400 metres - WikiHQ

The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and race in separate lanes for the entire course. In many countries, athletes previously competed in the 440-yard dash (402.336 m)—which is a quarter of a mile (1,760 yards) and was referred to as the "quarter-mile"—instead of the 400 m (437.445 yards), though this distance is now obsolete.

The current men's world record and Olympic record is held by Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa; his time of 43.03 seconds is the fastest 400 m ever run, in either an open 400 m or a relay split (excluding reaction time). While Michael Johnson holds the fastest 400 m relay split with a time of 42.94, relay splits are typically faster because athletes have a running start and do not need to react to the gun if they are not the leadoff leg. Considering van Niekerk's reaction time of 0.181 seconds in his run of 43.03, van Niekerk covered the 400-metre distance itself in 42.85 seconds, therefore being 0.09 seconds faster than Johnson's relay split.

Quincy Hall is the reigning men's Olympic champion. Collen Kebinatshipi is the current men's world champion. Kerron Clement is the men's world indoor record holder with a time of 44.57 seconds. The current women's world record is held by Marita Koch, with a time of 47.60 seconds. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is the current women's world champion, holding the championship record of 47.78 seconds. Marileidy Paulino is the women's Olympic champion, and holds the Olympic record in a time of 48.17 seconds. Femke Bol holds the women's world indoor record at 49.17 (2024). The men's T43 Paralympic world record of 45.07 seconds is held by Oscar Pistorius.

An Olympic double of 200 metres and 400 m was first achieved by Valerie Brisco-Hooks in 1984, and later by Marie-José Pérec of France and Michael Johnson from the United States on the same evening in 1996. Alberto Juantorena of Cuba at the 1976 Summer Olympics became the first and so far the only athlete to win both the 400 m and 800 m Olympic titles. Pérec became the first to defend the Olympic title in 1996, Johnson became the first and only man to do so in 2000. From 31 appearances in the Olympic Games, the men's gold medalist came from the US 19 times (as of 2019).

Sprint

Like other sprint disciplines, the 400 m involves the use of starting blocks. The runners take up position in the blocks on the "ready" command, adopt a more efficient starting posture which isometrically preloads their muscles on the "set" command, and stride forwards from the blocks upon hearing the starter's pistol. The blocks allow the runners to begin more powerfully and thereby contribute to their overall sprint speed capability. Maximum sprint speed capability is a significant contributing factor to success in the event, but athletes also require substantial speed endurance and the ability to cope well with high amounts of lactic acid to sustain a fast speed over a whole lap. While considered to be predominantly an anaerobic event, there is some aerobic involvement and the degree of aerobic training required for 400-metre athletes is open to debate.

Area records

Updated 19 May 2026.

{| class="wikitable defaultleft col3center col6center"

!scope="rowgroup" rowspan=2| Area

!scope="colgroup" colspan=3| Men

!scope="colgroup" colspan=3| Women

!scope="col"| Time (s)

!scope="col"| Season

!scope="col"| Athlete

!scope="col"| Time (s)

!scope="col"| Season

!scope="col"| Athlete

!scope="row"| World

| 43.03 || 2016 ||

| 47.60 || 1985 ||

!colspan=7| Area records

!scope="row"| Africa

| 43.03 || 2016 ||

| 49.10 || 1996 ||

!scope="row"| Asia

| 43.93 || 2015 ||

| 48.14 || 2019 ||

!scope="row"| Europe

| 43.44 || 2024 ||

| 47.60 || 1985 ||

!scope="row"| North, Central America and Caribbean

| 43.18 || 1999 ||

| 47.78 || 2025 ||

!scope="row"| Oceania

| 44.38 || 1988 ||

| 48.63 || 1996 ||

!scope="row"| South America

| 43.93 || 2021 ||

| 49.64 || 1992 ||

All-time top 25

{| style="wikitable"

|Tables show data for two definitions of "Top 25" - the top 25 400 m times and the top 25 athletes:

| style="background: #f6F5CE" |- denotes top performance for athletes in the top 25 400 m times

|- denotes lesser performances, still in the top 25 400 m times, by repeat athletes

| style="background: #CCFFCC" |- denotes top performance (only) for other top 25 athletes who fall outside the top 25 400 m times

Men (outdoor)

Correct as of September 2025.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! Time (s)

! Reaction (s)

