| Event: | Distance Medley Relay |
| Wrmen: |  Brooks Beasts (Brannon Kidder, Brandon Miller, Isaiah Harris, Henry Wynne 9:14.58 (2024) |
| Wrwomen: | New Balance (Emma Coburn, Kendall Ellis, Roisin Willis, Elle Purrier St. Pierre 10:33.85 (2022) |
The distance medley relay (DMR) is an athletic event in which four athletes compete as part of a relay. With its inclusion in the IAAF World Relays program, the IAAF announced on May 1, 2015 that the event would be an official world record event.[1]
Unlike most track relays, each member of the team runs a different distance. A distance medley relay is made up of a 1200-meter leg (three laps on a standard 400 meter track), a 400-meter leg (one lap), an 800-meter leg (two laps), and a 1600-meter leg (four laps) in that order. The total distance run is 4000 meters, or nearly 2.5 miles. Aside from the 400 meter segment, which is a sprint, all legs are a middle distance run. Prior to going metric, the distance medley relay consisted of a 440-yard leg, an 880-yard leg, a 1320-yard leg and a one-mile leg. The total distance for the old distance medley relay was 4400 yards and the total distance for the current metric distance medley relay is 4374.45 yards - slightly over 25 yards shorter than the old race.
The United States is expected to hold the world record in the men's DMR, assuming formal ratification of a performance of 9:14.58, set on April 19, 2024 during the Oregon Relays at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon. The team consisted of Brannon Kidder 2:49.60 (1200m), Brandon Miller 46.60 (400m), Isaiah Harris 1:45.75 (800m) and Henry Wynne 3:52.64 (1600m).
After the IAAF announcement of world record status, the first mark to become the ratified world record was set by a Kenyan team in 9:15.56.[1] Elkanah Angwenyi in 2:50.8 (1,200 meters), Thomas Musembi in 45.8 (400), Alfred Yego in 1:46.2 (800) and Alex Kipchirchir in 3:52.8 (1,600) recorded it on April 29, 2006, at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Oklahoma State Track and Field team of Fouad Messaoudi in 2:49.49 (1,200 meters), DJ McArthur in 46.82 (400), Hafez Mahadi in 1:47.27 (800), and Ryan Schoppe in 3:52.84 (1,600) currently hold the indoor world best in a time of 9:16.40. The mark was set on February 17, 2023 at the Arkansas Qualifier in Fayetteville, Arkansas.[2]
At the 2015 IAAF World Relays, the women's world record was set by the American team of Treniere Moser 3:18.38 (1200m), Sanya Richards-Ross (50.12) (400m), Ajee' Wilson 2:00.08 (800m), and Shannon Rowbury 4:27.92 (1600m) running 10:36.50. They beat the outdoor record of 10:48.38 set by a team from Villanova University of Kathy Franey (1200m), Michelle Bennett (400m), Celeste Halliday (800m), and Vicki Huber (1600m) at the Penn Relays in April 1988 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 27 years earlier.
The United States women's team of Sarah Brown, Mahagony Jones, Megan Krumpoch, and Brenda Martinez set the first indoor world record for the event with a time of 10:42.57 at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in 2015.[3] At the time of the IAAF announcement, this time, superior to the best time outdoors, became the ratified world record[1] even though it was set on an indoor banked track.
On April 15, 2022 an American team consisting of Heather MacLean, Kendall Ellis, Roisin Willis and Elle Purrier St. Pierre set the current best indoor time of 10:33.85 at The TRACK in Boston.[4] Nevertheless the distance medley relay is only a world record discipline outdoors it is a subject to usual ratification procedure to become an outright world record because their time bettered the outdoor mark of 10:36.50.[5]
| Rank | Time | Team | Athletes | Date | Place | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:14.58 | Brooks Beasts | Brannon Kidder (2:49.60), Brandon Miller (46.60), Isaiah Harris (1:45.75), Henry Wynne (3:52.64) | 19 April 2024 | Eugene | [6] | |
