance on the track.

“It gives us a certain degree of responsibility that we hold and owe to one another,” she said. “It almost holds it over your head, but it gives you more motivation to not let your family down.”

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Outside of track, Warren said the relay team spends nights

Outside of track, Warren said the relay team spends nights together doing various activities.

“We have movie nights, dinners and even slumber parties like girls like to do,” she said. “A lot of us came in wanting a relationship where we could like each other, and we have continued to push each other all year.”

Sophomore sprinter Blake Green said the men’s team isn’t as close as the women’s team, but still has a good bond.

“We see each other a lot, we go to dinner sometimes after practice and hangout and talk about our day,” he said.

Senior sprinter, pole vaulter and member of the 4×400 team Ryan Sidwell, said the men’s bond is formed more on the track than off.

“It’s nice to have the same guys every week, especially with exchanges,” he said. “You develop that bond where you are counting on each person to pull their weight for each lap and keep it going to the next person.”

Green said the relay team is different from any other relay team he has been on in his track career because of the team’s diversity.

“We are faster, we all have fun and we are all from different parts of the world,” he said. “Nikolai (Gall) is from Barbados, Ryan Sidwell is from Missouri, I’m from Lexington and Chris (Nightengale) is from Chicago.”

Enyia said it is important that the runners have a close bond outside of track because it makes for better running.

“It goes back to the athletes being able to trust each other. If you practice the exchanges enough and run enough you build a certain level of chemistry, and you can build a good feel for each other,” he said.

The 4×400 relay race is usually the last event of a meet and often grabs the most spectators since all eyes are on the runners to bring their teams a win. The track is often lined up with spectators and fellow teammates cheering the runners on.

“The atmosphere during the 4x400m is very unique,” Sidwell said. “Everyone is done and standing around the track screaming at you, it’s one of my favorite races to run and a great end to a meet.”

It is important that teammates support runners in the relay races, because Enyia said the encouragement can motivate runners.

“It is a simple matter of motivation and stimulation to run,” he said. “We may be talented enough and self motivated enough to run fast but that extra kick from teammates is significant enough to run faster.”

The two relay teams will test their speed and endurance this weekend at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. The four-day meet commences today and the final day is Sunday.