! Athlete

! Nation

! Date

! Place

! class="unsortable" |

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align=center|1

| align=center|43.03

| align=center|0.181

| Wayde van Niekerk

| 14 August 2016

| Rio de Janeiro

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align=center|2

| align=center|43.18

| align=center|0.150

| Michael Johnson

| 26 August 1999

| Seville

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align=center|3

| align=center|43.29

| Butch Reynolds

| 17 August 1988

| Zürich

| align=center|4

| align=center|43.39

| align=center|

| Johnson #2

| 9 August 1995

| Gothenburg

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align=center|4

| align=center|5

| align=center|43.40

| align=center| 0.168

| Quincy Hall

| 7 August 2024

| Saint-Denis

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| rowspan="2" align=center|6

| rowspan="2" align=center|8

| rowspan="2" align=center|43.45

| align=center|0.182

| Jeremy Wariner

| 31 August 2007

| Osaka

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align=center|

| Michael Norman

| 20 April 2019

| Torrance

| align=center|10

| align=center|43.48

| align=center|0.156

| van Niekerk #2

| 26 August 2015

| Beijing

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align=center|8

| align=center|11

| align=center|43.48

| align=center|0.164

| Steven Gardiner

| 4 October 2019

| Doha

| align=center|12

| align=center|43.49

| align=center|

| Johnson #4

| 29 July 1996

| Atlanta

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align=center|

| align=center|13

| align=center|43.50

| Quincy Watts

| 5 August 1992

| Barcelona

| align=center|14

| align=center|43.50

| Wariner #2

| 7 August 2007

| Stockholm

|-bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align=center|10

| align=center|15

| align="center" |43.53

| align="center" |0.134

|Collen Kebinatshipi

|18 September 2025

|Tokyo

| rowspan="6" |

| align=center|16

| align=center|43.56

| Norman #2

| rowspan="6"|

| 25 June 2022

| Eugene

| align=center|17

| align=center|43.60

| align=center|0.130

| Norman #3

| 28 May 2022

| Eugene

| align=center|18

| align=center|43.61

| Norman #4

| 8 June 2018

| Eugene

| align=center|19

| align="center" |43.61

| align="center" |0.145

| Kebinatshipi #2

|16 September 2025

|Tokyo

| rowspan="2" align="center" |20

| rowspan="2" align="center" |43.62

| Wariner #3

| 14 July 2006

| Rome

| align=center|0.164

| van Niekerk #3

| 6 July 2017

| Lausanne

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align=center|11

| align=center|22

| align=center|43.64

| align=center|

| Fred Kerley

| 27 July 2019

| Des Moines

| align=center|23

| align=center|43.65

| align=center|

| Johnson #5

| 17 August 1993

| Stuttgart

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align=center|12

| align=center|24

| align=center|43.65

| align=center|0.195

| LaShawn Merritt

| 26 August 2015

| Beijing

| rowspan="2" |

| rowspan=2 align=center|25

| rowspan="2" align=center|43.66

| Johnson #6

| rowspan="2" |

| 16 June 1995

| Sacramento

| Johnson #7

| 3 July 1996

| Lausanne

|-bgcolor=#CCFFCC

| align=center|13

| rowspan="13" align="center" |

| align=center|43.70

| Champion Allison

| 25 June 2022

| Eugene

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align=center|0.145

| Jereem Richards

| 18 September 2025

| Tokyo

|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC

| align=center|0.185

| Muzala Samukonga

| 7 August 2024

| Saint-Denis

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align=center|19

| align=center|43.81

| Danny Everett

| 26 June 1992

| New Orleans

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |20

| align="center" |43.82

| align="center" |

|Samuel Ogazi

|29 May 2026

|Lexington

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| rowspan="2" align="center" |21

| rowspan="2" align="center" |43.85

| Randolph Ross

| 11 June 2021

| Eugene

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

|align=center|0.158

| Jacory Patterson

| 28 August 2025

| Zurich

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align=center|23

| align=center|43.86

| Lee Evans

| 18 October 1968

| Mexico City

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align=center|24

| align=center|43.87

| Steve Lewis

| 28 September 1988

| Seoul

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align=center|25

| align=center|43.91

| Khaleb McRae

| 22 June 2025

| London

Women (outdoor)

Correct as of May 2026.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! !! !! Time (s) !! Reaction (s) !! Athlete !! Nation !! Date !! Place !! class="unsortable" |

