 Relay races emerged in the United States in the 1880s as a variation on charity races between firemen , who would hand a red pennant on to team mates every 300 yards . There are two very common relay events : the 4 × 100 metres relay and the 4 × 400 metres relay . Both events entered the Olympic programme at the 1912 Summer Games after a one @-@ off men 's medley relay featured in 1908 Olympics . The 4 × 100 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 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 inner @-@ most part of the circuit . For the second and third baton change overs , team mates must align themselves in respect of their team position – leading teams take the inner lanes while team mates of the slower teams must await the baton on outer lanes . 
