# World Athletics Relays

The World Athletics Relays, known as the IAAF World Relays until 2019, is an international biennial track and field sporting event held by World Athletics where teams from around the world compete in relay races, some of which are not part of the standard Olympic programme. The first three editions were set to take place in Nassau, Bahamas at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Originally intended as an annual event, it was later decided to happen every odd year, in the same year as the World Athletics Championships for which it serves as a qualification stage.
The competition format for the first edition included the 4 × 100 metres relay, the 4 × 200 metres relay, the 4 × 400 metres relay, the 4 × 800 metres relay and the 4 × 1500 metres relay. The first edition had a $1.4 million prize fund.
From the second edition, the 4 × 1500 metres relay was replaced by the distance medley relay. However, this was short-lived and was itself replaced by a mixed-gender 4 × 400 metres relay for the third edition. In 2019, the 2 × 2 × 400 m relay and the shuttle hurdles relay were added to the mixed-gender category. Starting from the 2024 edition, all the non-Olympic events were removed from the programme and only the mens and women's 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 metres remained, alongside the mixed 4 x 400 metres relay. In the 2025 edition, a mixed 4 x 100 metres will be added to the programme, bringing the total to 6 events.
The upcoming World Athletics Relays will be held in Guangzhou, China at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on 10 and 11 May 2025.

## Championships

| Edition | Year | City | Country | Date | Venue | No. of Events | No. of Countries | No. of Athletes | Top of the medal table |
| 1 | 2014 | Nassau | Bahamas | 24–25 May | Thomas Robinson Stadium | 10 | 41 | 470 | United States |
| 2 | 2015 | Nassau | Bahamas | 2–3 May | Thomas Robinson Stadium | 10 | 42 | 584 | United States |
| 3 | 2017 | Nassau | Bahamas | 22–23 April | Thomas Robinson Stadium | 9 | 35 | 419 | United States |
| 4 | 2019 | Yokohama | Japan | 11–12 May | Yokohama International Stadium | 9 | 43 | 529 | United States |
| 5 | 2021 | Chorzów | Poland | 1–2 May | Silesian Stadium | 9 | 37 | 689 | Italy |
| 6 | 2024 | Nassau | Bahamas | 4–5 May | Thomas Robinson Stadium | 5 | 52 | 893 | United States |
| 7 | 2025 | Guangzhou | China | 10–11 May | Guangdong Olympic Stadium | 6 | | | |
| 8 | 2027 | Cali | Colombia | May | TBA | 10 | | | |

## Events

| Event | Event | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year |
| Discipline | Gender | 2014 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2021 | 2024 | 2025 |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | Men | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | Mixed | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | Women | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shuttle hurdles relay | Mixed | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 4 × 200 metres relay | Men | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 4 × 200 metres relay | Women | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 4 × 400 metres relay | Men | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4 × 400 metres relay | Mixed | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4 × 400 metres relay | Women | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2 × 2 × 400 metres relay | Mixed | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 4 × 800 metres relay | Men | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 4 × 800 metres relay | Women | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Distance medley relay | Men | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Distance medley relay | Women | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 4 × 1500 metres relay | Men | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 4 × 1500 metres relay | Women | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |

## Championships records
### Men

| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Meet | Place |
| 4 × 100 m relay | 37.38 | Mike Rodgers Justin Gatlin Tyson Gay Ryan Bailey | United States | 2 May 2015 | 2015 IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |
| 4 × 200 m relay | 1:18.63 | Nickel Ashmeade Warren Weir Jermaine Brown Yohan Blake | Jamaica | 24 May 2014 | 2014 IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |
| 4 × 400 m relay | 2:57.25 | David Verburg Tony McQuay Christian Taylor LaShawn Merritt | United States | 25 May 2014 | 2014 IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |
| 4 × 800 m relay | 7:04.84 | Duane Solomon Erik Sowinski Casimir Loxsom Robby Andrews | United States | 3 May 2015 | 2015 IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |
| Distance medley relay | 9:15.50 | Kyle Merber 2:53.56 (1200 m) Brycen Spratling 45.95 (400 m) Brandon Johnson 1:44.75 (800 m) Ben Blankenship 3:51.24 (1600 m) | United States | 3 May 2015 | 2015 IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |
| 4 × 1500 m relay | 14:22.22 | Collins Cheboi Silas Kiplagat James Kiplagat Magut Asbel Kiprop | Kenya | 25 May 2014 | 2014 IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |

### Women

| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Meet | Place |
| 4 × 100 m relay | 41.85 | Tamari Davis Gabrielle Thomas Celera Barnes Melissa Jefferson | United States | 5 May 2024 | 2024 Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |
| 4 × 200 m relay | 1:29.04 | Jura Levy Shericka Jackson Sashalee Forbes Elaine Thompson | Jamaica | 22 April 2017 | 2017 IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |
| 4 × 400 m relay | 3:19.39 | Phyllis Francis Natasha Hastings Sanya Richards-Ross Francena McCorory | United States | 3 May 2015 | 2015 IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |
| 4 × 800 m relay | 8:00.62 | Chanelle Price Maggie Vessey Molly Beckwith-Ludlow Alysia Johnson Montaño | United States | 3 May 2015 | 2015 IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |
| Distance medley relay | 10:36.50 | Treniere Moser 3:18.38 (1200 m) Sanya Richards-Ross 50.12 (400 m) Ajee' Wilson 2:00.08 (800 m) Shannon Rowbury 4:27.92 (1600 m) | United States | 2 May 2015 | 2015 IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |
| 4 × 1500 m relay | 16:33.58 | Mercy Cherono Faith Kipyegon Irene Jelagat Hellen Onsando Obiri | Kenya | 24 May 2014 | 2014 IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |

### Mixed

| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Meet | Place |
| 4 × 400 m relay | 3:10.73 | Matthew Boling Lynna Irby-Jackson Willington Wright Kendall Ellis | United States | 5 May 2024 | 2024 Relays | Nassau, Bahamas |
| 2 × 2 × 400 m relay | 3:36.92 | Ce'Aira Brown Donavan Brazier | United States | 11 May 2019 | 2019 Relays | Yokohama, Japan |
| Shuttle hurdle relay | 54.96 | Christina Clemons Freddie Crittenden Sharika Nelvis Devon Allen | United States | 11 May 2019 | 2019 Relays | Yokohama, Japan |

## Medal table

Updated: May 2024
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | United States | 26 | 7 | 2 | 35 |
| 2 | Jamaica | 5 | 8 | 6 | 19 |
| 3 | Poland | 3 | 8 | 1 | 12 |
| 4 | Kenya | 3 | 6 | 2 | 11 |
| 5 | Germany | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| 6 | Italy | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | France | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 8 | Canada | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | Bahamas | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 11 | Botswana | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | Brazil | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 14 | Nigeria | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 15 | Cuba | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Japan | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 17 | South Africa | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 18 | Australia | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| 18 | Great Britain | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| 20 | China | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 21 | Ireland | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 22 | Barbados | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | Belarus | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 25 | Belgium | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 26 | Denmark | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 26 | Dominican Republic | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 26 | Ecuador | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 26 | Ethiopia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 26 | Portugal | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 26 | Russia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 26 | Slovenia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (32 entries) | Totals (32 entries) | 52 | 52 | 51 | 155 |

## Multiple wins

Multiple wins athletes are:

### Three wins

| Athlete | Country | Events |
| Nickel Ashmeade | Jamaica | Men’s 4x100m 2014, 4x200m 2014/2015 |
| Tony McQuay | United States | Men’s 4x400m 2014/2015/2017 |
| LaShawn Merritt | United States | Men’s 4x400m 2014/2015/2017 |
| David Verburg | United States | Men’s 4x400m 2014/2015/2017 |
| Natasha Hastings | United States | Women’s 4x400m 2014/2015/2017 |
| Chanelle Price | United States | Women’s 4x800m 2014/2015/2017 |
| Sanya Richards-Ross | United States | Women’s 4x400m 2014/2015, Distance Medley Relay 2015 |

### Two wins

| Athlete | Country | Events |
| Yohan Blake | Jamaica | Men’s 4x100m 2014, 4x200m 2014 |
| Justin Gatlin | United States | Men’s 4x100m 2015/2017 |
| Casimir Loxsom | United States | Men’s 4x800m 2015/2017 |
| Erik Sowinski | United States | Men’s 4x800m 2015/2017 |
| Warren Weir | Jamaica | Men’s 4x200m 2014/2015 |
| Phyllis Francis | United States | Women’s 4x400m 2015/2017 |
| Ajeé Wilson | United States | Women’s 4x800m 2014, Distance Medley Relay 2015 |
| Quanera Hayes | United States | Women’s 4x400m 2017/2024 |
| Gabrielle Thomas | United States | Women’s 4x100m 2024, Women’s 4x400m 2024 |