From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrelay raceˈrelay ˌrace noun [countable] DSa running or swimming race between two or more teams in which each member of the team takes part one after another
Examples from the Corpus
relay race• It moves from department to department in a pre-arranged sequence like the baton in a relay race.• We were the baton in a relay race to war.• Our marriage has been like a relay race.• He ran forward, holding his torch out straight in front of him, like the very last runner in some crazy relay race.• Such leaders are all members of a spiritual relay race handing on the messianic baton it seems.• Each member of the relay race needs to entice others to be on the team. 