Watch this disastrous 40-team relay exchange because why not

Running of the bulls referenced previously ??

How anyone survived……idk ??‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/vQYliYKHAh

— PRAAAIRRRIE HAAAAWKS (@CRPrairieTrack) March 13, 2018

Relay exchanges, especially for the 4x400m, can get pretty physical.

Whereas in the 4x100m relays runners stay in their lanes for the entirety of the race, 4x400m hand offs are more of a free-for-all as relay members jockey for position to take the baton from the preceding runner. Generally, closest to the inside of the track, the better as one has to cover less distance.

One particular video that’s been making its rounds on social media (more than 38,000 views) shows an-estimated 40 teams on an indoor track during a 4x400m exchange. The footage (top of this page) is complete with bumps, falls and a general feeling of nervousness for all runners involved as teammates search for each other in the mayhem.

USATF, the governing body for track and field in the United States, quote-tweeted the video saying it “This is #MarchMadness2018,” a reference to the NCAA basketball tournament.

A Twitter user noted that “it’s just a fun meet that we put on for spring break, it’s all hand timed, there are no officials except for the guy who starts each race. It’s for those kids who are new to track and field.”

An alternate angle (which has 42,000 views as of writing), shared by FloTrack, shows the stampede of runners in the early stages of the race.

Coach: TWO MINUTES until the bus leaves!

Athletes: pic.twitter.com/9M6vru6tZC

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 13, 2018

The race appears to have occurred at the UNI-Dome of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.