4 × 200 metres relay

The 4 × 200 metres relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 200 metres or half a lap on a standard 400 metre track. The event is a world record eligible event, but is not a standard event at most professional or collegiate track meets, mainly being found at the high school level, though certain leagues regularly conduct this event as part of their program.

Description

There are multiple formats under which the race can be conducted.

• If the track is marked for a four-turn stagger format, the runners can stay in their lanes throughout the race. In this case the outer lanes could appear to start 2/3 of the way through the first turn. The markings for such a special zone should be colored red, though many tracks deviate from the standard marking colors.
• On a conventionally marked track, the race can be run starting at the normal 400 metre (and 4 × 100m relay) start line. As a two-turn stagger, the first exchange would take place in the standard second passing zone of the 4 × 100m relay, the second pass taking place in the normal (lane one, extended) 4 × 400m relay zone. After that exchange, the runner would break into lane one and make a third exchange in lane one of the second standard 4 × 100m relay zone.
• Indoors, the event is popular because each leg is one lap of a standard 200m indoor track.

The imperial distance analogue to the event is the 4 × 220 yards relay, contested at a total of 880 yards (804.672 m) which is slightly longer than the 800 m metric distance. It was contested at the AIAW Indoor Track and Field Championships and other American and British meets until the switch to metric in the 1980s.^[1]

World record

See also: Men's 4 x 200 metres relay world record progression

The men's world record was set in 2014 at the inaugural IAAF World Relay Championships in Nassau, Bahamas. The record was set by a Jamaican team consisting of Nickel Ashmeade, Warren Weir, Jermaine Brown and Yohan Blake in a time of 1:18.63.^[2] The women's world record is 1:27.46, set by a squad called Team USA "Blue" LaTasha Jenkins, LaTasha Colander-Richardson, Nanceen Perry, and Marion Jones on April 29, 2000, at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[3]

European record

See also: List of European records in athletics

• Men Italy: 1:21.10 (Stefano Tilli, Carlo Simionato, Giovanni Bongiorni, Pietro Mennea), Cagliari 29 September 1983^[4]
• Women East Germany: 1:28.15 (Marlies Göhr, Romy Schneider-Müller, Bärbel Eckert-Wöckel, Marita Koch, Jena 9 August 1980

All-time top 25

Men

• Updated March 2020.^[5]

