Back to World Records

Before the standardization of relay events, numerous relay formats were contested internationally, many of which later disappeared from elite competition or were never included in the Olympic programme. Several of these events nevertheless had officially recognized world record progressions, reflecting the experimentation and evolution of relay racing during the first decades of modern athletics. This page presents the historical world record progressions for discontinued and non-Olympic relay events officially recognized by World Athletics and its predecessor organizations.

Discontinued Relay Events World Records progression
Men’s events

4×110 yards Relay

The 4 × 110 yards relay was one of the earliest sprint relay events to receive official world record recognition. Popular during the first half of the twentieth century, it was contested primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom before gradually being replaced by the metric 4 × 100 metres relay. Although no longer recognised by World Athletics, the event played an important role in the development of international sprint relay competition.

Historical Highlights

• The first officially ratified world record was set by the University of Pennsylvania in 1919, beginning a progression dominated by American university and club teams.
• Throughout the 1920s and 1950s, leading collegiate programmes such as the University of Texas, University of Southern California (USC) and University of Illinois repeatedly improved the record, reflecting the importance of relay competition in the American collegiate system.
• In 1960, the IAAF introduced a significant technical requirement by recognising only performances achieved on tracks where the relay covered two full curves, ensuring greater standardisation between venues.
• The final progression saw national and university teams lower the record below 40 seconds, before the event effectively disappeared from elite competition as the metric 4 × 100 metres relay became the universal international standard. The last official world record, 38.6 seconds, was set by the University of Southern California (USC) in 1967.

Official World Record Progression

Mark	Team	Country	Date	City	Competition	Notes
38.6	University of Southern California	USA	17/6/1967	Provo		McCULLOUCH Earl – KULLER Fred – SIMPSON O.J. – MILLER Lennox (JAM)
39.6	University of Southern California	USA	2/6/1967	Los Angeles		McCULLOUCH Earl – KULLER Fred – SIMPSON O.J. – MILLER Lennox (JAM)
39.6	Texas Souther University	USA	15/4/1967	Grambling	Grambling Relays	EVANS Bobby – DUNCAN Clyde – SMITH Lee – HINES James
39.6	UCLA	USA	6/5/1967	Los Angeles	University Dual UCLA-USC	OKOYE Bernard (NGR) – DOMANSKY Don (CAN) – COPELAND Ron – BUSBY Harold
39.6	Southern University	USA	28/5/1966	Modesto	California Relays	NAIRN Harvey – HARRIS Grundy – JOHNSON Webster – ANDERSON George
39.7	Stanford University	USA	8/5/1965	Fresno	West Coast Relays	FRISCHE Eric – RUBIN Dale – McINTYRE Robert – QUESTAD Larry
39.9	Australia	AUS	15/3/1964	Melbourne	Olympic Test	LAY Robert – HOLDSWORTH Gary – DAVIS Anthony – EARLE William
40.0	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	3/8/1963	London	International Match GBR-USA	RADFORD Peter – JONES Ronald – JONES David – JONES Berwyn
40.0	University of Oregon	USA	26/5/1962	Modesto	California Relays	RENFRO Mel – GAECHTER Michael – TARR Jerry – JEROME Harry (CAN) (1st WR approved on a course covering two foul curves.)
39.6	University of Texas	USA	30/5/1959	Modesto	California Relays	WILSON Wallace – SOUTHERN Edward – GAINEY Hollis – ALSPAUGH Ralph
39.7	Abilene Christian College	USA	31/5/1958	Modesto	California Relays	GRIGGS Waymond – WOODHOUSE William – SEGREST James – MORROW Bobby
39.9	Abilene Christian College	USA	20/4/1957	Fresno	California Relays	GRIGGS Waymond – WOODHOUSE William – SEGREST James – MORROW Bobby
39.9	University of Texas	USA	20/4/1957	Lawrence	Texas Relays	WILSON Wallace – SOUTHERN Edward – GAINEY Hollis – WHILDEN Robert
40.2	University of Texas	USA	21/5/1955	Modesto	California Relays	SMITH Dean – FRIEDEN Alvin – PREWITT Jerry – WHILDEN Robert
40.5	University of Texas	USA	22/5/1954	Modesto	California Relays	SMITH Dean – PREWITT Jerry – FRIEDEN Alvin – THOMAS Charles
40.5	University of Southern Califoria	USA	14/5/1938	Fresno	West Coast Relays	LA FOND Leland – ANDERSON William – JORDAN Payton – TALLEY Adrian
40.8	University of Southern Califoria	USA	9/5/1931	Fresno	West Coast Relays	DELBY Roy – MAURER Milton – GUYER Maurice – WYKOFF Frank
41.0	Newark AC	USA	4/7/1927	Lincoln	AAU Championships	BOWMAN Chester – CURRIE John – PAPPAS James – CUMMINGS Henry
42.0	University of Southern Califoria	USA	16/5/1925	Los Angeles	South Pacific AAU	TAYLOR Brice – LEE Robert – HOUSE Ed – LLOYD Keith
42.4	University of Illinois	USA	28/4/1923	Des Moines	Drake Relays	SWEET Paul – EVANS Harry – HUGHES Seth – AYRES Robert
42.4	New York AC	USA	5/7/1921	Pasadena		WEFERS Bernard jun. – LOVEJOY Fred – RAY Harold – FARRELL Edward
42.8	University of Pensylvania	USA	7/6/1919	Philadelphia	Meadowbrook Games	LANDERS Sherman – DAVIS Fred – HAYMOND Creed – SMITH Elmer

4×200 metres Relay (4×220 yards)

The 4 × 200 metres (4 × 220 yards) relay was one of the classic non-Olympic sprint relay events during the first seven decades of the twentieth century. Before metric events became universal, both the imperial and metric versions were widely contested at major relay carnivals, national championships and international meetings, producing a long and well-documented world record progression. Although no longer recognised as an official World Athletics record event, the discipline remains an important part of relay history.

