4 x 400 metres relay
Encyclopedia
The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event
in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes. Start lines are thus staggered over a greater distance than in an individual 400 meters race; the runners then typically move to the inside of the track.
Relay race
runners typically carry a relay baton which they must transfer between teammates. Runners have a 20 m box (usually marked with blue lines) in which to transfer the baton. The first transfer is made within the staggered lane lines; for the second and third transfers, runners typically line up across the track despite the fact that runners are usually running in line on the inside of the track. This prevents confusion and collisions during transfer. Unlike the 4 x 100 m relay, runners in the 4 x 400 typically look back and grasp the baton from the incoming runner, due to the fatigue of the incoming runner, and the wider margins allowed by the longer distance of the race. Consequently, disqualification is rare.
As runners have a rolling start, split times cannot be compared to individual 400 m performances. Internationally, the U.S.
men's team has dominated the event, but have been challenged by Jamaica
in the 1950s and Britain
in the 1990s.
Note: The IAAF announced on 12 August 2008 that they had rescinded the world record of 2:54.20 set by the USA (Jerome Young
, Antonio Pettigrew
, Tyree Washington
, Michael Johnson
) on 22 July 1998 after Pettigrew admitted to using human growth hormone and EPO between 1997 and 2003.
Note: The IAAF rejected a time of 3:01.96 set by the USA (Kerron Clement
, Wallace Spearmon
, Darold Williamson
, Jeremy Wariner
) on 16 September 2006 as no post-race EPO analysis was performed.
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes. Start lines are thus staggered over a greater distance than in an individual 400 meters race; the runners then typically move to the inside of the track.
Relay race
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
runners typically carry a relay baton which they must transfer between teammates. Runners have a 20 m box (usually marked with blue lines) in which to transfer the baton. The first transfer is made within the staggered lane lines; for the second and third transfers, runners typically line up across the track despite the fact that runners are usually running in line on the inside of the track. This prevents confusion and collisions during transfer. Unlike the 4 x 100 m relay, runners in the 4 x 400 typically look back and grasp the baton from the incoming runner, due to the fatigue of the incoming runner, and the wider margins allowed by the longer distance of the race. Consequently, disqualification is rare.
As runners have a rolling start, split times cannot be compared to individual 400 m performances. Internationally, the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
men's team has dominated the event, but have been challenged by Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in the 1950s and Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the 1990s.
Records
| Men's Outdoor World Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Members | Venue | Date | Time |
 USA |
Andrew Valmon Andrew Valmon Andrew Orlando Valmon is an American former 400 meters runner.Valmon was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Manchester Township, New Jersey. He attended college at Seton Hall University and graduated in 1987 with a degree in communications.Valmon won the silver medal at the World Indoor... , Quincy Watts Quincy Watts Quincy D. Watts is a former American athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics.Born in Detroit, Michigan, Quincy Watts attended the University of Southern California where he excelled not only as an athlete but also as a wide receiver on the college football team... , Butch Reynolds Butch Reynolds Harry "Butch" Reynolds is an American former track and field athlete who competed in the 400 meter dash. He held the world record for the event for eleven years with his personal best time of 43.29 seconds set in 1988. That year he was the silver medalist at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and a... , Michael Johnson Michael Johnson (athlete) Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world... |
Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
22 August 1993 | 2:54.29 |
Note: The IAAF announced on 12 August 2008 that they had rescinded the world record of 2:54.20 set by the USA (Jerome Young
Jerome Young
Jerome Young in Clarendon, Jamaica, attended high school in Hartford, Connecticut at Prince Technical, is a sprint athlete. He was caught doping in 1999, which cast suspicious shadows over his entire track & field career....
, Antonio Pettigrew
Antonio Pettigrew
Antonio Pettigrew was an American sprinter who specialized in the 400 meters. He was born in Macon, Georgia....
, Tyree Washington
Tyree Washington
Tyree Washington is a retired American sprinter.He attended both La Sierra High School and San Bernardino Valley College....
, Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (athlete)
Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...
