Here are two great races to study racing strategy and to demonstrate how to just be patient.
In the Men’s 400m, Leslie Djhone of France doesn’t get out quick for the first 150 meters, but he doesn’t panic, and really makes up for it from 150 to 210 meters. See How to Race the indoor 400 meters. Run your own race, but be smart. However, a 45.54 may sound funeral compared to a 44.80! Like the 60 meters, the Heats and Semi Finals were on Day 1, with the Finals on Day 2. No rest day!
In the Women’s 400m, Olesya Krasnomovets of Russia runs her own race leading from gun to tape, but at the end of the day, it’s Denisa Rosolova of the Czech Republic who wins the race after being in 4th place after the break! In my mind, Krasnomovets runs a flawless race in terms of execution, but she gets beat at the end.
400m Men Final, European Athletics Championships 2011, Paris (Video)
400m Women Final, European Athletics Championships 2011, Paris (Video)