Historical Highlights

• The early progression was dominated by American universities and athletic clubs, with the Penn Relays, Drake Relays, Kansas Relays and West Coast Relays serving as the principal venues for record performances.
• During the 1950s and 1960s, outstanding collegiate sprint programmes such as Abilene Christian College, University of Southern California (USC), University of Texas, San José State and Arizona State repeatedly exchanged the world record, reflecting the exceptional depth of American sprinting.
• The event also produced memorable international records, including Italy’s world record in 1972, anchored by Pietro Mennea, demonstrating that elite national teams could successfully challenge the long-standing American dominance.
• Professional sprint clubs later took over the progression, with Santa Monica Track Club lowering the record three times between 1989 and 1994 before Jamaica established the current world record of 1:18.63 at the inaugural IAAF World Relays in 2014.

Official World Record Progression

Mark	Athlete	Country	Date	City	Competition	Notes
1:18.63	Jamaica	JAM	24/5/2014	Nassau	IAAF World Relays	ASHMEADE Nickel – WEIR Warren – BROWN Jermaine – BLAKE Yohan
1:18.68	Santa Monica TC	USA	17/4/1994	Walnut	Mt San Antonio JC Relays	MARSH Michael – BURRELL Leroy – HEARD Floyd – LEWIS Carl
1:19.11	Santa Monica TC	USA	25/4/1992	Philadelphia	Penn Relays	MARSH Michael – BURRELL Leroy – HEARD Floyd – LEWIS Carl
1:19.38	Santa Monica TC	USA	23/8/1989	Koblenz	International Meeting	EVERETT Danny – BURRELL Leroy – HEARD Floyd – LEWIS Carl
1:20.3 (1:20.26)	University of South California	USA	27/5/1978	Tempe	Sun Devil Classic	ANDREWS Joel – SANFORD James – MULLINS William – EDWARDS Clancy
1:21.4	Arizona State University	USA	30/4/1977	Philadelphia	Penn Relays	BURL Gary – DARDEN Tony – BURL Gerald – FRAZIER Herman
1:21.5	Unieversity of Tennessee	USA	24/4/1976	Philadelphia	Penn Relays	PREYOR Lamar – HARRIS Ronnie – MORGAN Jerome – JONES Reggie
1:21.7y	Unieversity of Tennessee	USA	10/4/1976	Knoxville	Dogwood Relays	PREYOR Lamar – HARRIS Ronnie – MORGAN Jerome – JONES Reggie
1:21.5	Italy	ITA	21/7/1972	Barletta	International Meeting	OSSOLA Franco – BENEDETTI Luigi – ABETI Pasqualino – MENNEA Pietro
1:21.7y	Texas A&M University	USA	24/4/1970	Des Moines	Drake Relays	ROGERS Donnie – WOODS Rockie – MILLS Marvin – MILLS Curtis
1:22.1y	San Jose State College	USA	13/5/1967	Fresno	West Coast Relays	SHACKLEFORF Ken – TALMADGE Robert – EVANS Lee – SMITH Tommie
1:22.6y	Abilene Christian College	USA	31/5/1958	Modesto	California Relays	WOODHOUSE William – SEGREST James – PETERSON George – MORROW Bobby
1:22.7y	University of Texas	USA	5/4/1957	Austin	Texas Relays	WILSON Wallace – SOUTHERN Edward – GAINEY Hollis – WHILDEN Robert
1:23.8y	United States	USA	5/12/1956	Sydney	International Match USA – Commonwealth	KING Leamon – STANFIELD Andrew – BAKER Thane – MORROW Bobby
1:24.0y	Abilene Christian Coleege	USA	26/5/1956	Modesto	California Relays	CONDER Don – WOODHOUSE William – SEGREST James – MORROW Bobby
1:24.0y	University of South California	USA	20/5/1949	Los Angeles	Coliseum Relays	PASQUALI George – FRAZIER Ron – STOCKS Norman – PATTON Mel
1.24.4y	University of South California	USA	14/5/1949	Fresno	West Coast Relays	PASQUALI George – FRAZIER Ron – STOCKS Norman – PATTON Mel
1:25.0y	Stanford University	USA	15/5/1937	Fresno	West Coast Relays	KNEUBUHL Jack – HISERMAN Stanley – MALOTT Ray – WEIERSHAUSER Jack
1:25.8y	University of South California	USA	14/5/1927	Los Angeles	USC – LAAC Dual Meet	SMITH Willie – HOUSE Edgar – SMITH Herschel – BORAH Charles
1:27.4y	New York AC	USA	5/7/1921	Pasadena	Los Angeles AC	WEFERS Bernard jun. – LOVEJOY Fred – RAY Harold – FARRELL Edward
1:27.8y	University of Pennsylvania	USA	7/6/1919	Philadelphia		LANDERS Sherman – DAVIS Fred – HAYMOND Creed – SMITH Elmer
1:36.0	AIK Stockholm	SWE	13/9/1908	Stockholm	National Meeting	LJUNG Axel – PETTERSSON Josef – ALMQVIST M. – HÅKANSON Hilding

4×800 metres Relay (4×880 yards)

The 4 × 800 metres (4 × 880 yards) relay was one of the premier middle-distance relay events during the first three quarters of the twentieth century. Widely contested at prestigious relay meetings and international competitions, it attracted many of the world’s finest 800 metres and 1500 metres runners. Although never included in the Olympic programme and no longer recognised as an official World Athletics record event, its record progression reflects the evolution of middle-distance running over more than a century.

