The men's 4 × 400 metres relay was the longer of the two men's relays on the Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics

Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics

At the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the athletics competition included 36 events, 24 for men and 12 for women. The women's 400 metres and women's pentathlon events were newly introduced at these Games. There were a total number of 1016 participating athletes from 82 countries.-Men's...

 program in Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

. It was held on 20 October and 21 October 1964. 20 teams, for a total of 80 athletes, from 20 nations entered, with 3 teams of 4 not starting in the first round. The first round was held on 20 October with the final on 21 October.

The final of the 4×400 relay was the last event on the athletics schedule to begin, though the marathon was still in progress when the 4×400 finished.

First round

The top two teams in each of the 3 heats as well as the two fastest remaining teams advanced.

First round, heat 1

Place	Nation	Athletes	Time
1		Henry Carr Henry Carr Henry Carr is a former American track and field athlete who won two gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.-Early life:...   Ollan Cassell Ollan Cassell Ollan Conn Cassell was an American sprinter in the 1950s and 1960s, winning a gold medal in the men's 4x400 m relay at the 1964 Summer Olympics. In his early 30s, Cassell later became the executive director of the Amateur Athletic Union . Cassell was born in Nickelsville, Virginia...   Mike Larrabee  Ulis Williams Ulis Williams Ulis C. Williams is a former American athlete, winner of a gold medal in the 4 x 400 meter relay at the 1964 Summer Olympics. He later served as President of Compton Community College in Compton, California, from 1996 to 2005....	3:05.3
2		Grigory Sverbetov  Victor Bychkov  Vasily Anisimov  Vadim Arkhipchuk	3:07.4
3		Germain Nelzy Germain Nelzy Germain Nelzy is a French athlete who specialises in the 4 x 400 meter relay. Nelzy competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics.- References :...   Michel Hiblot  Bernard Martin  Jean Pierre Boccardo	3:07.5
4		Makhan Singh  Amrit Pal  Ajmer Singh  Milkha Singh Milkha Singh Milkha Singh is an Indian athlete, who represented India in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo...	3:08.8
5		Handa Toru  Hayase Hirotada  Amano Yoshihiro  Yoshida Masami	3:12.3
6		Gueye Daour  Daniel Alexandre Thiaw  Mamadou Ndiaye  Mambaye Ndiaye	3:12.5
—		Unknown	Did not start

First round, heat 2

Place	Nation	Athletes	Time
1		Edwin Skinner Edwin Skinner Edwin Skinner was a Trinidadian athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres.He competed for Trinidad and Tobago in the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan in the 4 x 400 metre relay where he won the bronze medal with his team mates Kent Bernard, Edwin Roberts and Wendell Mottley.-References:...   Kent Bernard  Edwin Roberts Edwin Roberts Edwin Roberts was a Trinidadian athlete who competed mainly in the 200 metres.He competed for Trinidad and Tobago in the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan in the 200 metres, where he won the bronze medal...   Wendell Mottley Wendell Mottley Wendell Adrian Mottley educated at Queen's Royal College is a Trinidad and Tobago economist, politician and athlete...	3:05.0
2		Marian Filipiuk  Ireneusz Kluczek  Stanislaw Swatowski  Andrzej Badeński Andrzej Badenski Andrzej Badenski was a Polish sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres. He won a bronze medal in 400 metres run at the 1964 Summer Olympics, and multiple relay medals. He became European Indoor Champion in the 400 metres twice, in 1968 and in 1971.-Career:He was born in Warszawa and represented...	3:07.2
3		Bruno Bianchi  Salvatore Morale Salvatore Morale Salvatore Morale was an Italian athlete who mainly competed in the 400 metre hurdles.He competed for an Italy in the 400 metre hurdles at the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan, where he won the bronze medal....   Roberto Frinolli  Sergio Bello	3:07.6
4		Peter Francis Vassella  Gary James Knoke  Gary John Eddy  Kenneth James Roche	3:08.2
—		Unknown	Did not start
		Unknown	Did not start

First round, heat 3

Place	Nation	Athletes	Time
1		Tim Graham  Adrian Metcalfe Adrian Metcalfe Adrian Metcalfe is a former British athlete, who mainly competed in the 400 meters.He competed for Great Britain in the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo in the 4 x 400m relay where he won the silver medal with his team mates Tim Graham, John Cooper and Robbie Brightwell.Metcalfe attended the...   John Cooper John Cooper (athlete) John Cooper was a British athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metre hurdles.He competed for Great Britain in the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan in the 400 metre hurdles where he won the silver medal...   Robbie Brightwell Robbie Brightwell Robert Ian Brightwell MBE is a former track and field athlete.He moved to England with his family in 1946 and grew up in Donnington, Shropshire...	3:04.7
2		Jorg Juttner  Hans-Ulrich Schulz  Johannes Schmitt  Manfred Kinder Manfred Kinder Manfred Kinder is a West German former athlete who mainly competed in the 400 metres.He was born in Königsberg....	3:04.9
3		Lawrence Kahn  Malcolm Spence  Melville Spence  George E. Kerr	3:05.3
4		Jean-Louis Descloux  Hans-Joerg Bosshard  Marius Theiler  Peter Laeng Peter Läeng Peter Läng is a Thai-Swiss footballer who plays for Bangkok Glass and the Thailand national football team.-International career:Läng was called up to the full national side in coach Peter Reid's first squad announcement in the friendly match against Liverpool in July 2009.-External links:*...	3:09.3
5		James Aryee Addy  Mensah-Brobbey  Samuel Zanya Bugri  Ebenezer Quaye Quartey	3:10.4
6		K. Selvaratnam  Ditta Kuda  Abdul Rahman Mohd  A. Victor	3:17.6
7		Somsakdi Tongsuke  Nipon Pensuvabharp  Adisorn Vitsudhamakul  Manun Bumroonspruek	3:18.4

Final

Carr moved from initial position to anchor for the United States team as they set a new world record, followed closely by Great Britain and Northern Ireland as well as Trinidad and Tobago. All three teams were under the old world record time.

France also shuffled their lineup, moving Nelzy to third from first.

Place	Nation	Athletes	Time
1		Ollan Cassell Mike Larrabee Ulis Williams Henry Carr	3:00.7 WR
2		Tim Graham Adrian Metcalfe John Cooper Robbie Brightwell	3:01.6
3		Edwin Skinner Kent Bernard Edwin Roberts Wendell Mottley	3:01.7
4		Lawrence Kahn Malcolm Spence Melville Spence George E. Kerr	3:02.3
5		Jorg Juttner Hans-Ulrich Schulz Johannes Schmitt Manfred Kinder	3:04.3
6		Marian Filipiuk Ireneusz Kluczek Stanislaw Swatowski Andrzej Badeński	3:05.3
7		Grigory Sverbetov Victor Bychkov Vasily Anisimov Vadim Arkhipchuk	3:05.9
8		Michel Hiblot Bernard Martin Germain Nelzy Jean Pierre Boccardo	3:07.4