The Silver Comet Trail in Georgia is named after the fast and luxurious (for its time) Silver Comet train, which zoomed passengers along the Seaboard Air Line between New York and Birmingham, Ala., in the 1940s, '50s and '60s.

These days, the sight of the Silver Comet flashing by has been replaced by people of all ages, walking, running and riding, as the 61.5-mile Silver Comet Trail (pictured, right) and the 33-mile Chief Ladiga Trail connect at the Alabama border. Together they form one of the longest continuous paved rail-trail corridors in America, and in 2009 they were inducted into Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Rail-Trail Hall of Fame.

This May, "rapid transit" returns to the Seaboard Air Line with the running of the first-ever Dixie200 Relay race. Teams of between four and 12 runners will cover a 200-mile course between Atlanta and Birmingham, almost half of which will be on the Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga trails.

Race organizer Kirk Sadler says the famous rail-trails will provide the perfect track and backdrop for this unique, overnight relay.

"We are always searching for beautiful and safe routes for our teams," he says. "We found exactly that in the 90-plus mile combination of the Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga trail system."

Registration is now open, and runners of all speeds and abilities are encouraged to put a team together with their friends, family members, teammates or colleagues, and get involved.

"There is a place for everyone on this adventure, from fierce competitors to causal runners," Sadler says.

Each person in a 12-person relay team would run three legs of between 3 to 10 miles.

The Dixie200 will be held May 18-19. For more information visit www.dixie200.com­.

Photo of the Silver Comet Trail courtesy of www.TrailLink.com.

Relay runners photo courtesy of Kirk Sadler.