| 2 | 9:15.50 | Kyle Merber, Brycen Spratling, Brandon Johnson, Ben Blankenship | 3 May 2015 | Nassau | |||
| 3 | 9:15.56 | Elkanah Angwenyi (2:50.8), Thomas Musembi (45.8), Alfred Yego (1:46.2), Alex Kipchirchir (3:52.8) | 29 April 2006 | Philadelphia | |||
| 4 | 9:15.63 | Chris Lukezic (2:51.7), James Carter (45.6), Khadevis Robinson (1:44.5), Bernard Lagat (3:53.8) | 29 April 2006 | Philadelphia | |||
| 5 | 9:16.34 | Abiyote Abinet (2:53.5), Bereket Desta (46.0), Mohammed Aman (1:44.0), Aman Wote (3:52.8) | 27 April 2013 | Philadelphia | |||
| 6 | 9:16.40 | Oklahoma State University | Fouad Messaoudi (2:49.49), DeJuana McArthur (46.82), Hafez Mahadi (1:47.27), Ryan Schoppe (3:52.84) | 17 February 2023 | Fayetteville | [7] | |
| 7 | 9:16.65 | University of Washington | Joe Waskom (2:49.41), Daniel Gaik (46.37), Cass Elliott (1:47.42), Kieran Lumb (3:53.46) | 17 February 2023 | Fayetteville | ||
| 8 | 9:17.01 | Anthony Chemut (2:51.6), Kennedy Chepsiror (47.1), Timothy Kitum (1:45.4), Caleb Ndiku (3:52.9) | 27 April 2013 | Philadelphia | |||
| 9 | 9:17.20 | Abednego Chesebe Miti, Alphas Leken Kishoyian, Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich, Timothy Cheruiyot | 3 May 2015 | Nassau | |||
| 10 | 9:17.48 | Mohammed Moustaoui (2:48.54), Marouan Maadadi (46.36), Mohammed Laalou (1:49.50), Amine Laalou (3:53.08) | 30 April 2011 | Philadelphia | |||
| 11 | 9:17.56 | Ryan Gregson (2:48.66), Sean Wroe (45.95), Lachlan Renshaw (1:46.29), Jeff Riseley (3:56.66) | 30 April 2011 | Philadelphia | |||
| 12 | 9:18.09 | Bernard Lagat (2:48.29), Michael Tinsley (46.13), Duane Solomon (1:46.31), Russell Brown (3:57.36) | 30 April 2011 | Philadelphia | |||
| 13 | 9:18.21 | USA Red | Andrew Wheating (2:52.2), Quentin Summers (44.8), Duane Solomon (1:45.0), David Torrence (3:56.2) | 27 April 2013 | Philadelphia | ||
| 14 | 9:18.81 | University of Washington | Joe Waskom (2:51.34), Daniel Gaik (46.37), Nathan Green (1:46.57), Luke Houser (3:54.54) | 16 February 2024 | Fayetteville | [8] | |
| 15 | 9:18.95 | University of Virginia | Connor Murphy, Alex Sherman, Alex Leath, Gary Martin | 16 February 2024 | Fayetteville | [9] | |
| 16 | 9:19.31 | USA Blue | Tyler Mulder (2:52.8), David Neville (46.7), Khadevis Robinson (1:44.9), Leo Manzano (3:54.9) | 28 April 2012 | Philadelphia | ||
| 17 | 9:19.33 | USA Blue | Matthew Centrowitz (2:53.4), Kind Butler (45.5), Charles Jock (1:45.7), Bernard Lagat (3:54.8) | 27 April 2013 | Philadelphia | ||
| 18 | 9:19.42 | University of Oregon | Cole Hocker (2:49.89), Luis Peralta (47.29),  Charlie Hunter (1:47.65), Cooper Teare (3:54.61) | 29 January 2021 | Fayetteville | [10] | |
| 19 | 9:19.74 | Oklahoma State University | Brian Musau, DuJuana MacArthur, Mehdi Yanouri, Ryan Schoppe | 16 February 2024 | Fayetteville | [11] | |
| 20 | 9:19.88 | USA Red | Russell Brown (2:52.9), Michael Tinsley (45.8), Nick Symmonds (1:44.0), Bernard Lagat (3:57.2) | 28 April 2012 | Philadelphia | ||
| 21 | 9:19.93 | United States | Matthew Centrowitz (2:49.47), Mike Berry (46.39), Erik Sowinski (1:47.60), Pat Casey (3:56.47) | 31 January 2015 | New York City | ||
| 22 | 9:19.98 | University of Oregon | Cole Hocker (2:52.73),  Xavier Nairne (47.58), Charlie Hunter (1:46.70), Cooper Teare (3:52.99) | 12 March 2021 | Fayetteville | [12] | |
| 23 | 9:20.09 | University of Arkansas | Ben Shearer, TJ Tomlyanovich, Riley Wells, Peter Maru | 16 February 2024 | Fayetteville | [13] | |
| 24 | 9:20.10 | University of Arkansas | Reuben Reina (2:53.9), Charles Williams (46.40), Robert Bradley (1:46.00), Joe Falcon (3:53.80) | 28 April 1989 | Philadelphia | ||
| 25 | 9:20.24 | David Torrence (2:48.65), Kenneth Ferguson (47.30), Nick Symmonds (1:49.00), Leo Manzano (3:55.29) | 30 April 2011 | Philadelphia |
