| Date | 8 – 9 August 1936 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Olympiastadion, Reichssportfeld, Berlin |
| Participants | 48 from 12 countries |
For some reason, the American chose not to run Archie Williams and Jimmy LuValle, gold and bronze medalists in the 400 metres. Without them, the British were stronger and won fairly comfortably. The early lead was set by Canada and Marshall Limon, but Godfrey Rampling stormed ahead on the second leg for Britain, and they took the lead for good.
| Date | 8 August 1936 — 16:30 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top two in each heat advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Team | NOC | Time (hand / automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | USA | 3:13.0 | ||
| 2 | Great Britain | GBR | 3:14.4 | ||
| 3 | Sweden | SWE | 3:14.6 | ||
| 4 | Germany | GER | 3:15.0 | ||
| 5 | Canada | CAN | 3:15.0 | ||
| 6 | France | FRA | 3:15.2 | ||
| 7 | Italy | ITA | 3:16.6 | ||
| 8 | Hungary | HUN | 3:17.0 | ||
| 9 | Poland | POL | 3:17.6 | ||
| 10 | South Africa | RSA | 3:17.8 | ||
| 11 | Japan | JPN | 3:18.4 | ||
| 12 | Czechoslovakia | TCH | 3:22.0 |
| Pos | Number | Competitors | NOC | Time (Hand) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | United States | USA | 3:13.0 | ||
| Lead-Off | 810 | Harold Cagle | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 813 | Bob Young | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 812 | Eddie O'Brien | – | |||
| Anchor | 811 | Al Fitch | – | |||
| 2 | – | Hungary | HUN | 3:17.0 | ||
| Lead-Off | 705 | Tibor Ribényi | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 707 | Zoltán Zsitva | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 706 | József Vadas | – | |||
| Anchor | 715 | József Kovács | – | |||
| 3 | – | Poland | POL | 3:17.6 | ||
| Lead-Off | 557 | Tadeusz Śliwak | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 556 | Antoni Maszewski | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 541 | Kazimierz Kucharski | – | |||
| Anchor | 540 | Klemens Biniakowski | – | |||
| 4 | – | Japan | JPN | 3:18.4 | ||
| Lead-Off | 371 | Toyoji Aihara | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 388 | Masao Ichihara | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 411 | Zhang Hsing-Hsien | – | |||
| Anchor | 373 | Hiroyoshi Kubota | – |
| Pos | Number | Competitors | NOC | Time (Hand) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Great Britain | GBR | 3:14.4 | ||
| Lead-Off | 296 | Freddie Wolff | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 251 | Godfrey Rampling | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 252 | Bill Roberts | – | |||
| Anchor | 250 | Godfrey Brown | – | |||
| 2 | – | Sweden | SWE | 3:14.6 | ||
| Lead-Off | 571 | Sven Strömberg | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 611 | Per-Olof Edfeldt | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 570 | Olle Danielsson | – | |||
| Anchor | 572 | Bertil von Wachenfeldt | – | |||
| 3 | – | France | FRA | 3:15.2 | ||
| Lead-Off | 195 | Raymond Boisset | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 242 | Georges Guillez | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 196 | Georges Henry | – | |||
| Anchor | 218 | Prudent Joye | – |
| Pos | Number | Competitors | NOC | Time (Hand) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Germany | GER | 3:15.0 | ||
| Lead-Off | 890 | Helmut Hamann | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 892 | Friedrich von Stülpnagel | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 893 | Harry Voigt | – | |||
| Anchor | 826 | Rudolf Harbig | – | |||
| 2 | – | Canada | CAN | 3:15.0 | ||
| Lead-Off | 71 | Marshall Limon | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 74 | Phil Edwards | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 70 | Bill Fritz | – | |||
| Anchor | 72 | Johnny Loaring | – | |||
| 3 | – | Italy | ITA | 3:16.6 | ||
| Lead-Off | 362 | Angelo Ferrario | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 329 | Marsilio Rossi | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 330 | Otello Spampani | – | |||
| Anchor | 328 | Mario Lanzi | – | |||
| 4 | – | South Africa | RSA | 3:17.8 | ||
| Lead-Off | 650 | Willie Botha | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 659 | Frank Rushton | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 651 | William Lindeque | – | |||
| Anchor | 649 | Denis Shore | – | |||
| 5 | – | Czechoslovakia | TCH | 3:22.0 | ||
| Lead-Off | 700 | Heinz Lorenz | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | 664 | Evžen Rošický | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | 678 | Břetislav Krátký | – | |||
| Anchor | 662 | Karel Kněnický | – |
| Date | 9 August 1936 — 15:45 |
|---|
| Pos | Number | Competitors | NOC | Time (Hand) | Split | Exchange | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Great Britain | GBR | 3:09.0 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Lead-Off | 296 | Freddie Wolff | – | 49.2 (3) | – (–) | |||
| 2nd Leg | 251 | Godfrey Rampling | – | 46.7 (1) | 1:35.9 (1) | |||
| 3rd Leg | 252 | Bill Roberts | – | 46.4 (1) | 2:22.3 (1) | |||
| Anchor | 250 | Godfrey Brown | – | 46.7 (1) | – (–) | |||
| 2 | – | United States | USA | 3:11.0 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Lead-Off | 810 | Harold Cagle | – | 48.7 (2) | – (–) | |||
| 2nd Leg | 813 | Bob Young | – | 47.6 (2) | 1:36.3 (2) | |||
| 3rd Leg | 812 | Eddie O'Brien | – | 46.7 (3) | 2:23.0 (2) | |||
| Anchor | 811 | Al Fitch | – | 48.0 (6) | – (–) | |||
| 3 | – | Germany | GER | 3:11.8 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Lead-Off | 890 | Helmut Hamann | – | 49.3 (4) | – (–) | |||
| 2nd Leg | 892 | Friedrich von Stülpnagel | – | 48.3 (4) | 1:37.6 (5) | |||
| 3rd Leg | 893 | Harry Voigt | – | 46.6 (2) | 2:24.2 (3) | |||
| Anchor | 826 | Rudolf Harbig | – | 47.6 (4) | – (–) | |||
| 4 | – | Canada | CAN | 3:11.8 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| 3rd Leg | 71 | Marshall Limon | – | 48.3 (1) | – (–) | |||
| 2nd Leg | 74 | Phil Edwards | – | 48.5 (5) | 1:36.8 (3) | |||
| Lead-Off | 70 | Bill Fritz | – | 47.9 (4) | 2:24.7 (4) | |||
| Anchor | 72 | Johnny Loaring | – | 47.1 (2) | – (–) | |||
| 5 | – | Sweden | SWE | 3:13.0 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Lead-Off | 571 | Sven Strömberg | – | 49.5 (5) | – (–) | |||
| 2nd Leg | 611 | Per-Olof Edfeldt | – | 48.0 (3) | 1:37.5 (4) | |||
| 3rd Leg | 570 | Olle Danielsson | – | 48.0 (5) | 2:25.5 (5) | |||
| Anchor | 572 | Bertil von Wachenfeldt | – | 47.5 (3) | – (–) | |||
| 6 | – | Hungary | HUN | 3:14.8 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Lead-Off | 705 | Tibor Ribényi | – | 49.8 (6) | – (–) | |||
| 2nd Leg | 707 | Zoltán Zsitva | – | 48.6 (6) | 1:38.4 (6) | |||
| 3rd Leg | 706 | József Vadas | – | 48.5 (6) | 2:26.9 (6) | |||
| Anchor | 715 | József Kovács | – | 47.9 (5) | – (–) |