Last Updated on
I am so used to watching a College or High school 4×200 meters using a 3 turn Stagger that when I saw this video, I had to point out how they used a 1 turn Stagger with World class sprinters!
This is a video of Michael Johnson’s last European race, a 4x200m in Berlin 2001.
In 2001, Johnson ran mostly relays in his “farewell tour” and bypassed the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton.
Watch how the first leg cuts inside for the pole position with a mid-20 second speed for the 200 meters.
My guess is the International track at the Berlin Stadium did not have the proper staggers on the track, so they used the 800 meters markers. A 4×100 meter is a 2 turn stagger.
UPDATE: Sorry, the video is no longer on YouTube.
Jimson Lee
Coach & Founder at SpeedEndurance.com
I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.
Latest posts by Jimson Lee (see all)
Oklahoma High School. We run 3 turn stagger for the 1600 relay. I get the first split when runner/baton crosses beginning of exchange zone in our lane. Split 2 begins there and goes to the straight line 10 meters behind finish that marks begining of exchange zone for legs 3 and 4. Split 3 starts and ends at that point. Split 4 starts there and ends at finish.
Leg 3 is 400M. Leg 4 is 410M.
My question is about legs 1 and 2. How is the remaining 790M divided between them?
For the 4×400, the splits are measured when the BATON crosses the line.
The first exchange is the middle of the exchange zone, or the “200 meter” stagger if you “turn the track around” and finish at the 200m start line. Not all tracks have this line.
The 3rd and 4th exchange is timed at the finish line. Yes, the 4th guy runs 410m, and timed on the last 400 (flying 400)