Relay race

A relay is a type of race where a team of four athletes run equal predetermined distances in a sprint race, each passing a rod-like object called the ‘baton’ to the next person to continue the race. The last runner in a relay is called the ‘anchor’.

Types of relay race

There are two relay races in the Olympics: the 4x100m and 4x400m for both men and women, as well as a mixed race.

4x100m relay

The 4x100m hand-off is an occasion where a transfer group of four individuals each run a distance of 100m in a solitary assigned path.

During every leg run, the competitor needs to convey a stick and hand it over to the following colleague.

The stick trade needs to occur inside a 20m changeover box, found 10m previously and 10m after the beginning of every leg, beginning from the second transfer sprinter.

A group can be disqualified in the event that any part drops the rod during the handover or on the other hand in the event that the handover happens outside the assigned region. The sprinter completing the race will commonly be the quickest runner in a group.

The 4x100m hand-off was presented as a men's just occasion at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, while the ladies' occasion was first run at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam.

4x100m relay world records

Men – 36.84 seconds set by Jamaica during London 2012 (Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt)

Women – 40.82 seconds set by United States during London 2012 (Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter)

4x400m relay

The standards for the 4x400m hand-off are generally like the 4x100m transfers.

The colleagues cover a distance of 400m each prior to giving the stick to the following colleague, inside a similar 20m assigned changeover region.

Be that as it may, there is one key contrast. While the primary part runs 400m in a solitary assigned path, the ensuing individuals from a group can exchange paths beginning from the back-straight part of the way through the subsequent leg.

For the most part, 400m sprinters go after within line, which is the briefest course to the end goal.

4x400m relay world records

Men – 2:54.29 set by United States during 1993 World Championships (Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds, Michael Johnson)

Women – 3:15.17 set by Soviet Union during Seoul 1988 (Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, Olha Bryzhina)

Mixed - 3:09.34 set by United States during 2019 World Championships (Wilbert London, Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo, Michael Cherry).

See also:- Steeplechase, Hurdles