Historical Highlights

• The early progression was dominated by American universities, particularly at the Penn Relays, before club teams and national selections emerged as the leading record breakers during the interwar years.
• From the 1940s onwards, the event became increasingly international, with world records set by teams representing Germany, Sweden, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, Belgium, Kenya and the United States, illustrating the global development of middle-distance relay running.
• The relay frequently featured some of the greatest middle-distance athletes of their generations, including Mel Sheppard, Abel Kiviat, John Woodruff, Sebastian Coe, Steve Cram, Peter Elliott and Naf­tali Temu, giving the event exceptional historical prestige.
• Kenya established the current world record of 7:02.43 in Brussels in 2006, confirming the nation’s long-standing dominance in middle-distance running while bringing to a close more than a century of official record progression.

Official World Record Progression

Mark	Athlete	Country	Date	City	Competition	Notes
7:02.43	Kenya	KEN	25/8/2006	Bruxelles	Memorial Van Damme, Memorial Van Damme	MUTUA Joseph – YAMPOY William – KOMBICH Ismael – BUNGEI Wilfred
7:03.89	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	30/8/1982	London	British Games	ELIOT Peter – COOK Garry – CRAM Steve – COE Sebastian
7:08.1	Soviet Union	URS	13/8/1979	Podolsk	World Record Attempt	PODOLYAKO Vladimir – KIROV Nikolay – MALOZEMLIN Vladimir – RESHETNYAK Anatoliy
7:10.4y	Chicago Track Club	USA	12/5/1973	Durham	Marting Louther King Freedon Games	BACH Tom – SPARKS Kenneth – PAUL Lowell – WOHLHUTER Rick
7:11.6y	Kenya	KEN	5/9/1970	London	International Meeting	BON Naftail – NYAMAU Hezekiah – SAISI Thomas – OUKO Robert
7:14.6y	FR Germany	FRG	13/6/1968	Fulda	World Record Attempt	TÜMMLER Bodo – ADAMS Walter – NORPOTH Harald – KEMPER Franz-Josef
7:08.6	FR Germany	FRG	13/8/1966	Wiesbaden	World Record Attempt	KINDER Manfred – ADAMS Walter – BOGATZKI Dieter – KEMPER Franz-Josef
7:16.0y	Soviet Union	URS	22/6/1966	London	University Match Oxford/Cambridge – Cornell/Pennsylvania	USTYANTSEV Aleksandr – MITROFANOV Remir – RAIKO Oleg – MIKHAILOV Vadim
7:17.4y	University of Souther California	USA	13/5/1966	Los Angeles	Coliseum Relays	LINK John – BESS Bruce – BUCK Dave – CARR Dennis
7:18.4y	Oklahoma State University	USA	8/5/1965	Fresno	West Coast Relays	METCALF Jim – PERRY John – VON RUDEN Tom – PERRY David
7:19.0y	Villanova University	USA	15/5/1964	Los Angeles	Coliseum Relays	METCALF Jim – PERRY John – VON RUDEN Tom – PERRY David
7:19.0y	Oregon State University	USA	25/5/1963	Modesto	California Relays	UNDERWOOD Jan – BRADY Jerry – HOFFMAN Norm – GROTH Morgan
7:19.4y	United States	USA	14/9/1960	London	British Empire – USA dual meet	CUNLIFFE Ernie – MURPHY Tom – YERMAN Jack – SIEBERT Jerry
7:21.0y	University of California	USA	16/5/1958	Los Angeles	Coliseum Relays	ORME Maynard – SIEBERT Jerry – YERMAN Jack – BOWDEN Don
7:22.8y	Occidental College	USA	24/5/1957	Los Angeles	Coliseum Relays	WHITE Tod – REISBORD Dave – WRAY Larry – HADLEY Ty
7:23.0y	United States	USA	5/12/1956	Sydney	British Empire – USA dual meet	WALTERS Jerome – SPURRIER Lon – SOWELL Arnold – COURTNEY Thomas
7:15.8	Belgium	BEL	8/8/1956	Bruxelles	World Record attempt	BALLEUX André – LANGENUS Alfred – LEVA Emil – MOENS Roger
7:26.4	Soviet Army Team	URS	1/8/1955	Riga	World Record attempt	IVAKIN Georgiy – SOKOLOV Yevgeniy – MODOY Gennadiy – AGEYEV Oleg
7:26.8	Soviet Army Team	URS	25/7/1954	Kiev	USSR Military Championship	AGEYEV Oleg – SUKHANOV Sergey – MODOY Gennadiy – IVAKIN Georgiy
7:27.3y	Fordham University	USA	21/5/1954	Los Angeles	Coliseum Relays	FOLEY Terence – TARSNEY Frank – PERSICHETTY Bill – COURTNEY Thomas
7:28.0	UDA Praha	TCH	29/7/1953	Stara Boleslav	World Record attempt	ČIKEL Dušan – STRŽÍNEK Alfréd – LIŠKA Ludvík – JUNGWIRTH Stanislav
7:29.2y	United States	USA	4/8/1952	London	British Empire – USA dual meet	ASHENFELTER William – PEARMAN Reginald – BARNES John – WHITFIELD Malvin
7:30.6y	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	26/9/1951	London	International Floodlit Meeting	NANKEVILLE William – WEBSTER Albert – EVANS Frank – PARLETT John
7:29.0	Sweden	SWE	13/9/1946	Stockholm	World Record attempt	STEN Tore – LINDÉN Olle – LINDGÅRD Stig – STRAND Lennart
7:30.4	Germany	GER	23/8/1941	Braunschweig	World Record attempt	SEIBERT Hans – GRAU Alfred – KAINDL Ludwig – HARBIG Rudolf
7:34.5y	University of California	USA	24/5/1941	Los Angeles	Coliseum Relays	REESE John – KLEMMER Grover – PETER Dick – BARNES Clarence
7:35.8y	United States	USA	15/8/1936	London	International Match British Empire – USA	HORNBOSTEL Charles – YOUNG Robert – WILLIAMSON Harry – WOODRUFF John
7:41.4	Boston AA	USA	6/7/1927	Philadelphia	Meeting	MARTIN Alvah – SANSONE Charles – WELCH Louis – HAHN Lloyd
7:42.0y	Georgetown University	USA	25/4/1925	Philadelphia	Penn Relays	SWINBURNE Ed – HOLDEN James – SULLIVAN William – MARSTENS George
7:47.6y	Boston College	USA	28/4/1924	Philadelphia	Penn Relays	McKILOP William – MAHONEY Pat – CAVANAUGH Thomas – WELCH Louis
7:49.4	University of Pennsylvania	USA	29/4/1922	Philadelphia	Penn Relays	MEREDITH George – HOLDEN James – McMULLEN Edward – BROWN Lawrance
7:50.4	Oxford/Cambridge U.	USA	1/5/1920	Philadelphia	Penn Relays	TATHAM Wilfrid – STALLARD Hyla „Henry“ – MILLIGAN William – RUDD Bevil (RSA)
7:53.0y	United States	USA	5/9/1910	New York		RILEY Frank – BROMILOW Joseph – SHEPPARD Mel – KIVIAT Abel

