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How to Run the 400 meters – It Depends

You are here: Home / 400 meters / How to Run the 400 meters – It Depends
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May 2, 2010 by Jimson Lee 13 Comments

How should you run your 400m? 

Even splits?

If your opening 200m is within 1 second of your best 200m, with the 2nd half about 2 seconds slower than the first, then the simple formula to determine your 400m time potential is doubled your best 200 plus 4 seconds

  i.e. best 200 = 21, so split 22 + 24 = 46

For the 400m specialist with the proper speed and special endurance background and training, then we use the traditional “doubled 200m plus 3.5 seconds” formula to give:

  i.e. best 200 = 21, so split 22 + 23.5 = 45.5

Thus, is a differential of 1.5 to 2 seconds between the first 200 and second 200 the norm?

Yeah right.

Berlin 2009: IAAF Biomechanical Analysis

Take a look at the IAAF Biomechanical Analysis from Berlin 2009.  Renny Quow from Trinidad is the only sprinter in the group with near even splits.  Otherwise, a differential between 1 and 3 seconds is the norm. 

Only 29% of the sprinters had a differential of between 1.5 and 2 seconds.

Of course, some of the stats are skewed from the heats if they are leading and simply trying to conserve energy for the next round by “jogging” the last 100m.

Athlete Round 400m 1st 200 2nd 200 DIFF
Erison Hurtault Semi 45.59 NA NA NA
Renny Quow Semi 44.53 NA NA NA
Renny Quow Final 45.02 22.43 22.59 +0.16
Renny Quow Heats 45.21 22.30 22.91 +0.61
Kevin Borlee Semi 45.28 22.28 23.00 +0.72
Ramon Miller Semi 44.99 21.99 23.00 +1.01
Michael Bingham Semi 44.74 21.84 22.90 +1.06
Leslie Djhone Semi 44.80 21.87 22.93 +1.06
LaShawn Merritt Final 44.06 21.49 22.57 +1.08
Ricardo Chambers Semi 45.13 22.00 23.13 +1.13
Tabarie Henry Semi 44.97 21.91 23.06 +1.15
Matteo Galvan Heats 45.86 22.31 23.55 +1.24
Maksim Dyldin Heats 45.91 22.33 23.58 +1.25
David Gillick Semi 44.88 21.80 23.08 +1.28
LaShawn Merritt Semi 44.37 21.51 22.86 +1.35
Jeremy Wariner Semi 44.69 21.63 23.06 +1.43
Leslie Djhone Heats 45.20 21.86 23.34 +1.48
Chris Brown Semi 44.95 21.72 23.23 +1.51
Martyn Rooney Heats 45.45 21.94 23.51 +1.57
Ramon Miller Heats 45.00 21.70 23.30 +1.60
Michael Bingham Heats 45.54 21.90 23.64 +1.74
Tabarie Henry Final 45.42 21.83 23.59 +1.76
Jeremy Wariner Final 44.60 21.41 23.19 +1.78
Tabarie Henry Heats 45.14 21.67 23.47 +1.80
Marcin Marciniszyn Heats 45.77 21.98 23.79 +1.81
William Collazo Semi 44.93 21.56 23.37 +1.81
Leslie Djhone Final 45.90 22.04 23.86 +1.82
David Gillick Final 45.53 21.83 23.70 +1.87
Michael Bingham Final 45.56 21.84 23.72 +1.88
LaShawn Merritt Heats 45.23 21.66 23.57 +1.91
Erison Hurtault Heats 45.55 21.82 23.73 +1.91
Chris Brown Heats 45.53 21.78 23.75 +1.97
John Steffensen Semi 45.50 21.74 23.76 +2.02
Rabah Yousif Semi 45.63 21.80 23.83 +2.03
Joel Milburn Heats 45.56 21.74 23.82 +2.08
Young Talkmore Nyongani Heats 45.92 21.89 24.03 +2.14
Sean Wroe Heats 45.31 21.57 23.74 +2.17
William Collazo Heats 45.52 21.66 23.86 +2.20
David Gillick Heats 45.54 21.67 23.87 +2.20
Kevin Borlee Heats 45.61 21.70 23.91 +2.21
Rabah Yousif Heats 45.55 21.66 23.89 +2.23
Sean Wroe Semi 45.32 21.52 23.80 +2.28
Mohamed Ashour Khouaja Heats 45.56 21.63 23.93 +2.30
Ricardo Chambers Heats 45.57 21.62 23.95 +2.33
John Steffensen Heats 45.37 21.51 23.86 +2.35
Robert Tobin Heats 45.50 21.55 23.95 +2.40
Lionel Larry Heats 45.64 21.49 24.15 +2.66
Johan Wissman Heats 45.83 21.50 24.33 +2.83
Chris Brown Final 45.47 21.31 24.16 +2.85
Teddy Venel Heats 46.16 21.64 24.52 +2.88
Jeremy Wariner Heats 45.54 21.30 24.24 +2.94
Cedric van Brateghem Heats 45.94 21.46 24.48 +3.02
See also  Speedlinking: The Complete Guide to 400 Meter Training

