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World Athletics Relays

International biennial track and field sporting event

Summary

International biennial track and field sporting event

Wordmark of the World Athletics Relays

Nassau]], [[Bahamas]] hosted the first three editions of the competition.

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 × 100 and 4 × 400 metres remained, alongside the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay. In the 2025 edition, a mixed 4 × 100 metres was added to the programme, bringing the total to 6 events.

The latest World Athletics Relays were held in Guangzhou, China at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium on 10 and 11 May 2025.

Championships

Edition	Year	City	Date	Venue	No. of
Events	No. of
Countries	No. of
Athletes	Top of the
medal table
1	2014	Nassau	24–25 May	Thomas Robinson Stadium	10	41	470
2	2015	Nassau	2–3 May	Thomas Robinson Stadium	10	42	584
3	2017	Nassau	22–23 April	Thomas Robinson Stadium	9	35	419
4	2019	Yokohama	11–12 May	Yokohama International Stadium	9	43	529
5	2021	Chorzów	1–2 May	Silesian Stadium	9	37	689
6	2024	Nassau	4–5 May	Thomas Robinson Stadium	5	52	893
7	2025	Guangzhou	10–11 May	Tianhe Stadium	6	43	734
8	2026	Gaborone	2–3 May	Botswana National Stadium
9	2028	Nassau	22–23 April	Thomas Robinson Stadium

Events

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

Championships records

Men

Event	Record	Athlete	Nationality	Date
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
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
4 × 400 m relay	3:09.54	Chris Robinson
Courtney Okolo
Johnnie Blockburger
Lynna Irby-Jackson	United States	11 May 2025	2025 Relays	Guangzhou, China
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

Multiple wins

Multiple wins athletes are:

;Three wins

Athlete	Country	Events
Nickel Ashmeade		Men's 4 × 100 m 2014, 4 × 200 m 2014/2015
Tony McQuay		Men's 4 × 400 m 2014/2015/2017
LaShawn Merritt		Men's 4 × 400 m 2014/2015/2017
David Verburg		Men's 4 × 400 m 2014/2015/2017
Natasha Hastings		Women's 4 × 400 m 2014/2015/2017
Chanelle Price		Women's 4 × 800 m 2014/2015/2017
Sanya Richards-Ross		Women's 4 × 400 m 2014/2015, Distance Medley Relay 2015

;Two wins

Athlete	Country	Events
Yohan Blake		Men's 4 × 100 m 2014, 4 × 200 m 2014
Justin Gatlin		Men's 4 × 100 m 2015/2017
Casimir Loxsom		Men's 4 × 800 m 2015/2017
Erik Sowinski		Men's 4 × 800 m 2015/2017
Warren Weir		Men's 4 × 200 m 2014/2015
Phyllis Francis		Women's 4 × 400 m 2015/2017
Ajeé Wilson		Women's 4 × 800 m 2014, Distance Medley Relay 2015
Quanera Hayes		Women's 4 × 400 m 2017/2024
Gabrielle Thomas		Women's 4 × 100 m 2024, Women's 4 × 400 m 2024
Lynna Irby		Mixed 4 × 400 m 2024/2025

References

[http://www.iaaf.org/eventbidding/iaaf-events/iaaf-world-relays IAAF World Relays bidding information]
"Bahamas to host inaugural IAAF World Relay Championships". Caribbean 360.
"World Relays 2015 website".
[https://www.iaaf.org/download/download?filename=616ad3fb-d1a8-48d8-952b-4c64fc80834c.pdf&urlSlug=competitions-update-200816 Competitions Update]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-08-21.
Hardik Vyas. (11 January 2019). "Athletics: Mixed shuttle hurdles added to World Relays program". [[Reuters]].
(1 January 2025). "10 things to look forward to in 2025".
(2 May 2015). "Men's 4×100m Final Results". IAAF.
Simon Hart. (25 May 2014). "Jamaica men break 4x200 metre relay record at IAAF World Relays in Nassau - and without Usain Bolt". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
(25 May 2014). "Men's 4x400m Relay Results". [[IAAF]].
(2 May 2015). "Men's 4×800m Final Results". IAAF.
(3 May 2015). "Men's Distance Medley Relay Final Results". IAAF.
(25 May 2014). "Men's 4×1500m Relay Results". [[IAAF]].
(5 May 2024). "4 x 100 Metres Relay Women results".
(22 April 2017). "4×200m Relay Results". IAAF.
(3 May 2015). "Women's 4×400m Relay Final B Results". IAAF.
(3 May 2015). "Women's 4×800m Relay Results". IAAF.
(2 May 2015). "Women's Distance Medley Relay Final Results". IAAF.
(24 May 2014). "Men's 4x800m Relay Results". [[IAAF]].
(2025-05-11). "Mixed 4X400 Metres Relay - Final".
(11 May 2019). "2×2×400m Relay Result". IAAF.
(11 May 2019). "Shuttle Hurdles Relay Result". IAAF.
Christopher Kelsall. (9 March 2022). "South Africa to lose relay World’s gold due to doping ban to Thando Dlodlo".
"Yokohama 2019 Facts & Figures". worldathletics.org.

Wikipedia Source

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