4×1500 metres Relay

The 4 × 1500 metres relay has long been regarded as the premier long-distance relay event on the track. Bringing together four elite 1500 metres runners, it has traditionally served as a showcase of endurance, tactical racing and team depth. Although never part of the Olympic programme and no longer recognised as an official World Athletics record event, its record progression spans more than a century and reflects the evolution of middle- and long-distance running at the highest level.

Historical Highlights

• The early world records were established by club and university teams from Sweden, Finland, Great Britain and the United States, with the event becoming a prestigious feature of international meetings during the first half of the twentieth century.
• During the 1950s and 1960s, Hungary, East Germany and France produced outstanding relay quartets, led by legendary middle-distance runners such as Sándor Iharos, László Tábori and Michel Jazy, driving the event to new standards. The 1970s marked another major leap with world-class teams from New Zealand, inspired by John Walker, and West Germany, before the dominance of Kenya ushered in a new era of exceptional performances.
• Kenya lowered the world record twice, first to 14:36.23 in 2009 and then to the current 14:22.22 at the 2014 IAAF World Relays in Nassau. The quartet of Collins Cheboi, Silas Kiplagat, William Magut and Asbel Kiprop produced the fastest performance in history, highlighting Kenya’s extraordinary depth in middle-distance running.

Official World Record Progression

Mark	Athlete	Country	Date	City	Competition	Notes
14:22.22	Kenya	KEN	25/5/2014	Nassau	IAAF World Relays	CHEBOI Collins – KIPLAGAT Silas – MAGUT James Kiplagat – KIPROP Asbel
14:36.23	Kenya	KEN	4/9/2009	Bruxelles	IAAF Golden League Meeting, Memorial Van Damme	TANUI William Biwott – GATHIMBA Gideon – RONO Goeffrey Kipkoech – CHOGE Augustine Kiprono
14:38.8	FR Germany	FRG	17/8/1977	Koln	Invitation during half-time on football match FC Koln – Werder Bremen	WESSINGHAGE Thomas – HUDAK Harald – LEDERER Michael – FLESCHEN Karl
14:49.0	France	FRA	25/6/1965	Saint Maur	World Record attempt	VERVOORT Gérard – NICHOLAS Claude – JAZY Michel – WADOUX Jean
14:58.0	German Demographic Repubic	GDR	9/8/1958	Potsdam	World Record attempt	MATUSCHEWSKI Manfred – MAY Jürgen – HERRMANN Siegfried – VALENTIN Siegfried
15:04.2	France	FRA	28/6/1961	Versailles	World Record Attempt	CLAUSSE Jean – BOGEY Robert – JAZY Michel – BERNARD Michel
15:11.4	German Demographic Repubic	GDR	9/8/1958	Poznań	International Meeting	HERRMANN Siegfried – RICHTZENHAIN Klaus – VALENTIN Siegfried – REINNAGEL Helfried
15:14.8	Honvéd Budapest	HUN	29/9/1955	Budapest	World Record Attempt	MIKES Ferenc – TÁBORI László – RÓZSAVÖLGYI István – IHAROS Sándor
15:21.2	Honvéd Budapest	HUN	14/7/1954	Budapest	World Record Attempt	TÁBORI László – RÓZSAVÖLGYI István – MIKES Ferenc – IHAROS Sándor
15:27.2	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	23/9/1953	London	International Meeting	DUNKLEY Ralph – LAW David – PIRIE Gordon – NANKEVILLE William „Bill“
15:29.2	Hungary	HUN	23/9/1953	Budapest	World Record Attempt	GARAY Sándor – BÉRES Ernő – RÓZSAVÖLGYI István – IHAROS Sándor
15:30.2	Gefle IF Gävle	SWE	3/7/1949	Gävle	National Meeting	BENGTSSON Ivar – BERGKVIST Gösta – ÅBERG Olle – ERIKSSON Henry
15:34.6	Gefle IF Gävle	SWE	27/7/1947	Gävle	National Meeting	ÅBERG Olle – BENGTSSON Ivar – BERGKVIST Gösta – ERIKSSON Henry
15:38.6	Malmö AI	SWE	29/7/1945	Norrkoping	National Meeting	JACOBSSON Gösta – STRIDSBERG Sven – STRAND Lennart – HÄGG Gunder
15:42.0	Brandkarens IK Stockholm	SWE	17/9/1939	Göteborg	National Meeting	JANSSON Åke – KARLÉN Hugo – KÄLARNE Henry – HELLSTRÖM Bror
15:54.8	Finland	FIN	17/9/1939	Göteborg	International Meeting	SALOVAARA Pertti – SALOVAARA Martti – SARKAMA Toivo – HARTIKKA Niilo
15:55.6	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	30.8.1931	Köln	International Match GER-GBR	HARRIS Aubrey – HEDGES Harry – COMES John – THOMAS Reginald
16:11.4	Turun Ureilullitto Turku	FIN	17/7/1926	Vilpuri	World Record attempt	LIEWENDAHL Frej – KATZ Elias – KOIVUNALHO Niilo – NURMI Paavo
16:26.2	Turun Ureilullitto Turku	FIN	12/7/1926	Stockholm		LIEWENDAHL Frej – KATZ Elias – KOIVUNALHO Niilo – NURMI Paavo
16:37.0	IF Linea Stockholm	SWE	02/8/1925	Norkköping	National Meeting	ADAMSSON Helge – FOSSELIUS Gunnar – FOSSELIUS Gösta – WIDE Edwin
16:40.2	IK Göta Stockholm	SWE	12/8/1919	Stockholm	National Meeting	PETERSON Gustaf – LINDBOM Josef – FALK Rudolf – LUNDGREN Sven

