# Men's 4 × 100 metres relay world record progression

The first world record in the 4 × 100 metres relay for men (athletics) was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as World Athletics, in 1912.
To June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 35 world records in the event.
The following table shows the world record progression in the men's 4 × 100 metre relay, as ratified by the IAAF. "y" denotes time for 4 × 110 yards (402.34 m), ratified as a record for this event.

## Records 1912–1976

| Time | Auto | Team | Nationality | Location of race | Date | Participants |
| 42.3 | | Germany | Germany | Stockholm, Sweden | 1912-07-08 | Otto Röhr; Max Herrmann; Erwin Kern; Richard Rau |
| 42.2 | | United States | United States | Antwerp, Belgium | 1920-08-22 | Jackson Scholz; Loren Murchison; Morris Kirksey; Charley Paddock |
| 42.0 | | Great Britain | United Kingdom | Paris, France | 1924-07-12 | Harold Abrahams; Walter Rangeley; Lancelot Royle; Wilfred Nichol |
| 42.0 | | Netherlands | Netherlands | Paris, France | 1924-07-12 | Jaap Boot; Harry Broos; Jan de Vries; Rinus van den Berge |
| 41.0 | | United States | United States | Paris, France | 1924-07-13 | Frank Hussey; Louis Clarke; Loren Murchison; Alfred LeConey |
| 41.0y | | Newark A.C. (Johnny Gibson) | United States | Lincoln, Nebraska, USA | 1927-07-04 | Chester Bowman; John Currie; James Pappas; Henry Cummings |
| 41.0 | | Eintracht Frankfurt | Germany | Halle, Germany | 1928-06-10 | Ernst Geerling; Friedrich-Wilhelm Wichmann; Adolf Metzner; Hans Salz |
| 41.0 | | United States | United States | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1928-08-05 | Frank Wykoff; James Quinn; Charles Borah; Henry Russell |
| 41.0 | | Germany | Germany | Berlin, Germany | 1928-09-02 | Arthur Jonath; Richard Corts; Hubert Houben; Helmut Körnig |
| 40.8 | | S.C. Charlottenburg | Germany | Breslau, Germany | 1929-07-22 | Helmut Körnig; Wilhelm Grosser; Alex Natan; Hermann Schlöske |
| 40.8y | | University of Southern California | United States | Fresno, USA | 1931-05-09 | Roy Delby; Milton Maurer; Maurice Guyer; Frank Wykoff |
| 40.6 | | Germany | Germany | Kassel, Germany | 1932-06-14 | Helmut Körnig; Georg Lammers; Erich Borchmeyer; Arthur Jonath |
| 40.0 | 40.10 | United States | United States | Los Angeles, USA | 1932-08-07 | Bob Kiesel; Emmett Toppino; Hector Dyer; Frank Wykoff |
| 39.8 | | United States | United States | Berlin, Germany | 1936-08-09 | Jesse Owens; Ralph Metcalfe; Foy Draper; Frank Wykoff |
| 39.5 | 39.60 | United States | United States | Melbourne, Australia | 1956-12-01 | Ira Murchison; Leamon King; Thane Baker; Bobby Morrow |
| 39.5 | | Federal Republic of Germany | West Germany | Cologne, Germany | 1958-08-29 | Manfred Steinbach; Martin Lauer; Heinz Fütterer; Manfred Germar |
| 39.5 | 39.61 | Unified Team of Germany | Germany | Rome, Italy | 1960-09-07 | Bernd Cullmann; Armin Hary; Walter Mahlendorf; Martin Lauer |
| 39.5 | 39.66 | Unified Team of Germany | Germany | Rome, Italy | 1960-09-08 | Bernd Cullmann; Armin Hary; Walter Mahlendorf; Martin Lauer |
| 39.1 | | United States | United States | Moscow, USSR | 1961-07-15 | Hayes Jones; Frank Budd; Charles Frazier; Paul Drayton |
| 39.0 | 39.06 | United States | United States | Tokyo, Japan | 1964-10-21 | Paul Drayton; Gerry Ashworth; Richard Stebbins; Bob Hayes |
| 38.6y | | University of Southern California | United States/ Jamaica | Provo, USA | 1967-06-17 | Earl McCullouch; Fred Kuller; O. J. Simpson; Lennox Miller (All USA except Miller) |
| 38.6 | 38.65 | Jamaica | Jamaica | Mexico City, Mexico | 1968-10-19 | Errol Stewart; Michael Fray; Clifton Forbes; Lennox Miller |
| 38.3 | 38.39 | Jamaica | Jamaica | Mexico City, Mexico | 1968-10-19 | Errol Stewart; Michael Fray; Clifton Forbes; Lennox Miller |
| 38.2 | 38.24 | United States | United States | Mexico City, Mexico | 1968-10-20 | Charles Greene; Mel Pender; Ronnie Ray Smith; Jim Hines |
| 38.2 | 38.19 | United States | United States | Munich, Germany | 1972-09-10 | Larry Black; Robert Taylor; Gerald Tinker; Eddie Hart |
* ↑ Mixed-nationality teams were subsequently prohibited from setting IAAF world records