Rank	Time	Team	Nation	Date	Place	Ref
1	1:18.63	Nickel Ashmeade, Warren Weir, Jermaine Brown, Yohan Blake	Jamaica	24 May 2014	Nassau	[6]
2	1:18.68	Santa Monica Track Club Michael Marsh, Leroy Burrell, Floyd Heard, Carl Lewis	United States	17 April 1994	Walnut	[7]
3	1:19.10	World All Stars Jon Drummond Dennis Mitchell Bryan Bridgewater John Regis	United States  United States  United States  Great Britain	17 April 1994	Walnut	[8]
4	1:19.11	Santa Monica Track Club Michael Marsh, Leroy Burrell, Floyd Heard, Carl Lewis	United States	25 April 1992	Philadelphia	[9]
5	1:19.20	Gavin Smellie, Brendon Rodney, Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown	Canada	2 April 2016	Gainesville	[10]
6	1:19.38	Santa Monica Track Club Danny Everett, Leroy Burrell, Floyd Heard, Carl Lewis	United States	23 August 1989	Koblenz	[11]
7	1:19.39	Jon Drummond, Shawn Crawford, Bernard Williams, Maurice Greene	United States	28 April 2001	Philadelphia	[12]
8	1:19.42	Gavin Smellie, Brendon Rodney, Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown	Canada	23 April 2017	Nassau	[13]
9	1:19.45	Santa Monica Track Club Joe DeLoach, Leroy Burrell, Carl Lewis, Floyd Heard	United States	27 April 1991	Philadelphia	[14]
10	1:19.47	Kenny Brokenburr, Alvin Harrison, Maurice Greene, Michael Johnson	United States	24 April 1999	Philadelphia	[15]
11	1:19.62	Shawn Crawford, Mickey Grimes, Darvis Patton, Justin Gatlin	United States	24 April 2004	Philadelphia	[16]
12	1:19.67	Texas Christian University Lindel Frater Ricardo Williams Darvis Patton Kim Collins	Jamaica  Jamaica  United States  Saint Kitts and Nevis	29 April 2000	Philadelphia	[17]
13	1:19.71	Texas Christian University Lindel Frater Steve Slowly Darvis Patton Kim Collins	Jamaica  Jamaica  United States  Saint Kitts and Nevis	27 April 2001	Philadelphia	[18]
14	1:19.73	Christopher Belcher, Bryce Robinson, Vernon Norwood, Remontay McClain	United States	12 May 2019	Yokohama	[19]
15	1:19.85	Nike International Maurice Greene, Allen Johnson, Alvin Harrison, Michael Johnson	United States	25 April 1998	Philadelphia	[20]
16	1:19.88	Austin All-Stars Obadele Thompson Rodrigue Nordin Vincent Henderson Rohsaan Griffin	Barbados  France  United States  United States	3 April 1999	Austin	[21]
		Noah Lyles, Jarrion Lawson, Isiah Young, Ameer Webb	United States	23 April 2017	Nassau	[22]
18	1:19.91	Hudson Smith International Curtis Perry Jon Drummond Ato Boldon Maurice Greene	United States  United States  Trinidad and Tobago  United States	3 April 1999	Austin	[23]
		Bolade Ajomale, Brendon Rodney, Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown	Canada	1 April 2017	Gainesville	[24]
20	1:19.92	Nike International Kenny Brokenburr, Bryan Howard, Rohsaan Griffin, Maurice Greene	United States	29 April 2000	Philadelphia	[25]
21	1:19.99	Texas Christian University Lindel Frater Steve Slowly Darvis Patton Kim Collins	Jamaica  Jamaica  United States  Saint Kitts and Nevis	28 April 2001	Philadelphia	[26]
22	1:20.07	University of Technology Jamaica Dantago Gurirab Julian Forte Andrew Fisher Ronald Levy	Namibia  Jamaica  Jamaica  Jamaica	26 April 2014	Philadelphia	[27]
23	1:20.12	Christopher Belcher, Bryce Robinson, Vernon Norwood, Remontay McClain	United States	12 May 2019	Yokohama	[28]
24	1:20.15	Rasheed Dwyer, Jermaine Brown, Jason Livermore, Warren Weir	Jamaica	24 May 2014	Nassau	[29]
25	1:20.17	Gavin Smellie, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney, Andre De Grasse	Canada	30 Mar 2019	Gainesville

A USA team of Shawn Crawford, Ramon Clay, Darvis Patton and Justin Gatlin ran 1:19.16 at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia on 26 April 2003 but the performance was annulled due to the use of performance enhancing drugs by Ramon Clay

Women

• Updated April 2024.^[30]

