Men's 4 × 400 metres relay world record progression

The first world record in the 4 x 400 metres for men (athletics) was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, in 1912. The IAAF's first record in the event was for a mark set the year before the organization's formation. The men's record has been almost exclusively set by American teams, with one exception by one Jamaican team. To June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 15 world records in the event.

{{cite web

|title = 12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009.

|url = http://www.iaaf.org/mm/document/competitions/competition/05/15/63/20090706014834_httppostedfile_p345-688_11303.pdf

|publisher = IAAF Media & Public Relations Department

|location = Monte Carlo

|pages = Pages 546, 562

|format = pdf

|year = 2009

|accessdate = August 4, 2009

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110629134819/http://www.iaaf.org/mm/document/competitions/competition/05/15/63/20090706014834_httppostedfile_p345-688_11303.pdf

|archivedate=June 29, 2011

}}

Records 1912–present

The following table shows the world record progression in the men's 4 x 400 metre relay, as ratified by the IAAF. "y" denotes time for 4 x 440 yards (1609 m), ratified as a record for this event.

class="wikitable" border="1"
Time ! Auto ! Team ! Nationality ! Location of race ! Date ! Competition ! Participants {{cite web \|title = Sportrekorde \|url = http://www.rekorde-im-sport.de/Leichtathletik/maenner_4x400m.html \|website = rekorde-im-sport.de \|date = 2015-09-10 \|accessdate = 2016-03-27 }}
3:18.2 {{AthAbbr\|y}} \| \| Irish-American AC \| {{Flag\|United States\|1908}} \| New York City, USA \| 1911-09-04 \| \| Harry Schaaf, Mel Sheppard, Harry Gissing, James Rosenberger
3:16.6 \| \| United States \| {{Flag\|United States\|1912}} \| Stockholm, Sweden \| 1912-06-15 \| \| Mel Sheppard, Charles Reidpath, Ted Meredith, Edward Lindberg
3:16.0 \| \| United States \| {{Flag\|United States\|1912}} \| Paris, France \| 1924-07-13 \| \| Commodore Cochran, Alan Helffrich, Oliver MacDonald, William Stevenson
3:14.2 \| \| United States \| {{Flag\|United States\|1912}} \| Amsterdam, Netherlands \| 1928-08-05 \| \| George Baird, Emerson Spencer, Fred Alderman, Ray Barbuti
3:13.4 {{AthAbbr\|y}} \| \| United States \| {{Flag\|United States\|1912}} \| London, UK \| 1928-08-11 \| \| George Baird, Morgan Taylor, Ray Barbuti, Emerson Spencer
3:12.6 {{AthAbbr\|y}} \| \| Stanford University \| {{Flag\|United States\|1912}} \| Fresno, USA \| 1931-05-08 \| \| Maynor Shore, Alvin Hables, Leslie Hables, Ben Eastman
3:08.2 \| 3:08.14 \| United States \| {{Flag\|United States\|1912}} \| Los Angeles, USA \| 1932-08-07 \| \| Ivan Fuqua, Ed Ablowich, Karl Warner, Bill Carr
3:03.9 \| 3:04.04 \| Jamaica \| {{Flag\|Jamaica\|1906}} \| Helsinki, Finland \| 1952-07-27 \| \| Arthur Wint, Leslie Laing, Herb McKenley, George Rhoden
3:02.2 \| 3:02.37 \| United States \| {{USA}} \| Rome, Italy \| 1960-09-08 \| \| Jack Yerman, Earl Young, Glenn Davis, Otis Davis
3:00.7 \| \| United States \| {{USA}} \| Tokyo, Japan \| 1964-10-21 \| \| Ollan Cassell, Mike Larrabee, Ulis Williams, Henry Carr
2:59.6 \| \| United States \| {{USA}} \| Los Angeles, USA \| 1966-07-24[http://www.newspaperarchive.com/SiteMap/FreePdfPreview.aspx?img=104550137 NewspaperARCHIVE.com - Oelwein Daily Register - 1966-07-25 ] \| \| Robert Frey, Lee Evans, Tommie Smith, Theron Lewis
2:56.2 \| 2:56.16From 1 January 1981, the IAAF accepted automatic times for events up to and including 10,000 m. Accordingly, the 2:56.2 world record time from 1968 was taken to be 2:56.16. \| United States \| {{USA}} \| Mexico City, Mexico \| 1968-10-20 \| \| Vincent Matthews, Ron Freeman, Larry James, Lee Evans
2:56.16 \| - \| United States \| {{USA}} \| Seoul, South Korea \| 1988-10-01 \| \| Danny Everett, Steve Lewis, Kevin Robinzine, Butch Reynolds
2:55.74 \| - \| United States \| {{USA}} \| Barcelona, Spain \| 1992-08-08 \| \| Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Michael Johnson, Steve Lewis
2:54.29 \| - \| United States \| {{USA}} \| Stuttgart, Germany \| 1993-08-22 \| \| Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds, Michael Johnson
bgcolor=#F5A9A9 \| 2:54.20{{efn\|This time was rescinded by the IAAF on 12 August 2008 after relay team member Antonio Pettigrew admitted to using human growth hormone and EPO between 1997 and 2003.}} [https://www.iaaf.org/news/news/iaaf-council-cancels-4x400m-world-record IAAF Council cancels 4x400m World Record] \| - \| United States \| {{USA}} \| Uniondale, New York \| 1998-07-22 \| \| Jerome Young, Antonio Pettigrew, Tyree Washington, Michael Johnson

class="wikitable" border="1"

