400_metres

400 metres

400 metres

Sprint running event


The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and race in separate lanes for the entire course. In many[clarification needed] countries, athletes previously competed in the 440-yard dash (402.336 m)—which is a quarter of a mile (1,760 yards) and was referred to as the "quarter-mile"—instead of the 400 m (437.445 yards), though this distance is now obsolete.

Quick Facts Athletics, World records ...

Like other sprint disciplines, the 400 m involves the use of starting blocks. The runners take up position in the blocks on the "ready" command, adopt a more efficient starting posture which isometrically preloads their muscles on the "set" command, and stride forwards from the blocks upon hearing the starter's pistol. The blocks allow the runners to begin more powerfully and thereby contribute to their overall sprint speed capability. Maximum sprint speed capability is a significant contributing factor to success in the event, but athletes also require substantial speed endurance and the ability to cope well with high amounts of lactic acid to sustain a fast speed over a whole lap. While considered to be predominantly an anaerobic event, there is some aerobic involvement and the degree of aerobic training required for 400-metre athletes is open to debate.[1]

The current men's world record and Olympic record is held by Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa; his time of 43.03 seconds is the fastest 400 m ever run, in either an open 400 m or a relay. While Michael Johnson holds the fastest 400 m relay split with a time of 42.94, relay splits are typically faster because athletes have a running start and do not need to react to the gun if they are not the leadoff leg. Considering van Niekerk's reaction time of 0.181 seconds in his run of 43.03, van Niekerk covered the 400-metre distance itself in 42.85 seconds, therefore being 0.09 s faster than Johnson's relay split.[2]

Quincy Hall is the reigning men's Olympic champion. Antonio Watson is the current men's world champion. Christopher Morales Williams is the men's world indoor record holder with a time of 44.49 seconds.[3]

The current women's world record is held by Marita Koch, with a time of 47.60 seconds. Marileidy Paulino is the current women's world champion and women’s Olympic champion, and holds the Olympic record in a time of 48.17 seconds. Femke Bol holds the women's world indoor record at 49.17 (2024). The men's T43 Paralympic world record of 45.07 seconds is held by Oscar Pistorius.[4]

An Olympic double of 200 metres and 400 m was first achieved by Valerie Brisco-Hooks in 1984, and later by Marie-José Pérec of France and Michael Johnson from the United States on the same evening in 1996. Alberto Juantorena of Cuba at the 1976 Summer Olympics became the first and so far the only athlete to win both the 400 m and 800 m Olympic titles. Pérec became the first to defend the Olympic title in 1996, Johnson became the first and only man to do so in 2000. From 31 appearances in the Olympic Games, the men's gold medalist came from the US 19 times (as of 2019).

Continental records

More information Area, Men ...

All-time top 25

Tables show data for two definitions of "Top 25" - the top 25 400 m times and the top 25 athletes:
- denotes top performance for athletes in the top 25 400 m times
- denotes lesser performances, still in the top 25 400 m times, by repeat athletes
- denotes top performance (only) for other top 25 athletes who fall outside the top 25 400 m times

Men (outdoor)

  • Correct as of June 2025.[7][8]
More information Ath.#, Perf.# ...

Women (outdoor)

More information Ath.#, Perf.# ...

Annulled marks

Men (indoor)

  • Correct as of September 2024.[42]
More information Ath.#, Perf.# ...

Women (indoor)

  • Correct as of March 2025.[54]
More information Ath.#, Perf.# ...

Fastest relay splits

More information Split, Athlete ...

Most successful athletes

3 or more 400-metre victories at the Olympic Games and World Championships:

  • 6 wins: Michael Johnson (USA) - Olympic Champion in 1996 and 2000, World Champion in 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999.
  • 4 wins: Marie-Jose Perec (FRA) - Olympic Champion in 1992 and 1996, World Champion in 1991 and 1995.
  • 3 wins: Cathy Freeman (AUS) - Olympic Champion in 2000, World Champion in 1997 and 1999.
  • 3 wins: Jeremy Wariner (USA) - Olympic Champion in 2004, World Champion in 2005 and 2007.
  • 3 wins: Christine Ohuruogu (GBR) - Olympic Champion in 2008, World Champion in 2007 and 2013.
  • 3 wins: LaShawn Merritt (USA) - Olympic Champion in 2008, World Champion in 2009 and 2013.
  • 3 wins: Wayde van Niekerk (RSA) - Olympic Champion in 2016, World Champion in 2015 and 2017.
  • 3 wins: Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) - Olympic Champion in 2016 and 2020, World Champion in 2022.

The Olympic champion has frequently won a second gold medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay. This has been accomplished 14 times by men; Charles Reidpath, Ray Barbuti, Bill Carr, George Rhoden, Charles Jenkins, Otis Davis, Mike Larrabee, Lee Evans, Viktor Markin, Alonzo Babers, Steve Lewis, Quincy Watts, Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt; and 4 times by women; Monika Zehrt, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Olga Bryzgina and Sanya Richards-Ross. All but Rhoden, Markin, Zehrt and Bryzgina ran on American relay teams. Injured after his double in 1996, Johnson also accomplished the feat in 2000 only to have it disqualified when his teammate Antonio Pettigrew admitted to doping.

