| Rank | Heat | Nation | Athletes | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | | Michael Frater, Ainsley Waugh, Winston Smith, Asafa Powell | 38.52 | Q |
| 2 | 3 | | Daniel Batman, Joshua Ross, Adam Miller, Ambrose Ezenwa | 38.57 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | | Charles Allen, Anson Henry, Nathan Taylor, Emanuel Parris | 38.86 | Q |
| 4 | 3 | | Leonard Myles-Mills, Eric Nkansah, Seth Amoo, Aziz Zakari | 39.03 | q |
| 5 | 1 | | Matthew Brown, James Mortimer, James Dolphin, Chris Donaldson | 39.04 | Q |
| 6 | 1 | | Fabrice Coiffic, Fernando Augustin, Stéphan Buckland, Ommanandsing Kowlessur | 39.55 | Q |
| 7 | 2 | | Lee Roy Newton, Leigh Julius, Snyman Prinsloo, Sherwin Vries | 39.62 | Q |
| 8 | 1 | | Nkosie Barnes, Daniel Bailey, Ivan Miller, Brendan Christian | 39.90 | q |
| 9 | 3 | | Lamin Tucker, Josephus Thomas, Samuel Randall, Gibrilla Bangura | 40.05 | |
| 10 | 3 | | Biao Sani, François Belinga, Alfred Moussambani, Emmanuel Ngom Priso | 40.23 | |
| 11 | 3 | | Fabian Niulai, Wally Kirika, Henry Ben, Anton Lui | 40.57 | |
| 12 | 2 | | Robert Ibeh, Stephen Antoine Ovar Johnson, Ronald Forbes, Kareem Streete-Thompson | 40.76 | |
| 13 | 1 | | Iliesa Namosimalua, Jone Delai, Waisea Finau, Niko Verekauta | 41.03 | |
| 14 | 1 | | Francis Manioru, Chris Walasi, Jack Iroga, Nelson Kabitana | 41.67 | |
| 15 | 2 | | Willah Gray, Darian Forbes, Isaiah Gardiner, Delano Fulford | 42.30 | |
| 1 | | Uzodinma Alozie, Uchenna Emedolu, Peter Emelieze, Deji Aliu | | |
| 1 | | Kevon Pierre, Marc Burns, Jacey Harper, Aaron Armstrong | | |
| 2 | | Andy Turner, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish, Mark Lewis-Francis | | |
| 3 | | Abraham Kepsen, Moses Kamut, Robert Nidithawae, Arnold Sorina | | |
| 2 | | Toom Annaua, Ieie Matang, Rabangaki Nawai, Mariuti Uan | | |
