How To Run A FASTER 400 Meter Race | Strategy to Run Under 48 SECONDS

The 400m is a brutal race where speed endurance is absolutely critical, and pain is inevitable. As the longest race run within your own lane, having a strategy is crucial to running a faster 400m race. In this video, Aaron Thompson of the Spitfires in the Canadian Track and Field League breaks down the 400m race into critical components: 0m - 80m: Accelerate hard and build up to your maximum speed. Aim to catch your competitors outside of you. 80m - 200m: At 80m (the start of the first relay exchange zone, typically marked with a colour), ease off the acceleration and "float" down the backstretch. Find your rhythm and cruise at about 97% effort. 200m - 280m: Once you hit 200m mark (the start line for the 200m in your lane), prepare mentally and physically for the remainder of the race. Begin to accelerate again slowly here. Prepare for the pain and lactic acid to creep up in this segment. Trust that your training will get you to the finish line. 280m - 350m: Coming off the final turn, this is where your running form and mental cues are CRITICAL!! Cue yourself to drive your knees and pick up your arms. This is a good chance to swing by your competitors. 350m - Finish: If you've run the race properly, there's not much capacity to think at this point. All the practice of cueing yourself will reveal itself here. Survive and run through the finish line. Chapters: 0:00 - Start Line 0:29 - First 80 meters 0:53 - Backstretch 1:37 - 200m Mark 2:34 - The Final Turn 3:18 - Final 50 meters