Olympic medalists

Men

More information Games, Gold ...

Women

More information Games, Gold ...

World Championships medalists

Men

More information Championships, Gold ...

Medalists by country

More information Rank, Nation ...

Women

More information Championships, Gold ...

§ : awarded following doping disqualification.

Medalists by country

More information Rank, Nation ...

World Indoor Championships medalists

Men

More information Games, Gold ...

Women

More information Games, Gold ...
  • A Known as the World Indoor Games

Season's bests

More information Year, Time ...

Notes and references

  1. Canadian Journal of Applied Sport Sciences, "Aerobic versus anaerobic training for success in various athletic events" by Shepard, R. J., 1978
  2. Škraba, Žiga P. (15 August 2016). "43.03 – The Fastest 400m in History". Žiga P. Škraba. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  3. "Men's outdoor 400 Metres". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  4. "Women's outdoor 400 Metres". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  5. "All-time men's best 400m". alltime-athletics.com. 8 January 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  6. "Men's 400m Results" (PDF). Rio 2016 official website. 14 August 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  7. "Men's 400m - Final results" (PDF). Olympics. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  8. "61st ANNUAL MT. SAC RELAYS". rtspt.com. RecordTiming. 20 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  9. "400 Metres Result | 15th IAAF World Championships". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  10. "400m Results" (PDF). IAAF. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  11. Karen Rosen (26 June 2022). "McLaughlin breaks world 400m hurdles record with 51.41 at US Championships". World Athletics. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  12. Cathal Dennehy (29 May 2022). "Norman reigns in fierce 400m clash with record run in Eugene". World Athletics. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  13. Roy Jordan (28 July 2019). "Kendricks tops 6.06m in Des Moines". IAAF. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  14. "400m Results". IAAF. 26 August 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  15. "400m Results" (PDF). www.sep-olympic.ch. 5 July 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  16. "400m". Archived from the original on 8 July 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  17. Justin Lagat (31 May 2025). "Nene smashes 44-second barrier in Nairobi". World Athletics. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  18. Jess Whittington (12 June 2021). "Burrell breaks world U20 400m hurdles record in Eugene". World Athletics. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  19. "400m Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  20. "400m Men - Heats Results". IAAF. 23 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  21. "Men's 400m Semifinal Results Summary" (PDF). olympics.com. 2 August 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  22. "All-time women's best 400m". alltime-athletics.com. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  23. "400m Results" (PDF). IAAF. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  24. "400m Result" (PDF). swisstiming.com. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  25. Noel Francis (6 April 2025). "First four Grand Slam Track champions crowned in Kingston". World Athletics. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  26. "400m Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  27. Noel Francis (6 April 2025). "First four Grand Slam Track champions crowned in Kingston". World Athletics. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  28. "Men 400m Result". flashresults.com. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  29. "400m Result" (PDF). Flash Results. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  30. "Results: Men 400 M (Finals)". Flash Results. 13 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  31. "400m Result" (PDF). flashresults.com. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  32. "400m Results". flashresults.com. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  33. "Men 400 M". flashresults.ncaa.com. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  34. "400m Result" (PDF). Flash Results. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  35. "400m Results" (PDF). World Athletics. 19 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  36. "400m Result" (PDF). flashresults.com. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  37. "400m Final Results" (PDF). EAA. 2 March 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  38. "Senior Indoor 400 Metres Women". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  39. "400m Final Result" (PDF). World Athletics. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  40. Emerole, Anderson (16 March 2025). "Whittaker goes No.2 all time to win NCAA indoor 400m title". World Athletics. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  41. Mills, Steven (10 February 2024). "49.63 for Bol and 22.37m for Fabbri light up Lievin". European Athletics. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  42. Mills, Steven (3 February 2024). "Bol launches season with a 22.64/49.69 double in Metz". European Athletics. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  43. Dennehy, Cathal (4 March 2023). "Bol and Warholm claim European indoor 400m crowns in Istanbul". World Athletics. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  44. Taylor Dutch (14 February 2021). "Three American Records and 10 National Records Fall at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix". runnersworld.com. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  45. "4x400 Metres Relay Icons". Retrieved 10 June 2018. Jeremy Wariner: The two-time world 400m champion was a key member of the USA 4x400m squad in the 2000s, picking up two Olympic relay golds and three world titles. He also boasts the second-fastest relay split in history with his 42.93 from the 2007 World Championships.
  46. "Men's 4 x 400m Relay Results" (PDF). olympics.com. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  47. "Men's 4×400m Relay Results". ncaa.com. 27 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  48. "Men's 4 x 400m Relay Final Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  49. ""Athletics – Women's 4 x 400m Relay – Final – Results – Revised" (PDF). olympics.com. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.


Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article 400_metres, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.