Is The 400m the HARDEST EVENT in Track and Field?

Welcome to a journey into the heart of one of track and field's most debated topics: what is the most difficult event? 🔥

In this video, we dive deep into what makes the 400m not just a sprint, but a punishing test of speed, endurance, and mental fortitude. We explore every phase of this iconic event - from the explosive start to the grueling finish, and everything in between.

💭 Is the 400m truly the hardest event in track and field? Join us as we break down the science, the strategy, and the sheer willpower needed to excel in this brutal race. Whether you're a seasoned athlete, a sports enthusiast, or just curious about the limits of human performance, this video has something for you.

Featured athletes filmed by Outperform:
400m Runners - Tom Willems (CSU), Matthew Boling (Georgia), Elija Godwin (Georgia), LeBron Bessick (Auburn)
Sprinters/Decathletes: Maia McCoy (Tennessee), Kyle Garland (Georgia), Makanankaisbe Charamba (Auburn)

🔔 Drop your thoughts and experiences in the comments below - we'd love to hear your take on the 400m. Stay tuned for more mini track and field documentaries.

#400m #TrackAndField #Athletics #Sprint #Endurance #SportsScience

[dTristras]

This video was pure poetry- goosepumps!!!!

[thecuriousoutsider]

The real torture of the 400 is when you miss your pb and you have no clue whether you tried your hardest or not because that last 100 is such a mind game.

[PButler-]

I am a distance runner and ran the 400 for fun one time. I went out fast next to the actual 400 runners and the last 100 meters it felt like I was running into a 40mph headwind and could barley move forward.

[Thepippinator]

The worst thing to hear from your coach at the end of a meet: “hey we need you to run in the 4x400” 😮😭

[jco]

I used to run this regularly when I was 16-18, with pretty decent times, around 55s, and it was tough! But damn, when you've trained for a good 400 you are FIT!! I'll never forget the 200-300 stretch, by this point your lungs are burning and legs are starting to feel like lead, and the voice telling you you cant keep up this intensity grows louder and louder. Then you turn around that last bend, see the final straight. Your mind shifts... Dig deep, dig hard, you can do this... go Go

[johnphilip]

In High School, I ran Cross Country, 600m (Indoor), 400m and 800m (Outdoor). My PB in the 400m was 52.6s, and I can confirm it is the highest intensity pain of all the distances I've ran. That last ~75m is something else.. you see the finish line but everything starts to look blurry.. you hear the crowd cheering but everything sounds muffled.. your entire body feels like it's made of concrete and a tightness grips your chest and throat. I can't imagine running 400m but having to jump over hurdles all the while doing so. 400m Hurdles I suspect would be the hardest event, but I never had the guts to try

[electaic]

The 400m hurdles is even more of a struggle. Getting your body to go over the last two hurdles while going through all the pain described from 300 to 400m is brutal.

[Arkemist]

I'm 29 right now and I got into the athelics very late, at 27yo. I had decided I wanted to do middle distance running but my body was (and actually is) not fit for the 5000m or 3000m, so I tried the 400m and 800m... Well, I loved both disciplines even across the pain. They are something that make me feel alive, the pain you feel, the struggle... I don't know but that's when I really feel living my life ❤

[n-imationzstudios]

The 400 is absolutely brutal. But one of the worst parts is just the intimidation that you feel before the race.

[froliczreflex]

I’m a 400 meter runner and just watching this video makes me shake like I’m abt to run it

[ababagogynqa]

I’ve run everything from the 100 to the 10k, and I have to say, that the hardest events have to be either the 400 hurdles, 800m or 400m. It depends on the guy. For me, as a bigger dude (relative to other mid distance runners), the 800 was probably the hardest.

[sharpemang]

This video gave me chills like I was running the 400 meter again in Highschool. I came from the 100 and 200 Meyer and they told me to just run it as fast as I can. By the time I hit the last corner it felt like my body weighed 1, 000 lbs and I'm shouting at myself to lift my knees up and they aren't cooperating. It is the very essence of what hell must be like.

[Darium]

I remember having a sick love for this race. At one point my thoughts about running were so warped that I thought running was supposed to be painful, and it was definitely due to this race.

Bless the coach that pulled me to the side during 200 repeats to talk to me about my stress fractures.

[justin]

running both the 400 and 800, I can confirm that the 800 feels like a normal 400 but twice in a row

[LG]

It epitomizes the sport of Track & Field. Pain and suffering that really never ends all for a few moments of glory, but those few moments….. there’s really nothing like them.

[Razor]

Always thought the 800 was the hardest event, but I suppose that’s because I never ran the 400 at a high level. Considering how much I dread the 2nd lap of the 800, I can see why those last 100m are such a struggle. Especially with kinds of speeds you have to maintain to get good times at an elite level.

[ThethManRules]

I think the 400m is the absolute perfect (semi) sprint race in all of T&F.

I only ran in high school, but I was built for the 400m (440yd in my day). The faster sprinters were afraid because it was too long, and the distance runners didn't like starting off that fast. I was definitely in my element with the 440.

[ChrisPtoes]

In junior high I was a competitive swimmer but wanted to try track because I was fast. My coach decided it would be best for me to do the 400m. I was making it through practice easy but I was not prepared for the actual race at all. Now I was in very good shape from swimming but that 400 was the most brutal thing I’ve ever done. My legs were numb, I had no breath in my lungs and after I finished it I went and laid on the ground for like 10 minutes in pain. Needless to say I didn’t do track again

[sinatikonwiagbe]

High school state competition level the 400M is crazy. But man, I had to run out the 800M at just a regular meet. And I actually thought I was going to die. You really start to respect those med to long distance runners!

[joecowan]

I ran anchor of the 4 x 400m at Penn Relays. I finished with a bloody nose from swinging my arms on the final 50m with the baton...the roar of the crowd while my legs and lungs were on fire is all that fueled me!