4 x 1 Mile

The 4 × 1 mile relay was one of the classic endurance relays of the early twentieth century, particularly popular in the United States and Great Britain. Combining four mile specialists, it represented the imperial-distance counterpart to the 4 × 1500 metres relay and became a prestigious feature of major relay carnivals and international meetings. Although it later disappeared from the official World Athletics programme, its record progression documents the evolution of middle-distance running over almost nine decades.

Historical Highlights

• The event developed primarily through the famous Penn Relays, where American universities established the earliest world records before the IAAF began officially recognising relay records in 1913.
• During the 1940s and 1950s, Sweden, Great Britain, Australia, Hungary and New Zealand all held the world record, reflecting the international strength of mile running in the post-war era. Legendary athletes including John Landy, Peter Snell, Murray Halberg and Sándor Iharos contributed to this remarkable progression. New Zealand lowered the official world record to 16:02.8 in 1972 with a quartet featuring Dick Quax, before the event lost its status as an official World Record discipline.
• Even after official recognition ended, elite teams continued to pursue faster performances. New Zealand became the first team under 16 minutes with 15:59.57 in 1983, while Ireland improved the world best to 15:49.08 in 1985 through a quartet led by Eamonn Coghlan, establishing the fastest performance ever recorded in the event.

Official World Record Progression

Mark	Athlete	Country	Date	City	Competition	Notes
16:02.8	New Zealand	NZL	3/2/1972	Auckland	World Record attempt	ROSS Kevin – POLHILL Tony – TAYLER Richard – QUAX Dick
16:09.0	University of Oregon	USA/CAN	12/5/1962	Fresno	West Coast Relays	SAN ROMANI Archie jr. – REEVE Vic (CAN) – FORMAN Keith – BURLESON Dyrol
16:23.8	New Zealand	NZL	17/7/1961	Dublin	International Meeting	PHILPOTT Gary – HALBERG Murray – MAGEE Barry – SNELL Peter
16:25.2	Hungary	HUN	29/9/1959	Budapest	World Record attempt	KOVÁCS Lajos – SZEKERES Béla – IHAROS Sándor – RÓZSAVÖLGYI István
16:25.6	Austalia	AUS	22/3/1959	Melbourne	World Record attempt	WILSON Denis – THOMAS Albert – MURRAY John – ELLIOTT Herbert
16:30.6	England	GBR	17/9/1958	London	International Match ENG-FIN	BLAGORVE Mike – CLARK Peter – IBBOTSON Derek – HEWSON Brian
16.41.0	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	1/8/1953	London	International Match GBR-FRA	CHATAWAY Christopher – NANKEVILLE William „Bill“ – SEAMAN Donald – BANNISTER Roger
16:42.8	Gefle IF Gävle	SWE	5/8/1949	Stockholm	World Record Attempt	BENGTSSON Ivar – BERGKVIST Gösta – ÅBERG Olle – ERIKSSON Henry
16.55.8	Gefle IF Gävle	SWE	27/81948	Göteborg	World Record Attempt	WALLGREN Rune – BENGTSSON Ivar – ÅBERG Olle – ERIKSSON Henry
17:02.8	Brandkarens IK Stockholm	SWE	15/8/1941	Stockholm	World Record Attempt	JANSSON Åke – KARLÉN Hugo – KÄLARNE Henry – HELLSTRÖM Bror
17:16.2	Indiana University	USA	24/4/1937	Philadelphia	Penn Relays	TRUTT Mel – SMITH James – DECKARD Thomas – LASH Donald
17:17.2	United States	USA	15/8/1936	London	International Match British Empire – USA	HORNBOSTEL Charles – VENZKE Eugene – SAN ROMANI Archie – CUNNINGHAM Glenn
17:21.4	Illinois AC	USA	23/8/1923	Chicago		KROGH Egil – BUKER Ray – WATSON Ray – RAY Joie
17:45.0	Unievrsity of Illinois	USA	29/4/1922	Des Moines	Drake Relays	YATES Howard – PATTERSON Bruce – McGINNIS Gordon – WHARTON Russell
17:51.2	Cornell University	USA	29/4/1916	Philadephia	Penn Relays	TAYLOR Gilbert – HOFFMIRE John – WINDNAGLE Vere – POTTER Daniel
17:51.2	Boston A.A	USA	17/6/1913	Easton	Old home week celebration	MAHONEY Harry – MARCEAU Eugene – POWERS James – HEDLUND Oscar

Discontinued Relay Events World Records Progression
Women’s events

4×200 meters

The 4×200 metres relay has been one of the longest-standing non-Olympic relay events in women’s athletics. Official world records were first recognized by the Fédération Sportive Féminine Internationale (FSFI) in the early 1920s before responsibility passed to the IAAF in 1932. Although never included in the Olympic programme, the event became a popular feature of international meetings, national championships and relay competitions.

