The men's 4 x 100 metres relay was a track and field athletics

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...

 event held as part of the Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics

Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics

These are the results of athletics competition at the 1912 Summer Olympics. 30 events were contested, all for men only.The athletics programme grew by 4 events since the 1908 Summer Olympics. The 5000 and 10000 metre races were introduced for the first time, as the 5 mile event was eliminated...

 programme. It was the debut of the event, which along with the 4x400 metre relay

Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics - Men's 4x400 metre relay

The men's 4 x 400 metres relay was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the debut of the event, which along with the 4x100 metre relay marked the first relays of equal legs in the athletics programme...

 marked the first relays of equal legs in the athletics programme (a medley relay had been held in 1908). The competition was held on Monday, July 8, 1912 and on Tuesday, July 9, 1912.

Thirty-three runners from 8 nations competed. Only Germany replaced one runner.

Records

The record for the new event progressed quickly, with the Canadians winning the first heat. The Americans and then the Swedes then took the record, with the Germans tying the Swedes. The British took the record in the first semifinal, only to lose it quickly to the Swedes in the second. This time, the Germans running in the third semifinal bested the Swedish team's time to take the record for themselves after replacing Karl Halt

Karl Ritter von Halt

Dr Karl Ritter von Halt, born Karl Ferdinand Halt was a sport official in Nazi Germany and in the German Federal Republic. He was born and died in Munich.-Biography:...

 with Otto Röhr

Otto Röhr

Franz Hermann Otto Röhr was a German track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Magdeburg and died in Arnsberg....

as their lead-off runner.

The German team held the record at the finish, despite finishing in second (and then being disqualified for a baton-passing fault) in the final. Their disqualification left the event without a bronze medalist, making it the only athletics event to award only two medals.

The record of the German team with 42.3 became the first official world record for the 4x100 metres relay.

Results

Heats

All heats were held on Monday, July 8, 1912.

Only two teams were eliminated after the first round.

Heat 1

Place	Athletes	Time	Qual.
1		46.2 OR	QS

Heat 2

Place	Athletes	Time	Qual.
1		43.7 OR	QS

Heat 3

Place	Athletes	Time	Qual.
1		45.0	QS

Heat 4

Place	Athletes	Time	Qual.
1		43.6 OR	QS

Heat 5

Place	Athletes	Time	Qual.
1		43.6 =OR	QS
2		44.8

Heat 6

Place	Athletes	Time	Qual.
1		43.7	QS
2		43.8

Semifinals

All semifinals were held on Monday, July 8, 1912.

Semifinal 1

The United States team was disqualified after a baton-passing fault on the first transfer.

Place	Athletes	Time	Qual.
1		43.0 OR	QF
—		Disqualified

Semifinal 2

Place	Athletes	Time	Qual.
1		42.5 OR	QF
2		42.9

Semifinal 3

Place	Athletes	Time	Qual.
1		42.3 OR	QF
2		43.5

Final

The final was held on Tuesday, July 9, 1912.

Rau, erasing a deficit held since the first runners in the order, finished barely behind Applegarth, but the German team had committed a fault with its second baton passing as Kern passed the 20 metre line before receiving the baton. The Germans were disqualified, leaving no bronze medalist in the event as the British team finished with the gold and the Swedes moved up to second place.

Place	Athletes	Time
1		42.4
2		42.6
—		Disqualified