Time

! Auto

! Team

! Nationality

! Location of race

! Date

! Competition

! Participants

{{cite web

|title = Sportrekorde

|url = http://www.rekorde-im-sport.de/Leichtathletik/maenner_4x400m.html

|website = rekorde-im-sport.de

|date = 2015-09-10

|accessdate = 2016-03-27

}}

3:18.2 {{AthAbbr|y}}

| Irish-American AC

| {{Flag|United States|1908}}

| New York City, USA

| 1911-09-04

| Harry Schaaf, Mel Sheppard,
Harry Gissing, James Rosenberger

3:16.6

| United States

| {{Flag|United States|1912}}

| Stockholm, Sweden

| 1912-06-15

| Mel Sheppard, Charles Reidpath,
Ted Meredith, Edward Lindberg

3:16.0

| United States

| {{Flag|United States|1912}}

| Paris, France

| 1924-07-13

| Commodore Cochran, Alan Helffrich,
Oliver MacDonald, William Stevenson

3:14.2

| United States

| {{Flag|United States|1912}}

| Amsterdam, Netherlands

| 1928-08-05

| George Baird,
Emerson Spencer, Fred Alderman, Ray Barbuti

3:13.4 {{AthAbbr|y}}

| United States

| {{Flag|United States|1912}}

| London, UK

| 1928-08-11

| George Baird, Morgan Taylor,
Ray Barbuti, Emerson Spencer

3:12.6 {{AthAbbr|y}}

| Stanford University

| {{Flag|United States|1912}}

| Fresno, USA

| 1931-05-08

| Maynor Shore, Alvin Hables,
Leslie Hables, Ben Eastman

3:08.2

| 3:08.14

| United States

| {{Flag|United States|1912}}

| Los Angeles, USA

| 1932-08-07

| Ivan Fuqua, Ed Ablowich,
Karl Warner, Bill Carr

3:03.9

| 3:04.04

| Jamaica

| {{Flag|Jamaica|1906}}

| Helsinki, Finland

| 1952-07-27

| Arthur Wint, Leslie Laing,
Herb McKenley, George Rhoden

3:02.2

| 3:02.37

| United States

| {{USA}}

| Rome, Italy

| 1960-09-08

| Jack Yerman, Earl Young,
Glenn Davis, Otis Davis

3:00.7

| United States

| {{USA}}

| Tokyo, Japan

| 1964-10-21

| Ollan Cassell, Mike Larrabee,
Ulis Williams, Henry Carr

2:59.6

| United States

| {{USA}}

| Los Angeles, USA

| 1966-07-24[http://www.newspaperarchive.com/SiteMap/FreePdfPreview.aspx?img=104550137 NewspaperARCHIVE.com - Oelwein Daily Register - 1966-07-25 ]

| Robert Frey, Lee Evans,
Tommie Smith, Theron Lewis

2:56.2

| 2:56.16From 1 January 1981, the IAAF accepted automatic times for events up to and including 10,000 m. Accordingly, the 2:56.2 world record time from 1968 was taken to be 2:56.16.

| United States

| {{USA}}

| Mexico City, Mexico

| 1968-10-20

| Vincent Matthews, Ron Freeman,
Larry James, Lee Evans

2:56.16

| -

| United States

| {{USA}}

| Seoul, South Korea

| 1988-10-01

| Danny Everett, Steve Lewis,
Kevin Robinzine, Butch Reynolds

2:55.74

| -

| United States

| {{USA}}

| Barcelona, Spain

| 1992-08-08

| Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts,
Michael Johnson, Steve Lewis

2:54.29

| -

| United States

| {{USA}}

| Stuttgart, Germany

| 1993-08-22

| Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts,
Butch Reynolds, Michael Johnson

bgcolor=#F5A9A9

| 2:54.20{{efn|This time was rescinded by the IAAF on 12 August 2008 after relay team member Antonio Pettigrew admitted to using human growth hormone and EPO between 1997 and 2003.}} [https://www.iaaf.org/news/news/iaaf-council-cancels-4x400m-world-record IAAF Council cancels 4x400m World Record]

| -

| United States

| {{USA}}

| Uniondale, New York

| 1998-07-22

| Jerome Young, Antonio Pettigrew,
Tyree Washington, Michael Johnson

Notes

References

4x400

World record men