Relay baton (© Getty Images)
Close to 800 athletes are expected to compete at the first edition of the IAAF World Relays, which will be held on 24-25 May in Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas.
Preliminary entry figures indicate that 48 member federations will take part in Nassau. Initial entries of 762 athletes – 440 men and 322 women – have been received by the IAAF as 90 men’s teams and 64 women’s teams will be spread across the five events.
These, of course, are preliminary figures and the final numbers may differ slightly.
The 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m, 4x800m and 4x1500m will all be contested at the inaugural World Relays.
The top eight teams in both the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m will automatically qualify for the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing.
In addition, the top eight teams in each event will be awarded prize money with the gold medallists taking home no less than USD $50,000. In the event that a team breaks a world record in Nassau, an additional bonus of USD $50,000 will be awarded.
IAAF
