The 4 × 400 metres relay at the Summer Olympics is the longest track relay event held at the multi-sport event. The men's relay has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1912 and the women's event has been continuously held since the 1972 Olympics. The inaugural mixed 4 × 400 metres relay was held at the 2020 Olympics. It is the most prestigious 4 × 400 m relay race at the elite level. At the 1908 Summer Olympics, a precursor to this event was held – the 1600 m medley relay. This event, with two legs of 200 m, one of 400 m, and a final leg of 800 m, was the first track relay in Olympic history.Athletics at the 1908 London Summer Games: Men's 1,600 metres Medley Relay. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-08.

The competition has two parts: a first round and an eight-team final. Historically, there was a semi-final round, but this has been eliminated as selection is now determined by time, with the sixteen fastest nations during a pre-Olympic qualification period are entered.

Since 1984, teams may enter up to eight athletes for the event. Larger nations typically have up to four reserve runners in the first round in order to preserve the fitness of their top runners for the final. Heat runners of medal-winning teams receive medals even if they did not run in the final.

The Olympic records for the event are 2:54.43 for men, set by the United States in 2024; 3:15.17 for women, set by the Soviet Union in 1988 and 3:07.41 in mixed relay, set by the United States in 2024. The women's record is also the world record for the 4 × 400 metres relay. The first two women's Olympic finals (1972 and 1976) resulted in new world records for the winning East German teams. The men's world record has been profoundly shaped by Olympic competition with ten records set (1912, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1952, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1988, and 1992): the record has only been broken twice in a 4 × 400 m relay race outside of the multi-sport event.

The United States is by far the most successful nation in the event. The country has won the men's race 18 times and the women's race seven times. As of 2024, no other country has won more than three golds in the event. Great Britain (two wins, thirteen medals), Jamaica (one win, eight medals) and the Soviet Union (three wins, four medals) are the next most successful nations.Athletics Men's 4 × 400 metres Relay Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.Athletics Women's 4 × 400 metres Relay Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.

Participants in this event are often competitors in the 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles individual Olympic events (and, less commonly, the 800 metres and 200 metres).

Allyson Felix is the most successful athlete in the event, having four straight wins from 2008 to 2020. Steve Lewis, Jeremy Wariner, Bryce Deadmon and Rai Benjamin are the only men to win the title twice, and Chris Brown is the only man to reach the podium three times.

Medal summary

Men

Multiple medalists Rank Athlete Nation OlympicsGoldSilverBronze Total 1= 1988–1992 2 0 0 2 1= 2004–2008 2 0 0 2 1= 2008, 2016 2 0 0 2 1= 2021–2024 2 0 0 2 1= 2021–2024 2 0 0 2 6 2000, 2008–2016 1 1 2 4 7 2008–2012 1 1 1 3 8= 1932–1936 1 1 0 2 8= 1948–1952 1 1 0 2 8= 1968–1972 1 1 0 2 8= 1968–1972 1 1 0 2 8= 2008–2012 1 1 0 2 8= 2008–2012 1 1 0 2 14= 1920–1924 1 0 1 2 14= 2000–2004 1 0 1 2 16= 1992–1996 0 1 1 2 16= 1992–1996 0 1 1 2 16= 1992–1996 0 1 1 2 16= 2000–2008 0 1 1 2 16= 2020–2024 0 1 1 2

Medals by country Rank NationGoldSilverBronze Total 1 19 3 0 22 2 2 5 6 13 3 1 3 1 5 4 1 1 2 4 5 1 1 0 2 6 1 0 2 3 7 1 0 0 1 8= 0 2 2 4 8= 0 2 2 4 10 0 2 0 2 11= 0 1 1 2 11= 0 1 1 2 13= 0 1 0 1 13= 0 1 0 1 13= 0 1 0 1 13= 0 1 0 1 13= 0 1 0 1 18 0 0 3 3 19= 0 0 2 2 19= 0 0 2 2 21= 0 0 1 1 21= 0 0 1 1 The German total includes teams both competing as Germany and the United Team of Germany, but not East or West Germany.

