Distance medley relay

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.

World best

Men

The United States currently holds the pending world record in the men's DMR with a time of 9:15.50, set on May 3, 2015. This was set during the 2015 IAAF World Relays at Thomas Robinson Stadium, located in Nassau, Bahamas. The team consisted of Kyle Merber 2:53.56 (1200m), Brycen Spratling 45.95 (400m), Brandon Johnson 1:44.75 (800m), and Ben Blankenship 3:51.24 (1600m). They shaved off 0.06s from Kenya's previous world record time set in 2006.

The Kenyan team of 2006 ran the DMR in 9:15.56, currently the second fastest time ever run. At the time of the IAAF announcement of world record status, this mark became the ratified world record.[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). This mark was set on April 29, 2006, at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The United States team of Matthew Centrowitz, Jr. in 2:49.47 (1,200 meters), Mike Berry in 46.40 (400), Erik Sowinski in 1:47.60 (800) and Pat Casey in 3:56.48 (1,600) currently hold the indoor world best in a time of 9:19.93. The mark was set on January 31, 2015 in New Balance Track & Field Center, New York City, New York.[2]

Women

At the same 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 at the Penn Relays in April 1988 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 27 years earlier.

The United States women's team of Sarah Brown in 3:15.54 (1,200m), Mahagony Jones in 53.59 (400m), Megan Krumpoch in 2:05.68 (800m), and Brenda Martinez in 4:27.77 (1600 m) holds the indoor world record, at 10:42.57, set at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on February 7, 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.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 http://www.iaaf.org/news/press-release/world-relays-2015-prize-money
  2. ↑ "Men's Distance Medley Relay Invitational Final". www.armory.milesplit.com. 31 January 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Parker Morse (8 February 2015). "Willis mile win leads the string of indoor superlatives in Boston". IAAF. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
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