Average 400 meter time for adult (Read 506 times)


ultramarathon/triathlete

    The 400 is meaningless unless it's part of the beer mile 

    HTFU?  Why not!

    USATF Coach

    Empire Tri Club Coach
    Gatorade Endurance Team

    bap


      Cecil,

       

      Currently I am running when the weather is about 42 to 52 degrees. It has been a cold winter where I live. I have comfortable track shoes, along with the appropriate clothing. Right now, the outdoor track gets real windy, so that can have a disadavantage towards my time or can be an advantage depends which direction I run.

       

      I have to be honest, I can exhausted once I pass 320 meters into the run.  Maybe eating more before my sprint can provide the essential energy that  I need ?

       

      I ran my first ever 400m last summer. I ran flat out for the first 200m then just hung on. The last 100 meters was the hardest mile of my life.

      Certified Running Coach
      Crocked since 2013

      bap


        Last season was an interesting one for me. After realizing marathons were a pointless and boring waste of time  I decided to focus on the Mile with the goal of running sub 5:50 in the Fifth Avenue Mile, my favorite race.

         

        I'm 52 by the way.

         

        I made a commitment to running track for the first time in my life. My track career started at the Armory, home of the Millrose Mile. It's a little intimidating when half a dozen runners in the first heat finish under 4:15.

         

        Over the season I ran 7 x Mile , 1 x 1500m, 3 x 800m,  2 x 400m and crowned it off with an Age Group win the the 100 meter dash at the New Jersey Senior Olympics (caveat: there were only 2 of us in my AG).

         

        Best times (all lifetime PRs)

        Mile - 5:55 (road)

        1500m - 5:35 (bad day)

        800m - 2:42.77

        400m - 1:12.0

        100m - 15.0

        (I also took 90s off my 5K PR)

         

        I've now employed a track coach with a long-term goal of running 62s for 400m and 13.2s for 100m at 55 y.o.

        Certified Running Coach
        Crocked since 2013


        Walk-Jogger

           

          I ran my first ever 400m last summer. I ran flat out for the first 200m then just hung on. The last 100 meters was the hardest mile of my life.

           

          I remember racing the 400 a few times at all-comers track meets when I was in my 30's and that was what it was like - all out from  the gun and wobbly legged for the last 100 meters.  I don't race enough 400's now in my upper 50's to know for sure, but I don't think I experience it quite that way any more, either because I'm not strong enough to burn myself out in the first 200-300 meters anymore or else because I've done a whole lot more interval training plus higher running mileage in recent years.

           

          My race strategy for the 400m now is to go out fast for the first 80-100 meters using the adrenaline rush of the start, then throttle back a bit and cruise as smoothly and relaxed as possible through the 200 meter mark, then slowly add power all the way to the finish line making sure I'm at nearly 100% power with maybe 50 meters to go and a final 100% surge the last 20 meters or so, so  that I collapse just past the finish line and not before. I haven't actually raced an all-out 400 in two years, and both of the 400's I've raced in the past few years were run in conjunction with multiple other races I was running on the same morning, so I was also running on semi-tired legs. But I'm pretty sure my 1:03 race was all out as I had some great competition.

          Retired &  Loving It

            Interesting that there are many different ways to run a 400.  Mentioned so far are fast, then hang on.  And fast, pace yourself, then fast at the end.

             

            The 200 for me was sprint as fast as I could, and then hang-on coming down the straight away.  That is not an approach I could take with the 400, unless I wanted to hit pavement and literally die at 300 meters.  Perhaps influenced by my hurdle running, the entire 400 for me is a paced event.  A delicate balance between a sprint and restrained running.  Maybe a 90% effort of sprinting, mixed with the endurance of holding that pace the whole way.  At the very end, yes try to sprint as fast as you can, but even though 100% of effort, you are probably still only at 90% efficiency (the reference being 100% efficiency of sprinting in the 100 meters).

            bap


              Hi Everyone,

               

              I just started running 400 meters and usually finish around 1:35 seconds. I am 38 years old and never ran track or run in any type of event.

               

              I do keep myself in shape by doing multiple types of workouts.

               

              Question: Is this time good for someone my age and with no experience in track ?

               

              Hi Teddy

               

              1:35 is a good start. In distance you can get away with just running to get faster. In sprinting you need to add

              - full body strength training

              - strides

              - drills

              - short repeats.

               

              That's a lot to take in,

               

              Start with simple body-weight lunges, squats and crunches but form is important and workouts should be with a trainer 

              Build up to more dynamic exercises. A boot camp style gym class would really help with that. Yoga would also be a good addition.

               

              On the track you can do 40 to 60 minute repeats walking back to the start for recovery. Focus on your form. Start by pumping your elbows back and raising your knees as you run..

               

              You can also add longer repeats, say 100 meters with a long rest between.

               

              Drills are difficult to get right but you can start with

              - 4 x high knees

              - 4 x butt kicks

              - 4 x skips.

