4 × 200 metres relay

The 4 x 200 metres relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 200 metres or half a lap on a standard 400 metre track. The event is a world record eligible event, but is not a standard event at most track meets, though certain leagues regularly conduct this event as part of their program.

Description

There are multiple formats under which the race can be conducted. If the track is marked for a four-turn stagger format, the runners can stay in their lanes throughout the race. In such a situation, the outer lanes could appear to start 2/3 of the way through the first turn. The markings for such a special zone should be colored red, though many tracks deviate from the standard marking colors. On a conventionally marked track, the race can be run starting at the normal 400 metres (and 4x100 metres relay) start line. As a two-turn stagger, the first exchange would take place in the standard second passing zone of the 4x100 metres relay, the second pass taking place in the normal (lane one, extended) 4x400 metres relay zone. After that exchange, the runner would break into lane one and make a third exchange in lane one of the second standard 4x100 metres relay zone.

Indoors, the event is popular because each leg is one lap of a standard 200 metre indoor track.

World record

The men's world record was set at the inaugural IAAF World Relay Championships in Nassau, Bahamas. The record was set by a Jamaican team consisting of Nickel Ashmeade, Warren Weir, Jermaine Brown and Yohan Blake in a time of 1:18.63.[1] The women's world record is 1:27.46, set by a squad called Team USA "Blue" LaTasha Jenkins, LaTasha Colander-Richardson, Nanceen Perry, and Marion Jones on April 29, 2000 at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2]

European record

References

  1. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/27563638
  2. ↑ http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=o/age=n/season=0/sex=W/all=y/legal=A/disc=4X2/detail.html
  3. ↑ "Area Outdoor Records - Men - EUROPE". iaaf.org. Retrieved 4 July 2012.