Distance medley relay (1200, 400, 800 and 1600 m), women

What to remember

The distance medley relay changes distance at every handover: 1200 m, then 400 m, 800 m and finally 1600 m, for 4000 m in all. On May 2, 2015, at the World Relays in Nassau, the United States team of Treniere Moser, Sanya Richards-Ross, Ajeé Wilson and Shannon Rowbury finished it in 10 min 36.50 s.

The IAAF had announced on May 1, 2015 that the event would be an official world record event, bringing it into the World Relays programme in place of the 4 × 1500 m. The Nassau mark followed that announcement by a single day.

Apart from the 400 m lap, a sprint, every leg is a middle-distance run. Over the whole race, the average was 22.624 km/h. The format is mostly run in American college competition and at spring relay meetings such as the Drake Relays or the Texas Relays.