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Introduced into the Olympics in 1972, The World Championships in 1983, The European Championships 1969 and The Commonwealth Games in 1934. In the Commonwealth between 1934-1950 it was run over 660 yards, 220 yards x 220 x 110 yards x 110 yards. It was reintroduced back in 1974 as the 4 x 400 metres.
In the world record progression only records that have been ratified by the IAAF or are awaiting ratification have been used.
All other records that have not been ratified or have been removed for whatever reason have not been included.
* = Equalled world record
# = Hand timed
y = 4x402.336 metres
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| Tatyana Ledovskaya | 3.15.18 |  | 1-10-1988 | Seoul |
| Olga Nazarova | | | | |
| Maria Kulchunova | | | | |
| Olga Vladykina | | | | |
| Gwen Torrence | 3.16.71 |  | 22-8-1993 | Stuttgart |
| Maicel Malone | | | | |
| Natasha Kaiser-Brown | | | | |
| Jearl Miles | | | | |
| Kirsten Emmelmann (Siemon) | 3.16.87 |  | 31-8-1986 | Stuttgart |
| Sabine Busch | | | | |
| Petra Schersing (Muller) | | | | |
| Marita Koch | | | | |
| Lauren Hewitt | 3.25.63 |  | 31-7-2002 | Manchester |
| Cathy Freeman | | | | |
| Tamsyn Lewis | | | | |
| Jana Pittman | | | | |
