400m Sprint

The 400 meter is one of the four common competitive level track events for sprint, and it is the longest one. 400 meters is the exact measurement of the inner lane of standard outdoor track, which makes for one whole lap per round. Like the 200 meter race, sprinters are placed in staggered posts throughout the track, in separate lines, to ensure that they tackle the same distances.

Despite this event being classified as a sprint, the 400 meter race requires a combination of both power and speed, coupled with a good technique. On that vein, a well-established stride, coupled with excellent speed and peak perfunctory non-fast twitch muscles is necessary to be engage in a competitive level.

A usual technique for 400 meter sprints is to begin explosively, with a great push from the beginning and running hard all the way through the curve, after which taking on a more relaxed pace during the first straight part, then gradually increasing speed through the curve, and finally running at full throttle at the home straight.

Other recommended race paces involve, a fast start and an establishment of a good working rhythm for the first 100 meters, followed by a smooth maintenance of pace, posture and cadence on the next 100, then an increase in arm movement while gradually picking up speed by the 300th meter, then finally giving a huge thrust at the start of the last 100 meters, maintaining momentum and arm action, and driving and sprinting towards the finish line.

The usual training regimen for 400 meter runners involve weights, circuit training, leg and arm conditioning, plyometrics, and extensive stretching exercises. Sprint events naturally maintain 3 types of pace for the average runner – the race pace, the 10% faster than race pace, and the 10% slower than race pace. The training enables the runner to gauge these three different paces and improve them accordingly.

The training for 10% faster than race pace aims to improve leg speed and thrust. The 400 meter race pace aims to improve maximum oxygen intake and fatigue resistance, and train the body so that the 400 meter pace becomes muscle memory. The 10% slower than race pace aims to train the body by improving the lactic threshold, and to enable a runner to function for longer periods.

The world record for the 400 meter dash is 43.18 seconds, and it belongs to Michael Johnson, who also holds 7 other world records in track events. The world record for women is at 47.60 seconds, and it belongs to Marita Koch from Germany.