How it works
Four sprinters, in the same designated lane, each run 100m to complete a lap of the track. During their individual legs they have to carry a baton that must be passed to the next runner within a 20m changeover box that’s situated 10m before and 10m after the start of each subsequent leg. The outgoing runner usually runs at full speed with an arm stretched out behind in order to receive the baton. Failure to adhere to the baton-changing rules results in a team’s disqualification. Slick handovers can compensate for a lack of basic speed – but dropping the baton is a regular occurrence.
The first team across the finish line, baton in hand, wins.
History
Though the concept can be traced to Ancient Greece, where a 'message stick' was delivered via a series of couriers, modern relays emulate the charity races organised by the New York fire service in the 1880s, in which red pennants were handed over every 300 yards.
The first Olympic relay took place in 1908 – but was split into two legs of 200m, followed by one of 400m and another of 800m. The first Olympic 4x100m relay for men was held in 1912; the first for women was held in 1928.
Did you know
American Bob Hayes, 100m winner at the 1964 Olympic Games, added a second gold medal to his Tokyo tally when he ran an incredible 8.5 anchor leg – on a cinder track! – in the sprint relay. This is reckoned by many to be the fastest ever.
Gold standard
The USA has won 15 of the 21 men’s Olympic titles and nine of the 18 women’s. Great Britain, Canada, France, Jamaica, Nigeria, Cuba and Brazil have also enjoyed success on the men’s side, while the Bahamas, Nigeria, Jamaica and France have been the main threats to America’s women.