The 4 × 400 metres relay at the World Athletics Championships has been contested by both men and women since the inaugural edition in 1983. The competition features three formats in relation to gender: men, women, and mixed. The 2019 edition added in the mixed competition. The format utilizes one set of heats qualifying the top 8 into a final.
The United States holds all the championship records in this event. For both the men and women, the record has been held since 1993 with a time of 2:54.29 for the men and 3:16.71 for the women. In the mixed competition, a time of 3:09.34 was set in 2019. For the men and the mixed records, they are also both world records.
Age records
All information from World Athletics.
DistinctionMaleFemaleAthleteAgeDateAthleteAgeDateYoungest champion19 years, 37 days1 Sep 199118 years, 186 days31 Aug 2003Youngest medalist18 years, 5 days13 Aug 199518 years, 186 days31 Aug 2003Youngest finalist17 years, 354 days14 Aug 200515 years, 237 days10 Aug 1997Youngest participant16 years, 354 days31 Aug 199115 years, 236 days9 Aug 1997Oldest champion35 years, 51 days12 Aug 200136 years, 361 days31 Aug 2003Oldest medalist35 years, 51 days12 Aug 200136 years, 361 days31 Aug 2003Oldest finalist35 years, 298 days24 Jul 202236 years, 361 days31 Aug 2003Oldest participant35 years, 298 days24 Jul 202237 years, 359 days12 Aug 2017
Mixed 4 × 400 relay DistinctionMaleFemaleAthleteAgeDateAthleteAgeDateYoungest champion22 years, 43 days29 Sep 201921 years, 261 days15 Jul 2022Youngest medalist19 years, 34 days29 Sep 201921 years, 129 days29 Sep 2019Youngest finalist19 years, 34 days29 Sep 201918 years, 145 days15 Jul 2022Youngest participant19 years, 33 days28 Sep 201917 years, 222 days28 Sep 2019Oldest champion24 years, 190 days29 Sep 201933 years, 239 days29 Sep 2019Oldest medalist24 years, 289 days29 Sep 201936 years, 315 days15 Jul 2022Oldest finalist32 years, 292 days29 Sep 201939 years, 120 days29 Sep 2019Oldest participant32 years, 292 days29 Sep 201939 years, 120 days29 Sep 2019
Medalists
Men
Women
Mixed
Medalists by country RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal1301421001302024010101016001100110011
Championship record progression
Men + Men's 4 × 400 metres relay World Championships record progressionTimeNationLocationRoundDateAthletes 3.06.62 Helsinki Heat 1 Aug 13, 1983 Alonzo Babers, Willie Smith, Andre Phillips, Michael Franks 3.02.13 Helsinki Semifinals Aug 13, 1983 Alonzo Babers, Sunder Nix, Willie Smith, Edwin Moses 3.00.79 Helsinki Final Aug 14, 1983 Sergey Lovachov, Aleksandr Troshchilo, Nikolay Chernetskiy, Viktor Markin 2.59.06 Rome Heat 2 Sep 05, 1987 Danny Everett, Michael Franks, Raymond Pierre, Antonio McKay 2.57.29 Rome Final Sep 06, 1987 Danny Everett, Roddie Haley, Antonio McKay, Butch Reynolds 2.54.29 Stuttgart Final Aug 22, 1993 Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds, Michael Johnson
Women + Women's 4 × 400 metres relay World Championships record progressionTimeNationLocationRoundDateAthletes 3.26.82 Helsinki Heats Aug 13, 1983 Roberta Belle, Easter Gabriel, Rosalyn Bryant, Denean Howard 3:19.73 Helsinki Finwal Aug 14, 1983 Kerstin Walther, Sabine Busch, Marita Koch, Dagmar Rübsam 3:18.63 Rome Final Sep 6, 1987 Dagmar Neubauer, Kirsten Emmelmann, Petra Muller, Sabine Busch 3:18.43 Tokyo Final Sep 1, 1991 Tatyana Ledovskaya, Lyudmila Dzhigalova, Olga Nazarova, Olha Bryzhina 3:16.71 Stuttgart Final Aug 22, 1993 Gwen Torrence, Maicel Malone, Natasha Kaiser-Brown, Jearl Miles3:16.61TokyoFinal21 Sep, 2025Isabella Whittaker, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Aaliyah Butler, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Mixed + Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay World Championships record progressionTimeNationLocationRoundDateAthletes 3:12.42 Doha Heats 28 Sep, 2019 Tyrell Richard, Jessica Beard, Jasmine Blocker, Obi Igbokwe 3:09.34 Doha Final 29 Sep, 2019 Wilbert London, Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo, Michael Cherry 3:08.80 Budapest Final 19 Aug 2023 Justin Robinson, Rosey Effiong, Matthew Boling, Alexis HolmesTokyoFinal13 Sep 2025Bryce Deadmon, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Jenoah McKiver, Alexis Holmes
