Top athletes, including Ferdinand Omanyala, Mary Moraa, Noah Lyles, and Letsile Tebogo, have learned the criteria needed to qualify for the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou as they vie for spots in the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo.
World Athletics has recently unveiled the qualification pathway for these highly competitive relays, scheduled for May 10 and 11.
The event marks the seventh edition of the World Athletics Relays and will be the first time it takes place in China. It’s expected to bring together elite athletes from around the globe, with fierce competition across five relay events: the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays, along with the mixed 4x400m relay. As stated by World Athletics, each relay discipline will feature up to 32 teams.
The top 16 teams in each relay discipline from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have automatically secured their places in Guangzhou, a huge advantage for these squads.
Additionally, the host country will have the privilege of entering one team per relay category. For the remaining spots, teams will be chosen based on top performance lists during the qualification window from January 1 to April 13.
Moreover, the leading 14 teams in each event at the World Relays in Guangzhou will automatically qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
World Athletics clarified that athletes must be at least 16 years old by December 31, 2025, to compete, while anyone younger will be ineligible.
Each country may field only one team per relay event, with up to eight athletes eligible for each team. Any four athletes listed may be selected to form the final relay lineup.