Throughout its history, the world record reflected the evolution of women’s sprinting, progressing from the pioneering British and German teams of the interwar period to the dominance of the Soviet Union, East Germany and later the United States. Today, the event is contested only occasionally, mainly at invitational relay meetings, but remains an officially recognized World Athletics record event.

Historical Highlights

• Great Britain set the earliest official records during the FSFI era, establishing the first international standards for the event. Germany, the Soviet Union and East Germany dominated much of the record progression from the 1930s through the 1980s, mirroring their strength in women’s sprint relays.
• The United States produced the current world record of 1:27.46, set at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia on 29 April 2000 by LaTasha Colander-Richardson, Nanceen Perry, Marion Jones and LaTasha Jenkins.
• Although no longer part of major global championships, the 4×200 metres relay remains one of the officially recognized non-championship world record relay events and is most often contested at the Penn Relays and selected international competitions.

Official World Record Progression

Mark	Athlete	Country	Date	City	Competition	Notes
1:27.46	United States “Blue” Team	USA	29/4/2000	Philadelphia	Penn Relays	JENKINS Latasha – COLANDER-RICHARDSON LaTasha – PERRY Nanceen – JONES Marion
1:28.2	German Democratic Republic	GDR	9/8/1980	Jena	Olympic Test	GÖHR Marlies – MÜLLER Romy – WÖCKEL Bärbel – KOCH Marita
1:30.8	Ukraine	URS	29/7/1979	Moskva	All Union Spartakiade	MAKHOVA Raisa – ZYUSKOVA Nina – PROROCHENKO Tatyana – KULCHONOVA Mariya
1:31.6	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	20/8/1977	London	WAAA Championships	ELDER Verona – HARTLEY Donna – COLYEAR Sharon – LANNAMAN Sonia
1:32.4	German Democratic Republic	GDR	13/8/1976	Jena	National Meeting	BEREND Gudrun – OELSNER Marlies – ECKERT Bärbel – STECHER Renate
1:35.8y	Australia	AUS	9/11/1969	Brisbane	National Meeting	HOFFMAN Marion – BOYLE Raelene – KILBORN Pamela – LAMY Jennif
1:33.8	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	24/8/1968	London	International Meeting	TRANTER Maureen – JAMES Della – SIMPSON Janet – PEAT Valerie
1:34.4	Soviet Union	URS	2/10/1967	Leninakan	Record attempt	PECHONKINA Natalya – TKACHENKO Liliya – BORCHIKOVA Tamara – SAMOTYOSOVA Lyudmila
1:35.1	Soviet Union	URS	14/7/1963	Moskva	National Meeting	LĀCE Renāte – MASLOVSKAYA Valentina – ITKINA Mariya – POPOVA Galina
1:36.0y	German Democratic Republic	GDR	26/7/1958	Leipzig	Invitation Event during German Decathlon Qualification for the EC	SADAU Hannelore – BIRKEMEYER Gisela – STUBNICK Christa – MAYER Barbara
1:36.3y	Australia	AUS	5/12/1956	Sydney	International Match Commonwealth – USA	MATHEWS Marlene – CROKER Norma – MELLOR Fleur – CUTHBERT Elizabeth „Betty“
1:36.4y	German Democratic Republic	GBR	29/7/1956	Rostock	Record attempt	HENNING Gisela – STUBNICK Christa – KÖHLER Gisela – MAYER Barbara
1:39.9y	England	GBR	30/9/1953	London	International Match ENG-HOL	PASHLEY Anne – NEWBOULT Jean – HAMPTON Shirley – JOHNSON Ann
1:36.4	Soviet Union	URS	9/8/1953	Bucuresti	International Romanian Championships	KALASHNIKOVA Vera – SAFRONOVA Zinaida – KAZANTSEVA Flora – DVALISHVILI Nadezhda65
1:40.0y	United States	USA	4/8/1952	London	International Match British Empire – USA	FAGGS Mae – DWYER Dolores – MOREAU Janet – HARDY Catherine
1:39.7	Southern Counties Team	GBR	17/9/1952	London		HAMPTON Shirley – JOHNSON Ann – FOULDS June – CHEESEMAN Sylvia
1:39.7	Soviet Union	URS	27/9/1951	Bucuresti	International Romanian Championships	KHNYKINA Nadezhda – SECHENOVA Yevgeniya – SAFRONOVA Zinaida – MALCHINA Sofya
1:41.4y	England	ENG	26/9/1951	London	Invitation Event during Inter-City Match London-Göteborg	CHEESEMAN Sylvia – BRIAN Margaret – FOSTER Barbara – HALL Dorothy
1:43.4y	Spartan Ladies AC	GBR	19/9/1951	Motspur Park	Jamica Day Meeting	FOULDS June – ROBINS Valerie – BALL Valerie – CHEESEMAN Sylvia
1:43.9y	Spartan Ladies AC	GBR	17/7/1951	London	LAC Evening Meeting	ROBINS Valerie – TURNER Bettie – FOULDS June – CHEESEMAN Sylvia
1:40.6	Dynamo Moskva	URS	12/7/1950	Moskva	National Meeting	MALCHINA Sofya – CHUDINA Aleksandra – SECHENOVA Yevgeniya – DUKHOVICH Soya
1:41.0	Holland	HOL	27/8/1944	Hilversum	National Meeting	SLUYTERS Liesje – BLANKERS-KOEN Francina „Fanny“ – WITZIERS Jeanette „Nettie“ – KOUDIJS Gerda
1:45.3	Brandenburg	GER	19/6/1938	Cottbus	Area Federaion Match	ALBUS Emmi – DÖRFFELDT Ilse – VOIGT Dora – MÜLLER Anneliese
1:45.8	Gental Germany		26/6/1932	Neu-Rössen	Women’s Meeting	FREITAG Liesbeth – KRAUß Käthe – DRIELING Ilse – DRIELING Rose
1:45.8	Germany	GER	26/6/1932	Neu-Rössen	Women’s Meeting	ENGELHARD Ruth – FELDMANN Gerda – WITTMANN Wally „Gundel“ – GERICKE Margarete