Finishing times
Top ten fastest World Championship times
+ Fastest men's times at the World ChampionshipsRankTime (sec)NationAthletesGamesRoundDate 1 2:54.29 Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Harry Reynolds, Michael Johnson 1993 Final 22 August 2 2:55.56 LaShawn Merritt, Angelo Taylor, Darold Williamson, Jeremy Wariner 2007 Final 2 September 3 2:56.17 Elija Godwin, Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon, Champion Allison 2022 Final 24 July 4 2:56.65 Iwan Thomas, Roger Black, Jamie Baulch, Mark Richardson 1997 Final 10 August 5 2:56.69 Fred Kerley, Michael Cherry, Wilbert London, Rai Benjamin 2019 Final 6 October 6 2:56.75 Michael McDonald, Gregory Haughton, Danny McFarlane, Davian Clarke 1997 Final 14 August 7 2:56.91 Andrew Rock, Derrick Brew, Darold Williamson, Jeremy Wariner 2005 Final 5 October 8 2:57.29 Danny Everett, Roddie Haley, Dennis Mitchell, Leroy Burrell 1987 Final 6 September 9 2:57.31 Quincy Hall, Vernon Norwood, Justin Robinson, Rai Benjamin 2023 Final 27 August 10 2:57.32 Marlon Ramsey, Derek Mills, Harry Reynolds, Michael Johnson 1995 Final 13 August
+ Fastest women's times at the World ChampionshipsRankTime (sec)NationAthletesGamesRoundDate 1 3:16.61 Isabella Whittaker, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Aaliyah Butler, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone 2025 Final 21 September 2 3:16.71 Gwen Torrence, Maicel Malone, Natasha Kaiser-Brown, Jearl Miles Clark 1993 Final 22 August 3 3:17.79 Talitha Diggs, Abby Steiner, Britton Wilson, Sydney McLaughlin 2022 Final 24 July 4 3:17.83 Debbie Dunn, Allyson Felix, Lashinda Demus, Sanya Richards 2009 Final 23 August 5 3:18.09 Sanya Richards-Ross, Allyson Felix, Jessica Beard, Francena McCorory 2011 Final 3 September 6 3:18.38 Yelena Ruzina, Tatyana Alekseyeva, Margarita Ponomaryova, Irina Privalova 1993 Final 22 August 7 3:18.43 Tatyana Ledovskaya, Lyudmila Dzhigalova, Olga Nazarova, Olga Bryzgina 1991 Final 1 September 8 3:18.55 Dee Dee Trotter, Allyson Felix, Mary Wineberg, Sanya Richards 2007 Final 2 September 9 3:18.63 Dagmar Neubauer, Kirsten Emmelmann, Petra Schersing, Sabine Busch 1987 Final 6 September 10 3:18.71 Rosemarie Whyte, Davita Prendergast, Novlene Williams-Mills, Shericka Williams 2011 Final 3 September
+ Fastest mixed times at the World ChampionshipsRankTime (sec)NationAthletesGamesRoundDate1 3:08.80 Justin Robinson, Rosey Effiong, Matthew Boling, Alexis Holmes 2023 Final 19 August Bryce Deadmon, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Jenoah McKiver, Alexis Holmes 2025 Final 13 September 3 3:09.34 Wilbert London, Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo, Michael Cherry 2019 Final 29 September 4 3:09.82 Lidio Andrés Feliz, Marileidy Paulino, Alexander Ogando, Fiordaliza Cofil 2022 Final 15 July 5 3:09.90 Liemarvin Bonevacia, Lieke Klaver, Tony van Diepen, Femke Bol 2022 Final 15 July 6 3:09.96 Eugene Omalla, Lieke Klaver, Jonas Phijffers, Femke Bol 2025 Final 13 September 7 3:10.16 Elija Godwin, Allyson Felix, Vernon Norwood, Kennedy Simon 2022 Final 15 July 8 3:10.18 Bryce Deadmon, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Jenoah McKiver, Alexis Holmes 2025 Heats 13 September 9 3:10.22 Lewis Davey, Nicole Yeargin, Toby Harries, Yemi Mary John 2025 Heats 13 September 10 3:10.37 Jonathan Sacoor, Imke Vervaet, Dylan Borlée, Helena Ponette 2025 Heats 13 September
References
External links Official IAAF website