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align=center|1 || align=center|1 || align=center|47.60 || align=center| || Marita Koch || || 6 October 1985 || Canberra ||

|-bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |2

| align="center" |47.78

| align="center" | 0.171

|Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

|18 September 2025

|Tokyo

|-bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |3

| align="center" |47.98

| align="center" | 0.183

|Marileidy Paulino

|18 September 2025

|Tokyo

| rowspan="5" | || rowspan="2" align="center" |6 || rowspan="2" align="center" |48.16 ||align="center"| || Koch #2 || rowspan="5" | || 8 September 1982 || Athens ||

| align="center"| ||Koch #3 || 16 August 1984 || Prague ||

|align=center|8

|align=center|48.17

|align="center"|

|Paulino #2

|9 August 2024

|Saint-Denis

| align="center" |9

| align="center" |48.19

| align="center"|0.189

|Naser #2

|18 September 2025

|Tokyo

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |8 || align="center" |15 || align="center" |48.36 ||align="center"| || Shaunae Miller-Uibo|| || 6 August 2021 || Tokyo||

| rowspan="3" | || align="center" |16 || align="center" |48.37 ||align="center"|0.145 || Miller-Uibo #2|| rowspan="3" | || 3 October 2019 || Doha ||

| align="center" |17 || align="center" |48.45 ||align="center"| || Kratochvílová #2|| 23 July 1983 || Prague||

| align="center" |18

| align="center" |48.53

| align="center"|

|Naser #3

|9 August 2024

|Saint-Denis

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |10 || align="center" |20 || align="center" |48.59 ||align="center"| || Taťána Kocembová|| || 10 August 1983 || Helsinki||

| rowspan="3" | || rowspan="2" align="center" |21 || rowspan="2" align="center" |48.60 ||align="center"| || Koch #6 || rowspan="3" | || 4 August 1979 || Turin ||

| align="center"| ||Bryzgina #2 || 17 August 1985 || Moscow ||

| align=center|23 || align="center" |48.61 ||align="center"| || Kratochvílová #3 || 6 September 1981 || Rome ||

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align=center|11 || align="center" |24 || align="center" |48.63 ||align="center"| || Cathy Freeman || || 29 July 1996 || Atlanta ||

| || align=center|25 || align="center" |48.65 ||align="center"| || Bryzgina #3 || || 26 September 1988 || Seoul ||

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |12 || rowspan="14" align="center" | || align="center" |48.70 ||align="center"| || Sanya Richards-Ross || || 16 September 2006 || Athens ||

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |13 || align="center" |48.83 ||align="center"| || Valerie Brisco-Hooks|| || 6 August 1984 || Los Angeles||

|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC

| align="center" |14 || align="center" |48.89 ||align="center"| || Ana Guevara || || 27 August 2003 || Saint-Denis ||

|-bgcolor=#CCFFCC

|align="center" |15

|align="center" |48.90

|align="center"|

|Natalia Kaczmarek

|20 July 2024

|London

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |17 || align="center" |49.05 || align="center" | || Chandra Cheeseborough|| || 6 August 1984 || Los Angeles||

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| rowspan="2" align="center" |18 || rowspan="2" align="center" |49.07 || align="center" | || Tonique Williams-Darling || || 12 September 2004 || Berlin ||

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

|align="center"|

|Rhasidat Adeleke

|10 June 2024

|Rome

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

|align="center" |20

|align="center" |49.09 ||align="center"|0.200 || Aaliyah Butler || || 11 July 2025 || Monaco ||

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |21 || align="center" |49.10 ||align="center"| || Falilat Ogunkoya || || 29 July 1996 || Atlanta ||

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |22 || align="center" |49.11 ||align="center"| || Olga Nazarova || || 25 September 1988 || Seoul ||

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| rowspan="2" align="center" |23

| rowspan="2" align="center" |49.13

|align="center"|

|Britton Wilson

|13 May 2023

|Baton Rouge

|-bgcolor=#CCFFCC

|align="center"|

|Kaylyn Brown

|8 June 2024

|Eugene

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |25 || align="center" |49.14 ||align="center"| || Gabrielle Thomas || || 5 April 2025 || Kingston ||

Annulled marks

Christine Mboma ran 48.54 in Bydgoszcz on 30 June 2021, but her performance was removed from the World Athletics database due to testosterone regulations in women's athletics.

Men (indoor)

Correct as of March 2026.

{| class="wikitable"

!Time (s)

!Athlete

!Nation

!Date

!Place

|-bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

|align="center" |1

|align="center" |44.49

|Christopher Morales Williams

|24 February 2024

|Fayetteville

|-bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| rowspan="2" align="center" |2

| rowspan="2" align="center" |44.52

|Michael Norman

|10 March 2018

|College Station

|-bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

|Khaleb McRae

|13 February 2026

|Fayetteville

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| rowspan="2" align="center" |4

| rowspan="2" align="center" |44.57

|Kerron Clement

|12 March 2005

|Fayetteville

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

|Samuel Ogazi

|14 March 2026

|Fayetteville

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| rowspan="2" align="center" |6

