4 × 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners must begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race. A relay baton is carried by each runner. Prior to 2018, the baton had to be passed within a 20 m changeover box, preceded by a 10-metre acceleration zone. With a rule change effective November 1, 2017 that zone was modified to include the acceleration zone as part of the passing zone, making the entire zone 30 metres in length. The outgoing runner cannot touch the baton until it has entered the zone, the incoming runner cannot touch the baton after it has left the zone. The zone is usually marked in yellow, frequently using lines, triangles or chevrons. While the rule book specifies the exact positioning of the marks, the colors and style are only "recommended". While most legacy tracks will still have the older markings, the rule change still uses existing marks. Not all governing body jurisdictions have adopted the rule change.
Transfer of the baton in this race is typically blind. The outgoing runner reaches a straight arm backwards when they enter the changeover box, or when the incoming runner makes a verbal signal. The outgoing runner does not look backwards, and it is the responsibility of the incoming runner to thrust the baton into the outstretched hand, and not let go until the outgoing runner takes hold of it without crossing the changeover box and to stop after baton is exchanged. Runners on the first and third legs typically run on the inside of the lane with the baton in their right hand, while runners on the second and fourth legs take the baton in their left. Polished handovers can compensate for a lack of basic speed to some extent, and disqualification for dropping the baton or failing to transfer it within the box is common, even at the highest level.
The United States men and women historically dominated this event through the 20th century, winning the most Olympic gold medals and the most IAAF world championships. Carl Lewis ran the anchor leg on U.S. relay teams that set six world records from 1983 to 1992, including the first team to break 38 seconds.
The current men's world record stands at 36.84, set by the Jamaican team at the final of the 2012 London Olympic Games on 11 August 2012. As the only team to break 37 seconds to date, Jamaica has been the dominant team in the sport, winning two consecutive Olympic Gold Medals as well as four consecutive World Championships. The previous record was 37.04 seconds as set by the Jamaican team at the 2011 World Championships.
The fastest electronically timed anchor leg run is 8.65 seconds by Usain Bolt at the 2015 IAAF World Relays, while Bob Hayes was hand-timed as running 8.7 seconds on a cinder track in the 1964 Tokyo Games Final, The Tokyo Games also had electronic timing and upon video review Hayes ran 8.6 seconds in the final but also ran an astonishing 8.5 seconds in the semi-final.
The women's world record stands at 40.82 seconds, set by the United States in 2012 at the London Olympics. The fastest anchor leg run by a woman is 9.70 by Carmelita Jeter.
According to the IAAF rules, world records in relays can only be set if all team members have the same nationality.
All-time top 10 by country
Men
- Correct as of October 2019.
Women
- Correct as of August 2019.
All-time top 25
Men
- Correct as of October 2019.
| Rank | Time | Team | Nation | Date | Place | Ref |
| 1 | 36.84 | Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Blake Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 11 August 2012 | London | |
| 2 | 37.04 | Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Blake Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 4 September 2011 | Daegu | |
| 37.10 | Nesta Carter Michael Frater Usain Bolt Asafa Powell | Jamaica | 22 August 2008 | Beijing | ||
| 3 | 37.10 | Christian Coleman Justin Gatlin Michael Rodgers Noah Lyles | United States | 5 October 2019 | Doha | |
| 4 | 37.27 | Asafa Powell Yohan Blake Nickel Ashmeade Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 19 August 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | |
| 5 | 37.31 | Steve Mullings Michael Frater Usain Bolt Asafa Powell | Jamaica | 22 August 2009 | Berlin | |
| 6 | 37.36 | Nesta Carter Kemar Bailey-Cole Nickel Ashmeade Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 18 August 2013 | Moscow | |
| 6 | 37.36 | Nesta Carter Asafa Powell Nickel Ashmeade Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 29 August 2015 | Beijing | |
| 6 | 37.36 | Adam Gemili Zharnel Hughes Richard Kilty Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake | Great Britain | 5 October 2019 | Doha | |
| 9 | 37.38 | Mike Rodgers Justin Gatlin Tyson Gay Ryan Bailey | United States | 2 May 2015 | Nassau | |
| 10 | 37.39 | Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Blake Kemar Bailey-Cole | Jamaica | 10 August 2012 | London | |
| 11 | 37.40 | Michael Marsh Leroy Burrell Dennis Mitchell Carl Lewis | United States | 8 August 1992 | Barcelona | |
| 11 | 37.40 | Jon Drummond Andre Cason Dennis Mitchell Leroy Burrell | United States | 21 August 1993 | Stuttgart | |
| 13 | 37.41 | Nesta Carter Asafa Powell Rasheed Dwyer Nickel Ashmeade | Jamaica | 29 August 2015 | Beijing | |
| 14 | 37.43 | Shuhei Tada Kirara Shiraishi Yoshihide Kiryu Abdul Hakim Sani Brown | Japan | 5 October 2019 | Doha | |
| 15 | 37.45 | Trell Kimmons Wallace Spearmon Tyson Gay Mike Rodgers | United States | 19 August 2010 | Zürich | |
| 16 | 37.46 | Jon Drummond Curtis Perry Chris Johnson Maurice Greene | United States | 7 September 1999 | Berlin | |
| 16 | 37.46 | Daniel Bailey Yohan Blake Mario Forsythe Usain Bolt | Antigua and Barbuda Jamaica Jamaica Jamaica | 25 July 2009 | London | |
| 18 | 37.47 | Chijindu Ujah Adam Gemili Danny Talbot Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake | Great Britain | 12 August 2017 | London | |
| 19 | 37.48 | Jon Drummond Andre Cason Dennis Mitchell Leroy Burrell | United States | 22 August 1993 | Stuttgart | |
| 20 | 37.50 | Andre Cason Leroy Burrell Dennis Mitchell Carl Lewis | United States | 1 September 1991 | Tokyo | |
| 21 | 37.52 | Mike Rodgers Justin Gatlin Jaylen Bacon Christian Coleman | United States | 12 August 2017 | London | |
| 22 | 37.56 | Adam Gemili Zharnel Hughes Richard Kilty Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake | Great Britain | 4 October 2019 | Doha | |
| 23 | 37.58 | Charles Silmon Mike Rodgers Rakieem Salaam Justin Gatlin | United States | 19 July 2013 | Monaco | |
| 23 | 37.58 | Jason Livermore Kemar Bailey-Cole Nickel Ashmeade Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 2 August 2014 | Glasgow | |
| 25 | 37.59 | Jon Drummond Tim Montgomery Brian Lewis Maurice Greene | United States | 29 August 1999 | Seville | |
| 25 | 37.59 | Kaaron Conwright Wallace Spearmon Tyson Gay Jason Smoots | United States | 19 September 2006 | Athens |
Women
- Correct as of October 2019.
