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400 Meters: Can you Drop from 45 to 43 in One Year?

March 19, 2008 by Jimson Lee

In the 400 meters, can you drop your personal best from 45 seconds down to 43 seconds in one year?

The answer is yes.

In 1967, Lee Evans ran a 44.9 hand time (equivalent to a 45.04 FAT) behind Tommie Smith’s 400 meter World Record of 44.5, then ran 43.86 in Mexico City in 1968.

In 1987, Steve Lewis ran 45.76 at the USA National Junior Championships, followed by his 43.87 Gold medal victory over Butch Reynolds at the Seoul Olympics.

So it is possible to drop your PB from 45 point down to the 43 point territory? It’s rare, but it can be done.

Every 20 years we go through a cycle of great American Quarter Milers. 1968, 1988, 2008… hmmm, do I see a pattern here?

And yesterday, Jay Hicks wrote about Bryshon Nellum: Track & Field’s “Next One”

So it’s fair to say we may see the same with Bryshon this summer, as long as he doesn’t burn himself out and run too many races.

Bring on the Olympic Trials, where several American Quarter Milers will be staying home, but good enough to make the National team in any other country!
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Written by Jimson Lee · Filed Under 400 meters, Olympic History, Track and Field 

Comments

3 Responses to “400 Meters: Can you Drop from 45 to 43 in One Year?”

  1. W.E. Price on March 19th, 2008 8:06 am

    I would also have to include 2004 as a standout year for US quartermilers. Similar to ‘68 and ‘88, it was a clean sweep in Athens. Though not as fast as the prior two, the quality of performance was undeniable. In addition, one could even argue that relative depth that year was as good as ‘68 - that being demonstrated from both races (heat and finals) of the 4×4, as well as Oly trials.

  2. Jimson Lee on March 19th, 2008 7:54 pm

    The amazing thing about 2004 was th\e number of College “kids” who made the team, and the amount of races (indoors & outdoors NCAA, then trials, then Olympics) sure made a LONG season for those guys.

  3. Last Ten 400 meters Dash Olympic Champions | SpeedEndurance.com on November 17th, 2008 9:11 pm

    […] Markin is a special case where a 400 meter sprinter went from 46 to 44 in one year! (Sidenote: see 400 Meters: Can you Drop from 45 to 43 in One Year?) In April 1980, his personal best was 46.96. By July, he lowered that to 45.34. In the 1980 […]

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