When the sun sets, and Singapore glitters courtesy of the city’s lights, excited runners will show up at Sentosa’s Palawan Green on the evening of 20 October to see how they fare at the ASICS annual relay competition. While relay teams are often composed of either men or women, this event gives you opportunities to run with a mixed gender team and if you haven't done so in the past, you're in for a treat.

Which teams are likely to have the most fun? The mixed teams taking part in either the 42km distance or 21km distance because everyone knows it’s no party without both genders to share the experience. Even the venue is idyllic: teams will show up, ready to execute baton passes, and for those eager to make a commitment now, they’re already taking advantage of the early bird team registration rate.

If a mixed-gender team sounds like fun but you’ve no clue how to put one together, we’ve got you covered. Mixed teams can be composed of two guys and two girls; one lucky guy and three women or an even luckier chick who gets three dudes all to herself, so the potential for fireworks is enormous when both sexes compete together.

But, you don’t want to run on a mixed team

And you don’t have to. Especially if you’re already part of a single-gender team and your baton passing skills have been refined over time so you four operate like a finely-wound Swiss clock. Bring your all-male or all- female team to the start line in October and prepare to battle for awesome prizes.

Whether you’re mixing runners or sticking to one sex, your preparation isn’t likely to vary. Set up strategy meetings. Pick a distance. Pay your entry fee and register at Spacebib conveniently. Now comes the hard part: train together as frequently as you can, especially if your crew runs the 42km where baton passing gets tricky in sweaty hands as the race reaches its conclusion.

Photo Credit: ASICS Relay

It’s okay to focus on rewards

Run the full marathon and if your team places first, everyone shares S$1,000 and gets 4 ASICS jackets, backpacks and running caps. Come in second and leave the event with S$600 to split plus jackets, backpacks and running caps for every team member. If your team has a third-place win, all of those ASICS products plus S$400 will be shared and nobody’s leaving out 4th through 8th place winners: you’ll be given ASICS vouchers worth S$200 to split between your team members.

Running the half? You win big, too; take home ASICS vouchers worth S$1,000 per team plus jackets, backpacks, running caps and shoe cases. The 2nd place team earns S$1,000 ASICS vouchers and for 3rd place finishers, those ASICS vouchers total S$800 per team.

Of course, just finishing—even you don’t snag a prize—can be plenty of reward for all of the effort you put into preparing for the relay race that takes you through that victory arch awaiting every finisher. And you’ll treasure the race entitlements that come with this effort: branded event tees, finisher medals, race packs stuffed with sponsor goodies, personalised bibs and souvenir race tokens handed out on that day.

Photo Credit: ASICS Relay

Where to recruit members of the opposite sex

1. Go where active women or men hang out: gyms, running clubs, events; any place either sex congregates.
2. Ask your friends to recommend someone who loves to run and loves the idea of a mixed gender team experience even more.
3. Put an advert in a newsletter or post flyers on bulletin boards detailing your search for a member of the other sex.
4. Stroll around sporting goods stores. If you see someone shopping for running shoes, that’s your invitation to introduce yourself and broach your mission of filling out your relay team.

Photo Credit: ASICS Relay

Incentives you can float to entice new team members

• Plan a post-run party just for the four of you so you get to celebrate, commiserate and share your relief that all of you crossed that finish line.
• Make new running friends. Can you have too many? We don’t think so!
• Help newbies add to their running resumes, especially if he or she is just getting started.
• There’s no better way to recruit new running club members than to find folks eager to expand their social lives.
• Start planning for next year’s ASICS Relay Singapore after having seen how beautifully your team performs as a unit. When bonds are forged between team members, the potential for lifetime friendships is great.

Do you have an unusual or clever way of looking for new relay team members that works every time? We would love to know about your idea(s) and share them with our readers!