The Green Belt Relay is a not-for-profit annual running relay organised by The Stragglers running club.
The race is a 22-stage stage relay around 220 miles of the Green Belt around the outside of London over a single weekend. The course mainly follow footpaths, towpaths or minor roads.
The race takes place in May each year, starting at Hampton Court, Saturday 8.00am and ending in the nearby Bushy Park Sports Centre on Sunday at about 6pm. It has been going since 1995, and involves up to 60 teams. Runners form teams of 11 people, and each runner runs one stage each day. Although the race is a relay, each stage starts at a fixed time. This allows each stage to be a competitive race in its own right, and also allows teams of all different standards to stay roughly together as they advance along the route.
Various prizes are on offer, and there is quite intense competition for the honour of winning stages, setting stage records, and competing for the team events, ranging from the "Green Belt" (fastest team) to the much-coveted "Toilet Seat" awarded to the slowest team to compete the full course.
The race also raises money for various charities, both from individual teams and from surplus funds.