This Game is meant for Cub Scouts.

Place two cones about 40 feet apart.
The leader of each patrol stands on the starting line marked beside one cone. All of his teammates line up behind him, grabbing the beltloops or waist of the scout ahead of him, making a train.
On 'GO', all teams run out and around the far cone and back. When a team reaches the starting cone, the caboose drops off.
Teams continue running around the course, dropping the last scout, until the final scout runs a lap and reaches the finish.
If someone lets go during the race, that patrol is either out or can reassemble and start over - whichever you decide.

This can be introduced differently to match your theme. The teams can be rockets orbiting two stars and dropping spent fuel, or trains dropping off their caboose, or lizards losing their tails, or centipedes, truck trailers, river barges, or whatever.