What's faster? A relay split or a regular race time?

In track and field. Which is faster and why? I've heard the relay split is but not quite sure. I run the 4x800 specifically if that makes a difference, but also the 4x400 at times. Thanks!|||Except for the first leg, every leg of a relay should be faster. You are getting a running start so that usually amounts to 7/10 of a second.


In the shorter relays you will see a much bigger difference than in the 4x800, but even in that race your relay leg is faster.


You can also consider the mental aspect of racing it is easier to run off another runner, that is to run faster when the other runner is next to you, or ahead or behind you, than if you are running in separate lanes.|||Usually a relay leg time will always be faster, because you get a running start and, depending on where the hand off occurs, you might be running less than a whole 800m/400m. However, this difference is far more defined in shorter relays like the 4x1 and4x2; it isn't really noticeable in the 4x4 and 4x8. Also, my relay splits are always faster because the 4x8 is before the 800m.|||Not 100% sure of your question. The relay split would be faster or a shorter time frame than the whole race.





The split time would only be one leg of the relay, the "regular race" would be the overall time off all the legs together.





I hope i answered it correctly.