               

              There are plenty of videos on youtube to help you understand drills and drill form but again, it would be good to have a couple of sessions under the watchful eyes of a trainer.

               

              Try coachup.com to find a trainer in your area.

               

              Paul

              Certified Running Coach
              Crocked since 2013

              Wing


              Joggaholic

                Remember it's the 400m DASH, not the 400m RUN. To run the 400 well, you need to pretty much sprint the whole way. If you are pacing yourself, you are doing it wrong.

                 

                Have "fun."

                 

                Thanks Jeff, I didn't know that and have been doing that wrong. Does that apply only to race, or is that also the way to do 400 intervals?


                Why is it sideways?

                   

                  Thanks Jeff, I didn't know that and have been doing that wrong. Does that apply only to race, or is that also the way to do 400 intervals?

                   

                  It applies only to the race! (and probably not fully.)

                   

                  I don't know a ton about the 400m as a race but there are certainly moments in the race where you are trying to relax and cruise (usually the backstretch) but hopefully you are not losing any speed when doing so -- and perhaps maintaining your speed better through relaxation.

                   

                  I also doubt that most mid-life people with real jobs and family etc. are fit enough to sprint an entire 400m.

                   

                  But my "breakthrough" in high school came after my coach told me that same line about the dash. I just sorta blindly threw myself into at 100% effort and ended up running about 4 seconds faster than I did with a methodical approach.

                  bap


                    I'm reading Michael Johnson's book "Gold Rush", which has a great description of how he runs the 400 meters. He said he was a terrible starter, so he would run flat out for the first 50 meters, cruise down the back straight and hammer the last hundred, as you can see below. He was upset that he missed the World Record by 2/10th of a second, believing he could have run the third third a lot faster.

                     

                    Michael Johnson 1996 400m Olympic Final

                    Certified Running Coach
                    Crocked since 2013

                      So did Johnson sprint 50, cruise 250, and sprint the final 100?

                       

                      If so, that 250 has got to be a long important pacing of himself to make the distance, without burnout.  Bet a lot of thought went into what percent of effort he could do that 250 at.

                      bap


                        He had a timing system called "the beeper" wired in to Baylor University track's loudspeakers.

                         

                        It would sound every few seconds so he would know if he was on his target pace for the session.

                         

                        Before the 1996 Olympics he got a bit ahead of the beeper and ran 21.4, 21.2 and 20.1, with 200m recoveries, in normal running shoes.

                        Certified Running Coach
                        Crocked since 2013

                        AmoresPerros


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                          Michael Johnson Racing

                           

                          There's lots of random videos of people running, on youtube. Take them with a grain of salt.

                           

                          Look for ones of the really good runners.

                          It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.

                          Teddy Lo


                            Hi Teddy

                             

                            1:35 is a good start. In distance you can get away with just running to get faster. In sprinting you need to add

                            - full body strength training

                            - strides

                            - drills

                            - short repeats.

                             

                            BAP,

                             

                            I am now running at 1:28 range. Thanks for the exercise tips, I will incorporate them before I sprint.

                            I usually accelerate at the first 80 to 100 meters, then pace it after 120 to 220 meters, then add more power after 220 meters, since I am not used to sprinting, I usually have tired legs after 300 meters or so. At that point, I just try to just finish the complete 400 meters. By speeding up early in the sprint, I usually compensate later on.

                             

                            Do you believe protein shakes or protein bars or good 1 hour or 30 minutes before a run ? I feel that energy is essential.

                            Teddy Lo


                              .

                               

                              BAP,

                               

                              I am now running at 1:28 range. Thanks for the exercise tips, I will incorporate them before I sprint.

                              I usually accelerate at the first 80 to 100 meters, then pace it after 120 to 220 meters, then add more power after 220 meters, since I am not used to sprinting, I usually have tired legs after 300 meters or so. At that point, I just try to just finish the complete 400 meters. By speeding up early in the sprint, I usually compensate later on.

                               

                              Do you believe protein shakes or protein bars or good 1 hour or 30 minutes before a run ? I feel that energy is essential.

                                I went to a HS track this weekend.  There was still ice and snow on it.  I kicked and stomped, trying to break up the ice to clear a lane all the way around.  It was about 33 degrees, so also slippery, cold, and windy.  I'm making as many excuses as I can here, because my 400m time was 85 seconds.

                                 

                                I've got to lose 9 more pounds to get to my goal weight of 165.  Even then, I might still be 20 pounds over my old track days weight of 145.  More excuses.  I know that weight has got to come off.  I knew I got old, fat, and slow.  But I didn't know I was this slow.  Talk about a dose of reality.  But that's my time, at my current weight of 174 pounds, and age 48.

                                 

                                The first 200m was a pretty good pace, but then I was out of gas.  200m to 300m was slowing down.  300m to 400m was just hanging on, but not walking.

                                 

                                Then I ran a 1600m at 8:15.  That's not good, either.

                                 

                                Lots of weight to lose and work to do, to become the runner I'd like to be before I die Smile