# 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.

## World record

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. 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.

## European record

* Men Italy: 1:21.10 (Stefano Tilli, Carlo Simionato, Giovanni Bongiorni, Pietro Mennea), Cagliari 29 September 1983
* 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.
| Rank | Time | Team | Nation | Date | Place |
| 1 | 1:18.63 | Nickel Ashmeade, Warren Weir, Jermaine Brown, Yohan Blake | Jamaica | 24 May 2014 | Nassau |
| 2 | 1:18.68 | Santa Monica Track Club Michael Marsh, Leroy Burrell, Floyd Heard, Carl Lewis | United States | 17 April 1994 | Walnut |
| 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 |
| 4 | 1:19.11 | Santa Monica Track Club Michael Marsh, Leroy Burrell, Floyd Heard, Carl Lewis | United States | 25 April 1992 | Philadelphia |
| 5 | 1:19.20 | Gavin Smellie, Brendon Rodney, Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown | Canada | 2 April 2016 | Gainesville |
| 6 | 1:19.38 | Santa Monica Track Club Danny Everett, Leroy Burrell, Floyd Heard, Carl Lewis | United States | 23 August 1989 | Koblenz |
| 7 | 1:19.39 | Jon Drummond, Shawn Crawford, Bernard Williams, Maurice Greene | United States | 28 April 2001 | Philadelphia |
| 8 | 1:19.42 | Gavin Smellie, Brendon Rodney, Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown | Canada | 23 April 2017 | Nassau |
| 9 | 1:19.45 | Santa Monica Track Club Joe DeLoach, Leroy Burrell, Carl Lewis, Floyd Heard | United States | 27 April 1991 | Philadelphia |
| 10 | 1:19.47 | Kenny Brokenburr, Alvin Harrison, Maurice Greene, Michael Johnson | United States | 24 April 1999 | Philadelphia |
| 11 | 1:19.62 | Shawn Crawford, Mickey Grimes, Darvis Patton, Justin Gatlin | United States | 24 April 2004 | Philadelphia |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 14 | 1:19.73 | Christopher Belcher, Bryce Robinson, Vernon Norwood, Remontay McClain | United States | 12 May 2019 | Yokohama |
| 15 | 1:19.85 | Nike International Maurice Greene, Allen Johnson, Alvin Harrison, Michael Johnson | United States | 25 April 1998 | Philadelphia |
| 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 |
| 16 | 1:19.88 | Noah Lyles, Jarrion Lawson, Isiah Young, Ameer Webb | United States | 23 April 2017 | Nassau |
| 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 |
| 18 | 1:19.91 | Bolade Ajomale, Brendon Rodney, Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown | Canada | 1 April 2017 | Gainesville |
| 20 | 1:19.92 | Nike International Kenny Brokenburr, Bryan Howard, Rohsaan Griffin, Maurice Greene | United States | 29 April 2000 | Philadelphia |
| 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 |
| 22 | 1:20.07 | University of Technology Jamaica Dantago Gurirab Julian Forte Andrew Fisher Ronald Levy | Namibia Jamaica Jamaica Jamaica | 26 April 2014 | Philadelphia |
| 23 | 1:20.12 | Christopher Belcher, Bryce Robinson, Vernon Norwood, Remontay McClain | United States | 12 May 2019 | Yokohama |
| 24 | 1:20.15 | Rasheed Dwyer, Jermaine Brown, Jason Livermore, Warren Weir | Jamaica | 24 May 2014 | Nassau |
| 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.
| Rank | Time | Team | Nation | Date | Place |
| 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 |
| 2 | 1:27.46 | LaTasha Jenkins LaTasha Colander-Richardson Nanceen Perry Marion Jones | United States | 29 April 2000 | Philadelphia |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 5 | 1:28.77 | Pure Athletics Kelly Ann Baptiste Shakima Wimbley Tori Bowie Samantha Henry-Robinson | Trinidad and Tobago United States United States Jamaica | 31 March 2018 | Gainesville |
| 7 | 1:28.78 | University of Oregon Makenzie Dunmore, Hannah Cunliffe, Deajah Stevens, Ariana Washington | United States | 1 April 2017 | Gainesville |
| 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 |
| 9 | 1:29.04 | Jura Levy, Shericka Jackson, Shashalee Forbes, Elaine Thompson | Jamaica | 22 April 2017 | Nassau |
| 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 |
| 11 | 1:29.42 | Texas A&M University Jeneba Tarmoh, Gabby Mayo, Jessica Beard, Porscha Lucas | United States | 24 April 2010 | Philadelphia |
| 12 | 1:29.45 | Shalonda Solomon, Tawanna Meadows, Bianca Knight, Kimberlyn Duncan | United States | 25 May 2014 | Nassau |
| 13 | 1:29.61 | Desiree Henry, Anyika Onuora, Bianca Williams, Asha Philip | Great Britain | 25 May 2014 | Nassau |
| 14 | 1:29.64 | Nike International Tameka Roberts, Inger Miller, Nicole Green, Marion Jones | United States | 25 April 1998 | Philadelphia |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 17 | 1:29.86 | Empire Athletics Shalonda Solomon, Francena McCorory, Charonda Williams, Felicia Brown | United States | 1 April 2017 | Gainesville |
| 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 |
| 19 | 1:29.96 | Texas A&M University LaKeidra Stewart, Ashley Collier, Jessica Beard, Dominique Duncan | United States | 30 April 2011 | Philadelphia |
| 20 | 1:29.98 | Texas A&M University Ashton Purvis, Ashley Collier, Olivia Ekpone, Kamaria Brown | United States | 27 April 2013 | Philadelphia |
| 21 | 1:30.01 | Angela Daigle, Debbie Dunn, Julian Clay, Shaunta Pelham | United States | 24 April 2004 | Philadelphia |
| 21 | 1:30.01 | Louisiana State University Cassandra Tate Semoy Hackett Rebecca Alexander Kimberlyn Duncan | United States Trinidad and Tobago United States United States | 31 March 2012 | Austin |
| 23 | 1:30.04 | Simone Facey, Sheri-Ann Brooks, Anneisha McLaughlin, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 25 May 2014 | Nassau |
| 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 |
| 25 | 1:30.20 | Nike International Celena Mondie-Milner, Nicole Green, Chryste Gaines, Inger Miller | United States | 26 April 1997 | Philadelphia |