| rowspan="2" align="center" |44.62

|Randolph Ross

|12 March 2022

|Birmingham

|-bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

|Jonathan Simms

|10 January 2026

|Clemson

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |8

| align="center" |44.63

|Michael Johnson

|4 March 1995

|Atlanta

| rowspan="2" |

| align="center" |9

| align="center" |44.66

|Johnson #2

| rowspan="2" |

|2 March 1996

|Atlanta

|align="center" |10

|align="center" |44.67

|Morales Williams #2

|7 March 2024

|Boston

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |9

|align="center" |10

|align="center" |44.67

|Justin Braun

|14 March 2026

|Fayetteville

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |11

| align="center" |13

| align="center" |44.71

|Noah Williams

|13 March 2021

|Fayetteville

| align="center" |14

| align="center" |44.72

|Ogazi #2

|28 February 2026

|College Station

|-bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |12

| align="center" |15

| align="center" |44.74

|Ezekiel Nathaniel

|1 March 2025

|Lubbock

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |13

| align="center" |16

| align="center" |44.75

|Elija Godwin

|25 February 2023

|Fayetteville

|rowspan=2|

| align="center" |17

| align="center" |44.75

|Godwin #2

|rowspan=2|

|11 March 2023

|Albuquerque

|align="center" |18

|align="center" |44.76

|Morales Williams #3

|21 March 2026

|Toruń

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |14

| align="center" |19

| align="center" |44.80

|Kirani James

|27 February 2011

|Fayetteville

| align="center" |

| align="center" |20

| align="center" |44.80

|Morales Williams #4

|13 February 2026

|Clemson

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |15

| align="center" |21

| align="center" |44.82

|Tyrell Richard

|9 March 2019

|Birmingham

| align="center" |22

| align="center" |44.83

|Ross #2

|11 February 2022

|Clemson

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

|rowspan=2 align="center" |16

|rowspan=2 align="center" |23

|rowspan=2 align="center" |44.85

|Fred Kerley

|11 March 2017

|College Station

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

|Jordan Pierre

|14 March 2026

|Fayetteville

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |18

| rowspan="9" align="center" |

| align="center" |44.86

|Akeem Bloomfield

|10 March 2018

|College Station

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |19

| align="center" |44.88

|Bralon Taplin

|3 February 2018

|College Station

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |20

| align="center" |44.91

|Auhmad Robinson

|9 March 2024

|Boston

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| rowspan="2" align="center" |21

| align="center" |44.93

|LaShawn Merritt

|11 February 2005

|Fayetteville

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

|align="center" |44.93

|Ryan Willie

|11 March 2023

|Albuquerque

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |23

| align="center" |44.95

|Jayden Davis

|1 March 2025

|Lubbock

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |25

| align="center" |45.01

|Attila Molnár

|3 February 2026

|Ostrava

Women (indoor)

Correct as of March 2026.

{| class="wikitable"

!Time (s)

!Athlete

!Nation

!Date

!Place

|-bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

|align="center" |1

|align="center" |49.17

|Femke Bol

|2 March 2024

|Glasgow

|align="center" |2

|align="center" |49.24

|Bol #2

|18 February 2024

|Apeldoorn

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

|align="center" |2

|align="center" |49.24

|Isabella Whittaker

|15 March 2025

|Virginia Beach

| align="center" |4

| align="center" |49.26

|Bol #3

|19 February 2023

|Apeldoorn

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |3

| align="center" |5

| align="center" |49.48

|Britton Wilson

|11 March 2023

|Albuquerque

| align="center" |8

| align="center" |49.64

|Kratochvílová #2

|28 January 1981

|Vienna

|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

| align="center" |5

| align="center" |9

| align="center" |49.68

|Natalya Nazarova

|18 February 2004

|Moscow

| rowspan="2" |

| rowspan="2" align="center" |10

| rowspan="2" align="center" |49.69

|Kratochvílová #3

| rowspan="2" |

|6 March 1983

|Budapest

|Bol #5

|1 February 2024

|Metz

|-bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

|align="center" |6

|align="center" |12

|align="center" |49.76

|Taťána Kocembová

|2 February 1984

|Vienna

|-bgcolor="#f6F5CE"

|align="center" |7

|align="center" |13

|align="center" |49.78

|Aaliyah Butler

|1 March 2025

|College Station

| rowspan="7" |

| align="center" |14

| align="center" |49.85

|Bol #6

| rowspan="7" |

|4 March 2023

|Istanbul

| align="center" |15

|align="center" |49.90

|Whittaker #2

|1 March 2025

|College Station

| rowspan="2" align="center" |17

| rowspan="2" align="center" |49.97

|Kocembová #2

|4 March 1984

|Gothenburg

|Butler #2

|15 March 2025

|Virginia Beach

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| rowspan="2" align="center" |12