| Rank | Time | Team | Nation | Date | Place | Ref |
| 1 | 40.82 | Tianna Bartoletta Allyson Felix Bianca Knight Carmelita Jeter | United States | 10 August 2012 | London | |
| 2 | 41.01 | Tianna Bartoletta Allyson Felix English Gardner Tori Bowie | United States | 19 August 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | |
| 3 | 41.07 | Veronica Campbell-Brown Natasha Morrison Elaine Thompson Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 29 August 2015 | Beijing | |
| 4 | 41.29 | Carrie Russell Kerron Stewart Schillonie Calvert Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 18 August 2013 | Moscow | |
| 5 | 41.36 | Christania Williams Elaine Thompson Veronica Campbell-Brown Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 19 August 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | |
| 6 | 41.37 | Silke Gladisch-Möller Sabine Rieger-Günther Ingrid Auerswald-Lange Marlies Göhr | German Democratic Republic | 6 October 1985 | Canberra | |
| 7 | 41.41 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Sherone Simpson Veronica Campbell-Brown Kerron Stewart | Jamaica | 10 August 2012 | London | |
| 8 | 41.44 | Natalliah Whyte Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Jonielle Smith Shericka Jackson | Jamaica | 5 October 2019 | Doha | |
| 9 | 41.47 | Chryste Gaines Marion Jones Inger Miller Gail Devers | United States | 9 August 1997 | Athens | |
| 10 | 41.49 | Olga Bogoslovskaya Galina Malchugina Natalya Pomoshchnikova-Voronova Irina Privalova | Russia | 22 August 1993 | Stuttgart | |
| 10 | 41.49 | Michelle Finn-Burrell Gwen Torrence Wendy Vereen Gail Devers | United States | 22 August 1993 | Stuttgart | |
| 12 | 41.52 | Chryste Gaines Marion Jones Inger Miller Gail Devers | United States | 8 August 1997 | Athens | |
| 13 | 41.53 | Silke Gladisch-Möller Marita Koch Ingrid Auerswald-Lange Marlies Göhr | German Democratic Republic | 31 July 1983 | Berlin | |
| 14 | 41.55 | Alice Brown Diane Williams Florence Griffith-Joyner Pam Marshall | United States | 21 August 1987 | Berlin | |
| 15 | 41.56 | Bianca Knight Allyson Felix Marshevet Myers Carmelita Jeter | United States | 4 September 2011 | Daegu | |
| 16 | 41.58 | Alice Brown Diane Williams Florence Griffith-Joyner Pam Marshall | United States | 6 September 1987 | Rome | |
| 16 | 41.58 | Lauryn Williams Allyson Felix Muna Lee Carmelita Jeter | United States | 8 August 2009 | Cottbus | |
| 18 | 41.60 | Romy Müller Bärbel Wöckel Ingrid Auerswald-Lange Marlies Göhr | German Democratic Republic | 1 August 1980 | Moscow | |
| 18 | 41.60 | Sherone Simpson Natasha Morrison Elaine Thompson Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 3 September 2015 | Zürich | |
| 20 | 41.61 | Alice Brown Diane Williams Chandra Cheeseborough Evelyn Ashford | United States | 3 July 1983 | Colorado Springs | |
| 21 | 41.62 | Tatjana Pinto Lisa Mayer Gina Lückenkemper Rebekka Haase | Germany | 29 July 2016 | Mannheim | |
| 22 | 41.63 | Alice Brown Diane Williams Chandra Cheeseborough Evelyn Ashford | 25 June 1983 | Los Angeles | ||
| 23 | 41.64 | Tianna Bartoletta Allyson Felix Bianca Knight Carmelita Jeter | United States | 10 August 2012 | London | |
| 24 | 41.65 | Alice Brown Jeanette Bolden Chandra Cheeseborough Evelyn Ashford | USA | 11 August 1984 | Los Angeles | |
| 24 | 41.65 | Silke Möller Marita Koch Ingrid Auerswald Marlies Göhr | GDR | 17 August 1985 | Moscow | |
| 24 | 41.65 | Christania Williams Elaine Thompson Simone Facey Veronica Campbell-Brown | Jamaica | 1 September 2016 | Zürich |