Category icon400 meters,  Featured Story,  Track & Field Tag iconBerlin 2009,  Cedric van Brateghem,  Chris Brown,  David Gillick,  Erison Hurtault,  Jeremy Wariner,  Joel Milburn,  Johan Wissman,  John Steffensen,  Kevin Borlee,  Lashawn Merritt,  Leslie Djhone,  Lionel Larry,  Maksim Dyldin,  Marcin Marciniszyn,  Martyn Rooney,  Matteo Galvan,  Michael Bingham,  Mohamed Ashour Khouaja,  Rabah Yousif,  Ramon Miller,  Renny Quow,  Ricardo Chambers,  Robert Tobin,  Sean Wroe,  Tabarie Henry,  Teddy Venel,  William Collazo,  world championships,  Young Talkmore Nyongani

About Jimson Lee

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.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. adarian says

    May 3, 2010 at 6:47 am

    What are the open 200m times of the above athletes?

    Reply
  2. Jim Hiserman says

    May 3, 2010 at 9:07 am

    I feel it is important to know what type of sprinter you are dealing with. The faster 100 sprinters require different Race Plans than those with much slower maximum speed but great Lactate Tolerance abilities. Proper planning requires finding the optimal 200 split for each type of sprinter and then really training the sprinter to BOTH increase Max Vel and learn to efficiently run the first 200 at the desired split time.

    Reply
  3. Andy Cano says

    May 3, 2010 at 11:53 pm

    Ideally, two equal segments could be achieved. For example, Lee Evans’s 1968 400 meter world record of 43.86 seconds had nearly identical splits of 21.9. I know Butch Reynolds could also replicate that type of efficency. Though, I don’t know what type of splits Michael Johnson’s 1999 world record at 400 meters had (43.18).

    Reply
  4. Jim Hiserman says

    May 9, 2010 at 9:17 am

    John Smith also ran equal (22.2/22.3) when he set the 440 yard WR at 44.5. Notice that Evans, Reynolds and Smith were similar in terms of 200 speed but lacked the 200 speed that MJ had. Coaches need to know the type of 400 runners they have in order to develop training plans that replicate race plans designed for the type of sprinter (400/800,(Juantorena) 200/400,(MJ) 400/200(Smith, Reynolds, Evans) or 100/200/400.

    Reply
  5. Huper Nikao says

    May 12, 2010 at 6:37 am

    I notice that the first half was faster for all of the above races.

    Does anyone think it’s possible to run a negative differential in the 400m event? Is it physically possible to go out in 24.00 and return say in 22.00?

    Renny Quow came the closest to running and even race splitting 22.43 and 22.59.

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply
  6. Andy Cano says

    June 4, 2010 at 1:06 pm

    I have heard track authorities advise 400 meter runners to “go out close to 100 percent” for the 1st 100 meter segment (supposedly, lactic acid will be at 100 percent). That is pure folly. Any sprinter who strives to run at 100 % effort will find himself in the category of those runners who, “wheeze, exhale, and die in the last 100 meter segment of the 400 meter sprint.”

    Reply
  7. jason brown says

    July 17, 2010 at 11:42 am

    if you run 20.91 and 10.6 what u think ur 400m should be?

    Reply
    • Jimson Lee says

      July 18, 2010 at 12:06 am

      it depends if you have trained for the 100/200 or 200/400. If the latter, then 20.91 x 2 + 3.5 = 45.32. You need to get down to 20.75 regularly if you want to break 45. Jared Deacon shares the same sentiments.

      Reply
  8. jason brown says

    July 17, 2010 at 11:43 am

    or what type of spinter r u

    Reply
  9. adarian says

    July 18, 2010 at 12:27 pm

    I would thnk the 10.6 would be a bigger issue than the 20.91.
    Also with the right running model, running 100 percent for 100m is not impossible and still keep running without dieing in the last 100m.

    Reply
  10. Aaron says

    August 21, 2010 at 5:47 pm

    my 400 in the 10th grade was 50.32 i was mad because i thought i should have ran 49. but now my 11th grade season is coming soon how can i run 47 or 48 seconds what are some tips or strategies for me to do that?

    Reply
  11. Huper says

    August 23, 2010 at 2:07 am

    Aaron,
    I applaud your performance, and your intense desire to improve. I think you should begin by talking with your coach, and establishing your goals for the new season. If your desire is to run 48 by seasons end then you have to write a programme that will prepare to do that. Please, please, do not rush yourself or become impatient with your coach. Rushing your preparation in order to run fast times can result in you having a sporadic season or result in you being injured. Become a student of the 400m; learn the event by watching videos of Mike Johnson, Merritt, Wariner, Felix, Richards, Gonzales, Butch Reynolds, etc…Knowledge is power.

    Reply
  12. Aaron says

    August 30, 2010 at 5:10 pm

    alright thanks do you think its possible to run 46 in my senior year

    Reply

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