) on 22 July 1998 after Pettigrew admitted to using human growth hormone and EPO between 1997 and 2003.
| Men's Indoor World Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Members | Venue | Date | Time |
| USA |
Andre Morris, Dameon Johnson, Deon Minor Deon Minor Deon Minor is an American former track and field athlete who specialized in the 400 meter dash. He won two consecutive gold medals in the relay at the IAAF World Indoor Championships from 1997 to 1999, setting a world record mark of 3:02.83 minutes in the latter competition.-Career:Minor grew up... , Milton Campbell Milton Campbell Milton Campbell is a former track and field athlete from the United States who mainly competes in the 400 metres.His success comes during the indoor season... |
Maebashi, Japan | 7 March 1999 | 3:02.83 |
Note: The IAAF rejected a time of 3:01.96 set by the USA (Kerron Clement
Kerron Clement
Kerron Stephon Clement is Trinidadian-born track and field athlete who represents the United States and specializes in the 400-meter hurdles...
, Wallace Spearmon
Wallace Spearmon
Wallace Spearmon, Jr., is a sprint athlete, who specializes in the 200 meters. He is a two-time NCAA outdoor champion in the 200 m and won the silver medal in the event at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics...
, Darold Williamson
Darold Williamson
Darold Williamson is an American track athlete.He ran the anchor leg on the gold medal winning 4x400 meter relay team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He is 2005 graduate of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he won the Big 12 Conference championship in the 400 meter run three years in...
, Jeremy Wariner
Jeremy Wariner
Jeremy Mathew Wariner is an American track athlete specializing in the 400 meters. He has won four Olympic medals and six World Championships medals...
) on 16 September 2006 as no post-race EPO analysis was performed.
| Women's Outdoor World Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Members | Venue | Date | Time |
 USSR |
Tatyana Ledovskaya Tatyana Ledovskaya Tatyana Mikhailovna Ledovskaya is a retired athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres hurdles. She represented the Soviet Union, training in Minsk.... (BLR), Olga Nazarova Olga Nazarova Olga Nazarova is a retired athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres. She represented the Soviet Union.She competed for the USSR in the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea in the 400m where she won the bronze medal... (RUS), Mariya Pinigina Mariya Pinigina Mariya Dzhumabaevna Pinigina is a retired athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres, training at Spartak in Kiev... (UKR), Olga Bryzgina Olga Bryzgina Olha Bryzhina is a retired athlete who represented USSR and later Ukraine. She trained at Dynamo in Voroshilovgrad. Competing in the 400 metres and 4 x 400 metres relay, she was a particularly successful Olympian with three gold medals and one silver. At the 1988 Olympics the Soviet relay team... (UKR) |
Seoul, Korea | 1 October 1988 | 3:15.17 |
| Women's Indoor World Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Members | Venue | Date | Time |
 Russia |
Yuliya Gushchina Yuliya Gushchina Yuliya Aleksandrovna Gushchina is a Russian sprinter who specializes in the 200 metres.Gushchina represented Russia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing competing at the 4x100 metres relay, together with Aleksandra Fedoriva, Yuliya Chermoshanskaya and Yevgeniya Polyakova. In their first round... , Olga Kotlyarova Olga Kotlyarova Olga Kotlyarova is a Russian runner. She used to compete mainly in 400 metres, and has an Olympic bronze medal from 2000 in relay... , Olga Zaytseva Olga Zaytseva Olga Zaytseva is a Russian sprint athlete.Zaytseva won the bronze medal in the 400 m at the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, as well as a gold medal in the 4 x 400 m relay.... , Olesya Krasnomovets |
Glasgow, Scotland | 27 January 2006 | 3:23.37 |
Men
- Herb McKenleyHerb McKenleyCompetitor for JamaicaHerbert Henry "Herb" McKenley OM was a Jamaican athlete, winner of a gold medal in the 4x400 m relay at the 1952 Summer Olympics....
(JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
) ran a 44.6 split in the 1952 Helsinki OlympicAthletics at the 1952 Summer OlympicsAt the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, 33 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 9 for women. There were a total number of 963 participating athletes from 57 countries.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-References:...
final. - Ron FreemanRon FreemanRonald J. Freeman II is a former American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x400 m relay at the 1968 Summer Olympics....
(USA) ran a 43.2 split in the 1968 Mexico OlympicAthletics at the 1968 Summer OlympicsAt the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, 36 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 12 for women. There were a total number of 1031 participating athletes from 93 countries....
final. - Julius SangJulius SangJulius Sang was a Kenyan runner. Along with teammates Robert Ouko, Charles Asati and Munyoro Nyamau he won the 4 x 400 relay race at the 1972 Summer Olympics for Kenya...
(KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
) ran a 43.6 split in the 1972 Munich OlympicAthletics at the 1972 Summer OlympicsAt the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, 38 events in athletics were contested, 24 for men and 14 for women. There were a total number of 1324 participating athletes from 104 countries.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:*...
final. - Quincy WattsQuincy WattsQuincy D. Watts is a former American athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics.Born in Detroit, Michigan, Quincy Watts attended the University of Southern California where he excelled not only as an athlete but also as a wide receiver on the college football team...
ran a 43.1 split and Steve LewisSteve LewisSteve Lewis may refer to:* Steve Lewis , cave and wreck diver* Steve Lewis , jazz pianist and composer* Steve Lewis , former American track and field athlete* Steven Lewis , British pole vaulter...
(USA) ran a 43.5 split in the 1992 Barcelona OlympicAthletics at the 1992 Summer OlympicsAt the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, 43 events in athletics were contested, 24 events by men and 19 by women. The competition ran from July 31, 1992 to August 9, 1992. Fourteen world record-holders were among the contenders...
final. - Michael JohnsonMichael Johnson (athlete)Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...
(USA) ran a 42.94 split in the 1993 Stuttgart World Championship1993 World Championships in AthleticsThe 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22 with the participation of 187 nations....
final. - Jeremy WarinerJeremy WarinerJeremy Mathew Wariner is an American track athlete specializing in the 400 meters. He has won four Olympic medals and six World Championships medals...
(USA) ran a 42.93 split in the 2007 Osaka World Championship2007 World Championships in AthleticsThe 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
final. - Jeremy WarinerJeremy WarinerJeremy Mathew Wariner is an American track athlete specializing in the 400 meters. He has won four Olympic medals and six World Championships medals...
(USA) ran a 43.18 split in the 2008 Beijing OlympicAthletics at the 2008 Summer OlympicsAthletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held during the last 10 days of the games, from August 15 to August 24, 2008, at the Beijing National Stadium. The Olympic sport of athletics is split into four distinct sets of events: track and field events, road running events, and racewalking...
final.
Women
- Jarmila KratochvílováJarmila KratochvílováJarmila Kratochvílová is a Czech former sprinter and middle distance runner. In 1983, she set world record times for both the 400 metres and 800 metres, and won gold medals in both distances at the World Championships....
(CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
) ran a 47.8 split in the 1983 Helsinki World Championship1983 World Championships in AthleticsThe inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
final. - Olga NazarovaOlga NazarovaOlga Nazarova is a retired athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres. She represented the Soviet Union.She competed for the USSR in the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea in the 400m where she won the bronze medal...
and Olga BryzginaOlga BryzginaOlha Bryzhina is a retired athlete who represented USSR and later Ukraine. She trained at Dynamo in Voroshilovgrad. Competing in the 400 metres and 4 x 400 metres relay, she was a particularly successful Olympian with three gold medals and one silver. At the 1988 Olympics the Soviet relay team...
(USSR) both ran a 47.80 split in the 1988 Seoul OlympicAthletics at the 1988 Summer OlympicsAt the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul a total number of 42 events in athletics were contested: 24 by men and 18 by women. There were a total number of 1617 participating athletes from 149 countries.-Men's events:...
final.
Records
- Men's 4 x 400 meters relay world record progression
- Women's 4 x 400 meters relay world record progression