Running the Perfect 400m

Start- 60m

The 1st 60 metres of a 400m are free! This means that you can (and should) drive out as hard as possible to get up to your 'cruising pace' as quickly as possible. You haven't gone out hard enough if you are still accelerating going in to the back straight.

In going out hard, you will set the tempo of your race (it is inefficient to have to accelerate in a race if you go out too slowly). This will also enable you to gain an advantage over your competitors and control the race. You cannot win the race here - but you can certainly lose it!

60m - 200m.

Once you have established your cruising speed the key is to run as quickly and, more importantly, as efficiently as possible. The more energy you save at this point of the race the more energy you will have for the last 50m in the home straight. The first 200m should be quicker than the second 200m (400m calculator. 400m time = Best 200m x 2 + 2 seconds)

200m - 300m.

This is the point where the race starts. Take advantage of the lane draw to gain an advantage on your competitors and position yourself as high up in the field as you can. Drive your arms to generate more speed and move through the field.

300m - 400m.

In the home straight, the key is to maintain form. When you enter the straight you should be running at your top speed - you can't accelerate any more.

Therefore try and maintain this momentum and speed by keeping everything together going up and down in a straight line. That is, let you knees, arms and shoulders move in a straight and efficient line. Tightening your face and neck, rolling your shoulders, crossing your arms across your body or letting you legs to buckle will do nothing to make you go quicker. The fitter you are and the more efficient you can run in the first 200m the more energy you will have left in the home straight to enable you to complete the race with less deceleration than anyone else - the key to victory.

How often did you see Michael Johnson or Jeremy Wariner tie up in the home straight - NEVER!

The 400m is mentally a tough event. Do not waste your energy focusing on the victory. Focus on each segment of the race, on each individual task in hand and let the result take care of itself. If you execute each part of the race as well as you possibly can, to run your perfect race, you will be victorious (even if you don't win the race).