| rowspan="2" align="center" |50.15

|Olga Zaytseva

|25 January 2006

|Moscow

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

|Talitha Diggs

|25 February 2023

|Fayetteville

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| rowspan="2" align="center" |14

| rowspan="2" align="center" |50.21

|Vania Stambolova

|12 March 2006

|Moscow

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

|Shaunae Miller-Uibo

|13 February 2021

|New York City

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |16

| align="center" |50.23

|Irina Privalova

|12 March 1995

|Barcelona

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |17

| align="center" |50.24

|Alexis Holmes

|2 March 2024

|Glasgow

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"

| align="center" |20

| align="center" |50.33

|Rhasidat Adeleke

|25 February 2023

|Lubbock

<!-- |-

!scope="row"| 42.93

|style="text-align:left"|

| 2007

|Osaka

The url has expired and World Athletics' 2022 Statistics Handbook gives Wariner a split time of 43.10 in that race-->

!scope="row"| 43.04

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|10 August 2024

|Summer Olympics

|Saint-Denis

!scope="row"| 43.06

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|27 May 2018

| NCAA West Prelims

|Sacramento

!scope="row"| 43.09

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|10 August 2024

|Summer Olympics

|Saint-Denis

!scope="row" | 43.1

|style="text-align:left"|

|L2

|8 August 1992

| Summer Olympics

|Barcelona

<!--|-

As of 21 Sept 2025, the official results for the 2025 world championships 4x400 m men's heat 1, show a split time of 43.11 for Christopher Bailey's who started for the US team. This would be a comfortable world record for a starter (Danny Everett in Seoul in 1988 is next with 43.79). Demarius Smith, who ran after him, has a split time of 48.17, which is exceptionally slow, even allowing for a ~1 sec delay caused by Zambian interference at the next exchange. Moreover, footage shows that the baton handovers of the American and South African teams at the first exchange were simultaneous and not 1.2 seconds apart as the recorded split time of 44.30 seconds for the South African starter (Gardeo Isaac) suggests. In other words, Bailey's split time is unlikely to be accurate and should not be included. Also, due to the interference, the American team's time was officially replaced by their better results from heat 3.

!scope="row"| 43.11

|style="text-align:left"|

|L1

|20 September 2025

|World Championships

|Tokyo

|style="text-align:center"| -->

!scope="row" rowspan="3"| 43.18

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|23 August 2008

|Summer Olympics

|Beijing

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|10 August 2024

|Summer Olympics

|Saint-Denis

!scope="row"| 43.23

|style="text-align:left"|

|L3

|22 August 1993

|World Championships

|Stuttgart

!scope="row" rowspan="2"| 43.26

|style="text-align:left"|

|L2

|10 August 2024

|Summer Olympics

|Saint-Denis

!scope="row"| 43.3

|style="text-align:left"|

|L2

|10 August 2012

|Summer Olympics

|London

Women

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

!scope="col"| Split

!scope="col"| Athlete

!scope="col"| Leg

!scope="col"| Date

!scope="col"| Event

!scope="col"| Place

!scope="col" class="unsortable"|

!scope="row"| 47.6

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|11 September 1982

| European Championships

|Athens

!scope="row"| 47.70

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|3 June 1984

| National Championships

|Erfurt

!scope="row"| 47.72

|style="text-align:left"|

|L3

|30 August 2015

|World Championships

|Beijing

|style="text-align:center"|

!scope="row"| 47.75

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|14 August 1983

|World Championships

|Helsinki

!scope="row"| 47.8

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|1 October 1988

|Summer Olympics

|Seoul

!scope="row"| 47.84

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|18 August 1984

| Friendship Games

|Prague

!scope="row"| 47.91

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|24 July 2022

|World Championships

|Eugene

|style="text-align:center"|

!scope="row"| 48.00

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|3 August 2024

|Summer Olympics

|Saint-Denis

|style="text-align:center"|

!scope="row"| 48.01

|style="text-align:left"|

|L2

|2 September 2007

|World Championships

|Osaka

!scope="row"| 48.08

|style="text-align:left"|

|L4

|1 October 1988

|Summer Olympics

|Seoul

Relay splits are typically faster because athletes have a running start and do not need to react to the gun if they are not the leadoff leg.
World Athletics reports a split time of 42.94, which is based on "photo-finish pictures taken at the start and finish of Johnson's leg supplied by Seiko. Using different methods, the DLV Biomechanics Report from Stuttgart 1993 variously showed timings of 42.91 and 42.92.