Historic World Record For Jamaica As Mixed Relay Team Goes Sub-40 For The First Time Ever

In a landmark moment for global athletics, Jamaica became the first nation in history to break the 40-second barrier in the mixed 4x100m relay, clocking a sensational 39.99 seconds at the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26.

The historic run occurred on Saturday, May 2, 2026, during the qualifying heats of the event’s second global appearance.

The Jamaican quartet—Ackeem Blake, Kadrian Goldson, and twin sisters Tina and Tia Clayton—delivered a masterclass in sprinting and baton exchanges. Utilizing the event’s standard man-woman-man-womanrunning order, the team dominated Heat 3 to secure their place in history.

• Ackeem Blake provided a powerful start out of the blocks.
• Tina Clayton maintained the momentum through the second leg.
• Kadrian Goldson executed a strong third leg to set up the finish.
• Tia Clayton anchored the team, crossing the finish line just under the elusive 40-second mark.

The world record was remarkably broken twice within the same hour. In Heat 1, Canada (Eliezer Adjibi, Marie-Éloise Leclair, Duan Asemota, and Audrey Leduc) initially lowered the previous world best to 40.07 seconds. However, their celebration was short-lived as Jamaica surpassed that mark just minutes later in Heat 3.

Beyond the record, Jamaica’s performance secured their automatic qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing. The top teams from the Gaborone heats also earned spots for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship taking place in Budapest later this year.

The mixed 4x100m relay, which made its debut at the 2025 World Relays in Guangzhou, continues to grow in prestige. The event is slated to make its Olympic debut at the LA28 Games in Los Angeles. Fans can follow live updates and results through the official World Athletics portal.

While Jamaica has long dominated traditional relay events, this specific achievement marks a new chapter in their sprinting legacy: 

First Time for Jamaica

• First Mixed 4x100m World Record: This is the first time Jamaica has held the world record in this specific event. The previous record was held by Canada, who set a mark of 40.30 seconds during the event’s global debut in 2025.
• First Sub-40 Performance: Jamaica is the first team in history to ever run the mixed 4x100m in under 40 seconds, with their 39.99-second clocking.
• First Win Over the New Distance: While Jamaica took silver in the inaugural mixed 4x100m at the 2025 World Relays in Guangzhou, this heat win in Gaborone marks their first time leading the world standings in this discipline.