Rank	Time	Team	Nation	Date	Place	Ref
1	1:27.05	Team International Dina Asher-Smith Rhasidat Adeleke Lanae-Tava Thomas Julien Alfred	Great Britain  Ireland  Jamaica  Saint Lucia	30 March 2024	Austin	[31]
2	1:27.46	LaTasha Jenkins LaTasha Colander-Richardson Nanceen Perry Marion Jones	United States	29 April 2000	Philadelphia	[32]
3	1:28.05	University of Texas Rhasidat Adeleke Julien Alfred Kevona Davis Lanae Thomas	Ireland  Saint Lucia  Jamaica  United States	1 April 2023	Austin	[33]
4	1:28.15	Marlies Göhr Romy Schneider-Müller Bärbel Eckert-Wöckel Marita Koch	East Germany	9 August 1980	Jena
5	1:28.77	Tumbleweed Track Club Desiree Henry Anyika Onuora Tianna Bartoletta Dafne Schippers	Great Britain  Great Britain  United States  Netherlands	1 April 2017	Gainesville	[34]
		Pure Athletics Kelly Ann Baptiste Shakima Wimbley Tori Bowie Samantha Henry-Robinson	Trinidad and Tobago  United States  United States  Jamaica	31 March 2018	Gainesville	[35]
7	1:28.78	University of Oregon Makenzie Dunmore, Hannah Cunliffe, Deajah Stevens, Ariana Washington	United States	1 April 2017	Gainesville	[36]
8	1:29.03	University of Texas Rhasidat Adeleke Kynnedy Flannel Julien Alfred Kevona Davis	Ireland  United States  Saint Lucia  United States	26 March 2022	Austin	[37]
9	1:29.04	Jura Levy, Shericka Jackson, Shashalee Forbes, Elaine Thompson	Jamaica	22 April 2017	Nassau	[38]
10	1:29.25	Pure Athletics Kelly Ann Baptiste Shakima Wimbley Desirèe Henry Shaunae Miller-Uibo	Trinidad and Tobago  United States  Great Britain  Bahamas	30 March 2019	Gainesville	[39]
11	1:29.42	Texas A&M University Jeneba Tarmoh, Gabby Mayo, Jessica Beard, Porscha Lucas	United States	24 April 2010	Philadelphia	[40]
12	1:29.45	Shalonda Solomon, Tawanna Meadows, Bianca Knight, Kimberlyn Duncan	United States	25 May 2014	Nassau	[41]
13	1:29.61	Desiree Henry, Anyika Onuora, Bianca Williams, Asha Philip	Great Britain	25 May 2014	Nassau	[42]
14	1:29.64[a]	Nike International Tameka Roberts, Inger Miller, Nicole Green, Marion Jones	United States	25 April 1998	Philadelphia	[43]
15	1:29.71	Pure Athletics Hanna-Maari Latvala Shaunae Miller Kelly Ann Baptiste Tori Bowie	Finland  Bahamas  Trinidad and Tobago  United States	1 April 2017	Gainesville	[44]
16	1:29.78	Louisiana State University Nadia Davy Monique Hall Stephanie Durst Muna Lee	Jamaica  United States  United States  United States	26 April 2003	Philadelphia	[45]
17	1:29.86	Empire Athletics Shalonda Solomon, Francena McCorory, Charonda Williams, Felicia Brown	United States	1 April 2017	Gainesville	[46]
18	1:29.89	Texas A&M University Diamond Spaulding Brenessa Thompson Jaevin Reed Danyel White	United States  Guyana  United States  United States	1 April 2017	Austin	[47]
19	1:29.96	Texas A&M University LaKeidra Stewart, Ashley Collier, Jessica Beard, Dominique Duncan[b]	United States	30 April 2011	Philadelphia	[48]
20	1:29.98	Texas A&M University Ashton Purvis, Ashley Collier, Olivia Ekpone[c], Kamaria Brown	United States	27 April 2013	Philadelphia	[49]
21	1:30.01	Angela Daigle, Debbie Dunn, Julian Clay, Shaunta Pelham	United States	24 April 2004	Philadelphia	[50]
		Louisiana State University Cassandra Tate Semoy Hackett Rebecca Alexander Kimberlyn Duncan	United States  Trinidad and Tobago  United States  United States	31 March 2012	Austin	[51]
23	1:30.04	Simone Facey, Sheri-Ann Brooks, Anneisha McLaughlin, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce	Jamaica	25 May 2014	Nassau	[52]
24	1:30.07	Louisiana State University Nadia Davy Monique Hall Stephanie Durst Muna Lee	United States  Nigeria  United States  United States	5 April 2003	Austin	[53]
25	1:30.20	Nike International Celena Mondie-Milner, Nicole Green, Chryste Gaines, Inger Miller	United States	26 April 1997	Philadelphia	[54]

Notes

1. World Athletics report this as 1:29.24, however, contemporary newspapers and www.pennrelaysonline.com show 1:29.64
2. Duncan transferred from USA to NGR in 2014
3. Ekpone transferred from USA to NGR in 2015