The first world record in the 4 x 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.[ 1]
The following table shows the world record progression in the men's 4 x 100 metre relay, as ratified by the IAAF. "y" denotes time for 4 x 110 yards (402.34 m), ratified as a record for this event.
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 [ n 1]
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
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.[ 1]
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
Ref
Event
Participants
38.19
United States
United States
Munich, Germany
1972-09-10
1972 Olympic Games Final
Larry Black ; Robert Taylor ; Gerald Tinker ; Eddie Hart
38.03
United States
United States
Düsseldorf , 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
[ 2]
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
[ 3]
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
[ 4]
2008 Olympic Games Final
Nesta Carter ; Michael Frater ; Usain Bolt ; Asafa Powell
37.31
Jamaica
Jamaica
Berlin, Germany
2009-08-22
[ 5]
2009 World Championships Final
Steve Mullings ; Michael Frater ; Usain Bolt ; Asafa Powell
37.04
Jamaica
Jamaica
Daegu , Korea
2011-09-04
[ 6]
2011 World Championships Final
Nesta Carter ; Michael Frater ; Yohan Blake ; Usain Bolt
36.84
Jamaica
Jamaica
London, United Kingdom
2012-08-11
[ 7]
2012 Olympic Games Final
Nesta Carter ; Michael Frater ; Yohan Blake ; Usain Bolt