Staffellauf

relay race

noun SHTAH-fel-lowf Rare

Usage Note

Staffellauf is the relay race in athletics, where a baton (Staffelstab) is passed between runners. The 4×100 m and 4×400 m are the classic Olympic relays. Den Staffellauf gewinnen (win the relay) requires not just individual speed but precise baton exchanges.

Examples

"Im Staffellauf der gemischten 4×400-Meter-Staffel sicherte sich Deutschland Silber."

Natural Translation

In the mixed 4×400 metre relay Germany secured silver.

Literal Translation

In the relay-race of the mixed 4×400-metre-relay secured itself Germany silver.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

How to Memorize German Vocabulary Fast

Memorize German vocabulary fast with a five-step workflow: drill the top 100 words, learn nouns with their article, color-code gender, and use spaced repetition

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

How to Tell Time in German Without Mistakes

Halb sieben means 6:30, not 7:30. Master telling time in German — Viertel nach, halb, vor, the 24-hour clock, and the prepositions that trip up beginners.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read