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Inside Kenya, other 47 relay teams qualified for World Athletics Championships Beijing 2027
03rd May, 2026 07:41 AM
A total of 48 relay squads booked their spots at the World Athletics Championships Beijing 2027 after strong performances on the opening day of the Debswana World Athletics Relays in Gaborone on Saturday, May 2, 2026.
In each relay category, men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m, as well as the mixed 4x100m and 4x400m, the top two finishers in every heat automatically advanced, alongside the next two fastest teams overall. These teams not only secured qualification for Beijing but also progressed to the finals set for Sunday, May 3, 2026.
Teams that missed out in the initial round will get another opportunity on Sunday, May 3, 2026, through an extra qualification stage. From this round, four more teams, specifically the top two in each heat, will claim the remaining automatic slots for the 2027 global championships.
Meanwhile, Sunday’s finals will determine medal winners, prize earnings, and lane allocations for the World Championships.
Road to Beijing
The mixed relay races in Gaborone also double as qualifiers for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 2026, where the top six teams in both the mixed 4x100m and mixed 4x400m finals will earn direct entry.
The event began in spectacular fashion, with Canada initially setting a world record in the mixed 4x100m, only for Jamaica to surpass it shortly after with a time of 39.99 seconds. Canada later clocked the fastest time in the men’s 4x100m heats (37.57), while Jamaica led the women’s 4x100m with 41.96.
Great Britain and Northern Ireland topped the timesheets in both the mixed 4x400m (3:09.69) and women’s 4x400m (3:21.28), while Australia set a new Oceanian record of 2:57.30 to lead the men’s 4x400m qualifiers.
The following teams advanced to Sunday’s finals and secured qualification for Beijing 2027:
Women’s 4x100m: Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Poland, Portugal, Spain
Men’s 4x100m: Australia, Botswana, Canada, Germany, Great Britain & Northern Ireland, Netherlands, South Africa, United States
Women’s 4x400m: Canada, Czechia, Germany, Great Britain & Northern Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain
Men’s 4x400m: Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Mixed 4x100m: Canada, Germany, Great Britain & Northern Ireland, Jamaica, Netherlands, Nigeria, Spain, United States
Mixed 4x400m: Australia, Great Britain & Northern Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Poland, Spain, United States