## Records since 1977

Key to tables:  Time rescinded  Retrospectively ratified
From 1975 onwards, the IAAF (now World Athletics) accepted separate automatically electronically timed records for events up to 400 metres. Starting January 1, 1977, the IAAF required fully automatic timing to the hundredth of a second for these events.
The United States relay team's 1972 Olympic gold medal victory time of 38.19 was the fastest recorded result to that time.
| Time | Team | Nationality | Location | Date | Event | Participants |
| 38.19 | United States | United States | Munich, West Germany | 1972-09-10 | 1972 Olympic Games Final | Larry Black; Robert Taylor; Gerald Tinker; Eddie Hart |
| 38.03 | United States | United States | Düsseldorf, West Germany | 1977-09-03 | 1977 IAAF World Cup | Bill Collins; Steve Riddick; Cliff Wiley; Steve Williams |
| 37.86 | United States | United States | Helsinki, Finland | 1983-08-10 | 1983 World Championships Final | Emmit King, Willie Gault, Calvin Smith, Carl Lewis |
| 37.83 | United States | United States | Los Angeles, USA | 1984-08-11 | 1984 Olympic Games Final | Sam Graddy; Ron Brown; Calvin Smith; Carl Lewis |
| 37.79 | France | France | Split, Yugoslavia (now Croatia) | 1990-09-01 | 1990 European Championships | Max Morinière; Daniel Sangouma; Jean-Charles Trouabal; Bruno Marie-Rose |
| 37.79 | Santa Monica Track Club | United States | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 1991-08-03 | 1991 Herculis | Michael Marsh; Leroy Burrell; Floyd Heard; Carl Lewis |
| 37.67 | United States 1 | United States | Zürich, Switzerland | 1991-08-07 | 1991 Weltklasse Zürich | Michael Marsh; Leroy Burrell; Dennis Mitchell; Carl Lewis |
| 37.50 | United States | United States | Tokyo, Japan | 1991-09-01 | 1991 World Championships Final | Andre Cason; Leroy Burrell; Dennis Mitchell; Carl Lewis |
| 37.40 | United States | United States | Barcelona, Spain | 1992-08-08 | 1992 Olympic Games | Michael Marsh; Leroy Burrell; Dennis Mitchell; Carl Lewis |
| 37.40 | United States | United States | Stuttgart, Germany | 1993-08-21 | 1993 World Championships Semi-Final | Jon Drummond; Andre Cason; Dennis Mitchell; Leroy Burrell |
| 37.10 | Jamaica | Jamaica | Beijing, China | 2008-08-22 | 2008 Olympic Games Final | Nesta Carter; Michael Frater; Usain Bolt; Asafa Powell |
| 37.31 | Jamaica | Jamaica | Berlin, Germany | 2009-08-22 | 2009 World Championships Final | Steve Mullings; Michael Frater; Usain Bolt; Asafa Powell |
| 37.04 | Jamaica | Jamaica | Daegu, Korea | 2011-09-04 | 2011 World Championships Final | Nesta Carter; Michael Frater; Yohan Blake; Usain Bolt |
| 36.84 | Jamaica | Jamaica | London, United Kingdom | 2012-08-11 | 2012 Olympic Games Final | Nesta Carter; Michael Frater; Yohan Blake; Usain Bolt |

## T42-T46/T61–64 Class

The T42-T46 4 × 100 m relay is run by athletes with a disability.
| Class | Time | Team | Nationality | Date | Meet | Place |
| T42–47 | 42.50 | Oscar Pistorius Arnu Fourie Zivan Smith Samkelo Radebe | South Africa | 17 March 2012 | Yellow Pages Series | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| T42–47 | 41.78 | Oscar Pistorius Arnu Fourie Zivan Smith Samkelo Radebe | South Africa | 5 September 2012 | Paralympic Games | London, United Kingdom |
| T42–47 | 40.73 | Jerome Singleton (T44) Blake Leeper (T43) Jarryd Wallace (T44) Richard Browne (T44) | United States | 27 July 2013 | IPC World Championships | Lyon, France |
| T42–47/T61–64 | 40.52 | Grolla Streng Floors Rehm | Germany | 1 July 2022 | | Leverkusen, Germany |