Editing Track and field (section)

===Relay races===
{{Main|Relay race#In athletics|l1=Relay race}}
[[File:Fotothek df roe-neg 0002422 003 Läuferinnen beim Weiterreichen des Staffelstabes.jpg|thumb|Girls handing over the baton in a relay race in [[Leipzig]] in 1950]]
Relay races are the only track and field event in which a team of runners directly compete against other teams.<ref name=IAAFRelay1>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9391.html 4 × 100 m Relay – Is it for me?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605083940/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9391.html |date=5 June 2011 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 9 April 2010.</ref> Typically, a team is made up of four runners of the same sex. Each runner completes their specified distance (referred to as a leg) before handing over a [[Baton (running)|baton]] to a teammate, who then begins their leg. There is usually a designated area where athletes must exchange the baton. Teams may be disqualified if they fail to complete the change within the area, or if the baton is dropped during the race. A team may also be disqualified if its runners are deemed to have wilfully impeded other competitors.

Relay races emerged in the United States in the 1880s as a variation on charity races between [[Firefighter|firemen]], who would hand a red [[Pennant (sports)|pennant]] on to teammates every 300&nbsp;yards. Two very common relay events are the [[4×100 metres relay]] and the [[4×400 metres relay]]. Both entered the Olympic programme at the [[Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics|1912 Summer Games]] after a one-off men's [[Sprint medley relay|medley relay]] featured in 1908 Olympics.<ref name=IAAFRelay2>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9396.html 4 × 100 m Relay – Introduction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100809104948/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9396.html |date=9 August 2010 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 9 April 2010.</ref> The 4×100&nbsp;m event is run strictly within the same lane on the track, meaning that the team collectively runs one complete circuit of the track. Teams in a 4×400&nbsp;m event remain in their own lane until the runner of the second leg passes the first bend, at which point runners can leave their lanes and head towards the inmost part of the circuit. For the second and third baton changeovers, teammates must align themselves in respect of their team position – leading teams take the inner lanes while members of slower teams must await the baton on outer lanes.<ref name=IAAFRelay1 /><ref>{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |url=http://trackandfield.about.com/od/sprintsandrelays/a/olymsprintbasic.htm |title=What Are Olympic Sprints and Relays? |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609105251/http://trackandfield.about.com/od/sprintsandrelays/a/olymsprintbasic.htm |archive-date=9 June 2009 |url-status=usurped |website=About |access-date=9 April 2010}}</ref>

In 2017, the IAAF introduced mixed relay events to the [[World Athletics Relays]], in which two men and two women make up the four-person team.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Six standout moments from the World Athletics Relays {{!}} FEATURE {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/news/feature/world-athletics-relays-greatest-moments |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref>

In a [[shuttle hurdle relay]], each of four hurdlers on a team runs the opposite direction from the preceding runner. No batons are used.

The IAAF keeps world records for five different types of track relays. As with 4×100&nbsp;m and 4×400&nbsp;m events, all races comprise teams of four athletes running the same distances, with the less commonly contested distances being the [[4 × 200 metres relay|4×200&nbsp;m]], [[4 × 800 metres relay|4×800&nbsp;m]] and [[4 × 1500 metres relay|4×1500&nbsp;m relays]].<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/records/inout=o/discType=0/disc=4X1/detail.html World records track events] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100427050148/http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/records/inout=o/discType=0/disc=4X1/detail.html |date=27 April 2010 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 9 April 2010.</ref> Other events include the [[distance medley relay]] (comprising legs of 1200, 400, 800, and 1600 metres), which is frequently held in the United States, and a sprint relay, known as the [[Swedish medley relay]], which is popular in [[Scandinavia]] and was held at the [[IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics]] programme.<ref>Martin, David (12 June 2009). [http://www.iaaf.org/WYC09/news/newsid=52004.html Williams and James achieve unprecedented doubles as Kenya steals the show in middle distance – Day Five – Evening report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710030507/http://www.iaaf.org/WYC09/news/newsid=52004.html |date=10 July 2010 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 9 April 2010.</ref> Relay events have significant participation in the United States, where a number of large meetings (or [[relay carnival]]s) are focused almost solely on relay events.<ref>[http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1069475/1/index.htm The Relays!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026102838/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1069475/1/index.htm |date=26 October 2012 }}. ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' (2 May 1955). Retrieved on 9 April 2010.</ref>