What is a relay, and how is it won?
B · Beginner · The event and the start · 1 of 7A relay is a race between teams of four. Each athlete runs one leg and hands a baton to the next inside a marked takeover zone. The best-known events are the 4 × 100 m and the 4 × 400 m, with mixed versions of both. A team that passes outside the zone or finishes without the baton is disqualified.
How it works
- The standard events: 4 × 100 m, 4 × 100 m Mixed, 4 × 200 m, the Medley Relay (100, 200, 300 and 400 m), 4 × 400 m, 4 × 400 m Mixed, 4 × 800 m, the Distance Medley Relay and 4 × 1500 m.
- One leg each: "Each member of a relay team may run one leg only."
- The baton: carried by hand for the whole race and across the finish line.
- The takeover: "The baton shall be passed within the takeover zone."
- Lanes: the 4 × 100 m is run entirely in lanes. The 4 × 400 m is in lanes for the first leg and part of the second.
- Mixed teams: two men and two women, running in the order man, woman, man, woman.
- The start: the first runner starts like any other athlete in a race of that distance.
- The finish: the team is placed when the torso of its last runner reaches the finish line.
- The team pays: most faults in a relay disqualify the whole team.
The last runner of a team is often called the anchor.
Tricky cases
Can one athlete run two legs?
No. Each member of the team may run one leg only.
Does the baton have to cross the finish line?
Yes. "When crossing the finish line, the baton shall be carried by the relevant athlete."
In a mixed relay, can a team choose which legs the women run?
No. The 2026 rule fixes the order as man, woman, man, woman in both mixed relays.
Is the 4 × 400 m run in lanes all the way?
No. Lanes are used for the first leg and for the second leg as far as the breakline. After that the runners may move to the inside.
Why the rule exists
A relay tests the handover as much as the running, so the rules put the handover in one marked place and make the baton the proof that every leg was run. Because the team wins together, it is also penalised together.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Athletics rules | As above | TR 24 |
| Small 4 × 400 m fields | With four teams or fewer, lanes are used for the first bend only | TR 24.17 (note) |
| Medley Relay | The legs may be run in a different order, with the zone rules adjusted | TR 24.1 (note) |
| Other relays | Events not covered by the rule are run under the competition's own regulations | TR 24.24 |
From the rule book
World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, Technical Rule 24. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Athletics Competition and Technical Rules 2026 (PDF).