3×800 metres

he 3×800 metres relay was one of the principal women’s middle-distance relay events before the widespread adoption of the 4×800 metres relay. World records were first recognized by the Fédération Sportive Féminine Internationale (FSFI) in 1927 and later by the IAAF from 1933. The event was regularly contested in international meetings for more than three decades before gradually disappearing from major competitions in the late 1960s.

The progression of the world record illustrates the rapid development of women’s middle-distance running, with successive periods of dominance by Germany, the Soviet Union and Great Britain. Although no longer an official World Athletics record event, the 3×800 metres relay played an important role in the evolution of women’s relay racing and provided the foundation for the modern 4×800 metres relay.

Historical Highlights

• The first officially recognized world record was set by SSZ Plzen (Czechoslovakia) in 1927 during the FSFI era. The Soviet Union dominated the event throughout the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s, lowering the world record on numerous occasions as women’s middle-distance standards improved rapidly. Great Britain also made a significant contribution to the record progression, setting several world records between 1949 and 1967 through strong club and national relay teams. In 1969, the 4×800 metres relay replaced the 3×800 metres relay as the principal official women’s middle-distance relay event. From then onward, improvements over the first three legs of 4×800 races were noted only unofficially, bringing the history of the 3×800 metres relay to a close.

Official World Record Progression

Mark	Athlete	Country	Date	City	Competition	Notes
6:15.5	Holland	HOL	20/8/1968	Sittard	International Meeting	KEIZER Ilja – van der MADE Mathilda – GOMMERS Maria
6:20.0	Great Britain and Northern Ireland	GBR	28/8/1967	London	International Meeting	STIRLING Rosemary – LOWE Patricia – PIERCY Pamela
6:21.0	FR Germany	FRG	16/8/1967	Dusseldorf	Invitation event during international Match FRG-USA	GLEICHFELD Antje – ROTTMÜLLER Anita – KESSLER Karin
6:25.2y	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	30/7/1967	Budapest	International Match HUN-GBR	STIRLING Rosemary – LOWE Patricia – PIERCY Pamela
6:21.2	Soviet Union	URS	18/6/1966	London	International Match GBR-URS	MUKHANOVA Vera – BABINTSEVA Tamara – ERIK Laine
6:27.4	Ukraine	URS	9/9/1958	Kiev	Record attempt	YANVAREVA Lyubov – KOZLOVA Dora155 – LYSENKO Lyudmila
6:27.6	USSR	URS	11/9/1955	Moskva	International Match URS-GBR	LAPSHINA Aida – LYSENKO Lyudmila – OTKALENKO Nina
6:36.2y	Hungary	HUN	21/7/1954	Tata	Record attempt	BÁCSKAI Anna – OROS Ágnes – KAZI Aranka
6:46.0y	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	17/7/1954	London	Record attempt	OLIVER Anne – SMALLEY Norah – LEATHER Diane
6:33.2	Soviet Union	URS	19/9/1953	Budapest	International Match HUN-URS	CHERNOSHCHUK Nina – BARAKHOVICH Dora – OTKALENKO Nina
6:49.0	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	3/8/1953	London	Record attempt	SMALLEY Norah – SLEMON Christine – LEATHER Diane
7:00.6y	Ilford AC	GBR	28/6/1952	Ilford	Record attempt	CRITCHLEY Muriel – DRYDEN Joan – GREEN Phyllis
6:49.6	Soviet Union	URS	24/7/1950	Moskva	Record attempt	SOLOPOVA Polina – KABYSH Nadezhda – VASILYEVA Yevdokiya
6:53.8	Soviet Union	URS	28/10/1949	Tbilisi	Record attempt	ZHILTSOVA Galina – DMITRUK Klavdiya – VASILYEVA Yevdokiya
7:07.8	Southern Counties	GBR	6/8/1949	London	Record attempt	BORN Doris – GARRITT Eileen – BALL Valerie
7:15.8	France	FRA	3/10/1943	Paris		DELÉPINE Paulette – LOUBET Monique – DUFOUR Jacqueline
7:22.6	France	FRA	16/7/1939	Monaco		FIZE Héléne – LUCAS Therèse – VINCENT Germaine
7:32.0	GSVU Torino	ITA	29/6/1937	Torino		BALBO Cleo – GIORDA Candida – BULZACCHI Leandrina
7:37.4	VfB Breslau	GER	6/8/1933	Breslau		SCHMIECHEN Anneliese – NITSCHKE Elfriede – RADKE Karoline (1st WR of the IAAF Era)
7:47.4	Wiener AF	AUT	28/8/1932	Wien	International Meeting	KOHLBACH Veronika „Ronny“ – DEGEN Fritzi – PUCHBERGER Maria
7:48.0	1. FC Nurnberg	GER	20/9/1931	Nurnberg		ZÖLLNER Annemarie – GUTBRODT Herta – DOLLINGER Marie
7:50.0	VfL Potsdamer Sportfreunde	GER	28/9/1930	Potsdam	Record attempt	SCHWARZER Lieselotte – STIMMFELD Anita – SELLE Henny
8:04.0	SC Charlottenburg Berlin	GER	24/6/1928	Berlin	Sports Meeting of the Federation of Berliner Athletikvereine	LAUE Gerda – BREHMER Hildegard – ROESTEL Anneliese

