History of the 400 M. Dash
Event Depth Chart . . .
400 M. Run
The 400m has achieved notoriety as a "man killer" because it is physiologically
impossible to run at close to top speed for longer than 30 to 35 seconds
before oxygen debt sets in and muscles "fill" with lactic acid.
400m runners must have good basic speed, they must be able to judge pace
and they must learn to ignore pain!
The 400m has been run in lanes from start to finish, like the shorter sprints,
at the Olympic Games since 1912.
The great improvements in this event, although partly explained by the introduction
of synthetic tracks in the late sixties, is mostly due to the development
of highly intensive training programs which successfully build both speed
and strength.
Although 400m runners were traditionally divided into 200m/400m and 400m/800m
types, it is the "pure" sprinters like Michael Johnson who now dominate
the event.