| Rank | Time | Team | Athletes | Date | Place | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10:33.85 | Heather MacLean (3:14.92), Kendall Ellis (52.04), Roisin Willis (2:03.30), Elle Purrier St. Pierre (4:23.55) | 15 April 2022 | Boston | [14] | ||
| 2 | 10:36.50 | Treniere Moser, Sanya Richards-Ross, Ajeé Wilson, Shannon Rowbury | 2 May 2015 | Nassau | |||
| 3 | 10:37.55 | Harvard University | Sophia Gorriaran (3:20.36), Chloe Fair (53.20), Victoria Bossong (2:02.54), Maia Ramsden (4:21.47) | 26 April 2024 | Philadelphia | [15] | |
| 4 | 10:39.04 | Providence College | Shannon Flockhart (3:15.11), Jillian Fenerty (55.05), Alex O'Neill (2:05.21), Kimberley May (4:23.68) | 26 April 2024 | Philadelphia | ||
| 5 | 10:39.91 | Ella Donaghu, Raevyn Rogers, Sinclaire Johnson, Shannon Osika | 11 February 2022 | Spokane | [16] [17] | ||
| 6 | 10:40.31 | Emma Coburn, Sydney McLaughlin, Brenda Martinez, Jenny Simpson | 28 January 2017 | Boston | [18] | ||
| 7 | 10:42.57 | Sarah Brown, Mahogany Jones, Megan Krumpoch, Brenda Martinez | 7 February 2015 | Boston | |||
| 8 | 10:42.79 | Stephanie Charnigo, Katie Hoaldridge, Latavia Thomas, Nicole Tully | 7 February 2015 | Boston | |||
| 9 | 10:43.35 | Selah Jepleting Busienei, Joy Nakhumicha Sakari, Sylivia Chematui Chesebe, Virginia Nyambura Nganga | 2 May 2015 | Nassau | |||
| 10 | 10:43.39 | University of Washington | Chloe Foerster (3:15.29), Anna Terrell (54.74), Marlena Preigh (2:03.34), Carley Thomas (4:30.02) | 16 February 2024 | Boston | [19] | |
| 11 | 10:44.07 | Providence College | Shannon Flockhart, Jillian Fenerty, Alex O'Neill, Kimberley May | 16 February 2024 | Boston | [20] | |
| 12 | 10:44.67 | Brigham Young University | Sadie Sargent, Sami Oblad, Meghan Hunter, Riley Chamberlain | 16 February 2024 | Boston | ||
| 13 | 10:45.32 | Katarzyna Broniatowska, Monika Szczęsna, Angelika Cichocka, Sofia Ennaoui | 2 May 2015 | Nassau | |||
| 14 | 10:46.62 | University of Washington | Sophie O'Sullivan (3:16.24), Marlena Preigh (54.21), Carley Thomas (2:01.93), Anna Gibson (4:34.26) | 3 February 2023 | Boston | [21] | |
| 15 | 10:46.94 | Melissa Duncan, Samantha Lind, Brittany McGowan, Heidi See | 2 May 2015 | Nassau | |||
| 16 | 10:47.03 | Stanford University | Lucy Jenks, Taylor James, Roisin Willis, Juliette Whittaker | 16 February 2024 | Boston | ||
| 17 | 10:47.50 | University of Oregon | Klaudia Kazimierska, Ella Clayton, Ella Nelson, Maddy Elmore | 26 January 2024 | Fayetteville | [22] | |
| 18 | 10:48.38 | Villanova University | Kathy Franey (3:20.9), Michelle Bennett (52.9), Celeste Halliday (2:04.7), Vicki Huber (4:29.9) | 28 April 1988 | Philadelphia | ||
| 19 | 10:48.55 | University of Virginia | Margot Appleton (3:15.15), Alahna Sabbakhan (54.68), Esther Seeland (2:04.72), Anna Workman (4:34.02) | 26 April 2024 | Philadelphia | ||
| 20 | 10:48.77 | University of Oregon |  Lilli Burdon (3:20.56), Ashante Horsley (53.77), Raevyn Rogers (2:03.53), Katie Rainsberger (4:30.93) | 27 January 2017 | New York City | ||
| 21 | 10:49.05 | Penn State University | Madaline Ullom, Zoey Goldstein, Hayley Kitching, Kileigh Kane | 16 February 2024 | Boston | ||
| 22 | 10:49.39 | New Balance Europe | Lisanne de Witte,  Esther Guerrero,  Anna Silvander,  Sarah McDonald | 28 January 2017 | Boston | [23] | |
| 23 | 10:49.41 | University of Arkansas | Tiana LoStracco, Ashanti Denton, Ainsley Erzen, Mary Ellen Eudaly | 26 January 2024 | Fayetteville | [24] | |
| 24 | 10:49.58 | University of Michigan | Danielle Tauro (3:22.2), Serita Williams (53.4), Geena Gall (2:02.1),  Nicole Edwards 4:31.9 | 24 April 2008 | Philadelphia | ||
| 25 | 10:49.81 | Villanova University |  Sonia O'Sullivan (3:18.7), Michelle Bennett (52.0), Michele Torelli (2:06.3), Kathy Franey (4:32.8) | 28 April 1990 | Philadelphia |