4×800 metres

The 4×800 metres relay became the principal women’s middle-distance relay after replacing the 3×800 metres relay as an official world record event in 1969. Since then, it has served as the standard long relay over four two-lap legs, with world records recognized by the IAAF, now World Athletics. Although not part of the Olympic or World Championships programme, the event has remained an important feature of relay meetings and national competitions.

The world record progression reflects the continued development of women’s middle-distance running, from the dominance of Great Britain, East Germany and the Soviet Union during the early decades to the emergence of Kenya and the United States in the modern era. The event continues to be contested internationally, particularly at relay festivals and major invitational meetings.

Historical Highlights

• The first official world record was set by Barnet and District AC (Great Britain) in 1969, marking the beginning of the event’s official record history after replacing the 3×800 metres relay. During the 1970s and 1980s, East Germany and the Soviet Union dominated the record progression, producing several outstanding relay teams featuring many of the world’s leading 800-metre runners. Kenya established a new era of excellence by lowering the world record to 7:50.17 in Moscow (1984) and later to 7:16.85 (2014), before improving it to the current world record of 7:03.89 at the World Athletics Relays in Nassau on 24 May 2014. Unlike the sprint relays, the 4×800 metres relay remains an officially recognized World Athletics world record event despite not being included in the Olympic Games or the World Athletics Championships, with its fastest performances usually achieved at relay championships and specialist meetings.

Official World Record Progression

Mark	Athlete	Country	Date	City	Competition	Notes
7:50.17	Soviet Union	URS	5/8/1984	Moskva	Record attempt	OLIZARENKO Nadezhda – GURINA Lyubov – BORISOVA Lyudmila – PODYALOVSKAYA Irina
7:52.4	Soviet Union	URS	16/8/1976	Podolsk	Record attempt	PROVIDOKHINA Tatyana – GERASIMOVA Valentina – STYRKINA Svetlana – KAZANKINA Tatyana
7:54.2	German Democratic Republic	GDR	6/8/1976	Karl-Marx-Stadt	GDR Championships	ZINN Elfi – HOFFMEISTER Gunhild – WEIß Anita – KLAPEZYNSKI Ulrike
8:05.2	Bulgaria	BUL	30/8/1975	Sofiya	Record attempt	SHTEREVA Nikolina – TOMOVA Liliana – PEKHLIVANOVA Rositsa – ZLATEVA Svetla
8:08.6	Bulgaria	BUL	12/8/1973	Sofiya	Record attempt	ZLATEVA Svetla – TOMOVA Liliana – PETROVA Tonka – YORDANOVA Stefka
8:16.8	FR Germany	FRG	31/7/1971	Lubeck	Invitation event during German Youth Championships	TITTEL Ellen – SCHENK Sylvia – MERTEN Christa – FALCK Hildegard
8:25.0	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	5/9/1970	London	International Meeting	STIRLING Rosemary – CRAIG Georgena – LOWE Patricia – CAREY Sheila
8:27.0	Great Britain and N. Ireland	GBR	13/6/1970	Edinburgh	International Meeting	STIRLING Rosemary – CAREY Sheila – LOWE Patricia – BOARD Lillian
8:33.0	German Democratic Republic	GDR	4/10/1969	Cottbus	Record attempt	SCHMIDT Gertrud – HOFFMEISTER Gunhild – PÖHLAND Waltraud – WIECK Barbara

4×1500 metres

The 4×1500 metres relay is one of the newest officially recognized long-distance relay world record events for women. Unlike the more established 4×400 m and 4×800 m relays, it has been contested only occasionally, mainly at international relay meetings and the Penn Relays. As a result, only two performances have been ratified as official world records by World Athletics.

Historical Highlights

• The inaugural world record was set by Australia in London on 25 June 2000, with a time of 17:09.97, establishing the first official global standard for the event. Nearly a decade later, the University of Tennessee (United States) lowered the record to 17:08.34 at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia on 24 April 2009, a mark that remains the current world record. Although the event has occasionally been contested at relay festivals and national competitions, opportunities to challenge the record have remained limited, resulting in one of the shortest official world record progressions in athletics. The 4×1500 metres relay continues to be recognized by World Athletics, but it is not included in the Olympic Games or the World Athletics Championships, making appearances at major invitational meetings and the Penn Relays particularly significant for the event’s history.

Official World Record Progression

Mark	Athlete	Country	Date	City	Competition	Notes
16:33.58	Kenya	KEN	24/5/2014	Nassau	IAAF World Relays	CHERONO Mercy – KIPYEGON Faith Chepngetich – JELAGAT Irene – OBIRI Hellen Onsando
16:27.02	Nike/Bowerman Club	USA	31/7/2020	Portland		QUIGLEY Colleen – CRANNY Elise – SCHWEIZER Karissa – HOULIHAN Shelby