Women

Multiple medalists Rank Athlete Nation OlympicsGoldSilverBronze Total 1 2008–2021 4 0 0 4 2 2004–2012 3 0 0 3 3 1992–2000 2 1 0 3 4= 1988–1992 2 0 0 2 4= 1988–1992 2 0 0 2 4= 1988–1992 2 0 0 2 4= 2000–2004 2 0 0 2 4= 2004–2008 2 0 0 2 4= 2004–2012 2 0 0 2 4= 2008–2016 2 0 0 2 4= 2012–2016 2 0 0 2 4= 2021–2024 2 0 0 2 13 1984–1992 1 2 0 3 14= 1976–1980 1 1 0 2 14= 1984–1988 1 1 0 2 14= 1984–1988 1 1 0 2 14= 1984–1988 1 1 0 2 14= 1984–1988 1 1 0 2 14= 1992–1996 1 1 0 2 20 2004–2016 0 3 1 4 21= 2008–2012 0 2 0 2 21= 2008–2012 0 2 0 2 21= 2008–2012 0 2 0 2 21= 2012–2016 0 2 0 2 25= 2000–2004 0 1 1 2 25= 2000–2004 0 1 1 2 25= 2000–2004 0 1 1 2 25= 2000–2004 0 1 1 2 25= 2016-2020 0 1 1 2 30= 1988–1996 0 0 2 2 30= 2008–2016 0 0 2 2

Medalists by country Rank NationGoldSilverBronze Total 1 9 4 0 13 2 2 1 1 4 3 2 0 1 3 4 1 0 0 1 5 0 4 2 6 6 0 1 1 2 7= 0 1 0 1 7= 0 1 0 1 7= 0 1 0 1 7= 0 1 0 1 11 0 0 5 5 12 0 0 2 2 13= 0 0 1 1 13= 0 0 1 1

Mixed

Medalists by country + Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 1 1 2 4 0 1 0 1 5 0 0 1 1

1908 Olympic medley relay 1908 LondonWilliam HamiltonNate CartmellJohn TaylorMel SheppardArthur HoffmannHans EickeOtto TrieloffHanns BraunPál SimonFrigyes WiesnerJózsef NagyÖdön Bodor

Top ten fastest Olympic times

+ Fastest men's times at the OlympicsRankTime (sec)NationAthletesGamesRoundDate 1 2:54.43 Christopher Bailey, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon, Rai Benjamin 2024 Final 10 August 2 2:54.53 Bayapo Ndori, Busang Kebinatshipi, Anthony Pesela, Letsile Tebogo 2024 Final 10 August 3 2:55.39 LaShawn Merritt, Angelo Taylor, David Neville, Jeremy Wariner 2008 Final 23 August 4 2:55.70 Michael Cherry, Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon, Rai Benjamin 2020 Final 7 August 5 2:55.74 Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Michael Johnson, Steve Lewis 1992 Final 8 August 6 2:55.83 Alex Haydock-Wilson, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Lewis Davey, Charlie Dobson 2024 Final 10 August 7 2:55.91 Otis Harris, Derrick Brew, Jeremy Wariner, Darold Williamson 2004 Final 28 August 8 2:55.99 LaMont Smith, Alvin Harrison, Derek Mills, Anthuan Maybank 1996 Final 3 August92:56.16 Vincent Matthews, Ronald Freeman, Larry James, Lee Evans 1968 Final 10 October Danny Everett, Steve Lewis, Kevin Robinzine, Harry Reynolds 1988 Final 1 October

+ Fastest women's times at the OlympicsRankTime (sec)NationAthletesGamesRoundDate 1 3:15.17 Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, Olga Bryzgina 1988 Final 1 October 2 3:15.27 Shamier Little, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, Alexis Holmes 2024 Final 10 August 3 3:15.51 Denean Hill, Diane Dixon, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Florence Griffith Joyner 1988 Final 1 October 4 3:16.85 Sydney McLaughlin, Allyson Felix, Dalilah Muhammad, Athing Mu 2020 Final 7 August 5 3:16.87 DeeDee Trotter, Allyson Felix, Francena McCorory, Sanya Richards-Ross 2012 Final 10 August63:18.29 Lillie Leatherwood, Sherri Howard, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Chandra Cheeseborough 1984 Final 11 August Dagmar Neubauer, Kirsten Emmelmann, Sabine Busch, Petra Schersing 1988 Final 1 October 8 3:18.54 Mary Wineberg, Allyson Felix, Monique Henderson, Sanya Richards 2008 Final 23 August 9 3:19.01 DeeDee Trotter, Monique Henderson, Sanya Richards, Monique Hennagan 2004 Final 28 August 10 3:19.06 Courtney Okolo, Natasha Hastings, Phyllis Francis, Allyson Felix 2016 Final 20 August

References Participation and athlete data Athletics Men's 4 × 400 metres Relay Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07. Athletics Women's 4 × 400 metres Relay Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07. Athletics Men's 1,600 metres Medley Relay Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07. Olympic record progressions Mallon, Bill (2012). TRACK & FIELD ATHLETICS - OLYMPIC RECORD PROGRESSIONS. Track and Field News. Retrieved on 2014-02-07. Specific

External links IAAF 4×400 metres relay homepage Official Olympics website Olympic athletics records from Track & Field News