400 metres


The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and race in separate lanes for the entire course. In many countries, athletes previously competed in the 440-yard dash —which is a quarter of a mile and was referred to as the "quarter-mile"—instead of the 400 m, though this distance is now obsolete.
The current men's world record and Olympic record is held by Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa; his time of 43.03 seconds is the fastest 400 m ever run, in either an open 400 m or a relay split. While Michael Johnson holds the fastest 400 m relay split with a time of 42.94, relay splits are typically faster because athletes have a running start and do not need to react to the gun if they are not the leadoff leg. Considering van Niekerk's reaction time of 0.181 seconds in his run of 43.03, van Niekerk covered the 400-metre distance itself in 42.85 seconds, therefore being 0.09 s faster than Johnson's relay split.
Quincy Hall is the reigning men's Olympic champion. Collen Kebinatshipi is the current men's world champion. Kerron Clement is the men's world indoor record holder with a time of 44.57 seconds. The current women's world record is held by Marita Koch, with a time of 47.60 seconds. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is the current women's world champion, holding the championship record of 47.78 seconds. Marileidy Paulino is the women’s Olympic champion, and holds the Olympic record in a time of 48.17 seconds. Femke Bol holds the women's world indoor record at 49.17. The men's T43 Paralympic world record of 45.07 seconds is held by Oscar Pistorius.
An Olympic double of 200 metres and 400 m was first achieved by Valerie Brisco-Hooks in 1984, and later by Marie-José Pérec of France and Michael Johnson from the United States on the same evening in 1996. Alberto Juantorena of Cuba at the 1976 Summer Olympics became the first and so far the only athlete to win both the 400 m and 800 m Olympic titles. Pérec became the first to defend the Olympic title in 1996, Johnson became the first and only man to do so in 2000. From 31 appearances in the Olympic Games, the men's gold medalist came from the US 19 times.

Sprint

Like other sprint disciplines, the 400 m involves the use of starting blocks. The runners take up position in the blocks on the "ready" command, adopt a more efficient starting posture which isometrically preloads their muscles on the "set" command, and stride forwards from the blocks upon hearing the starter's pistol. The blocks allow the runners to begin more powerfully and thereby contribute to their overall sprint speed capability. Maximum sprint speed capability is a significant contributing factor to success in the event, but athletes also require substantial speed endurance and the ability to cope well with high amounts of lactic acid to sustain a fast speed over a whole lap. While considered to be predominantly an anaerobic event, there is some aerobic involvement and the degree of aerobic training required for 400-metre athletes is open to debate.

Continental records

Men (outdoor)

Time Reaction AthleteNationDatePlace
1143.030.181Wayde van Niekerk14 August 2016Rio de Janeiro
2243.180.150Michael Johnson26 August 1999Seville
3343.29Butch Reynolds17 August 1988Zürich
443.39Johnson #29 August 1995Gothenburg
4543.400.168Quincy Hall7 August 2024Saint-Denis
643.44Johnson #319 June 1996Atlanta
5643.440.149Matthew Hudson-Smith7 August 2024Saint-Denis
6843.450.182Jeremy Wariner31 August 2007Osaka
6843.45Michael Norman20 April 2019Torrance
1043.480.156van Niekerk #226 August 2015Beijing
81143.480.164Steven Gardiner4 October 2019Doha
1243.49Johnson #429 July 1996Atlanta
91343.50Quincy Watts5 August 1992Barcelona
1443.50Wariner #27 August 2007Stockholm
101543.530.134Collen Kebinatshipi18 September 2025Tokyo
1643.56Norman #225 June 2022Eugene
1743.600.130Norman #328 May 2022Eugene
1843.61Norman #48 June 2018Eugene
1943.610.145Kebinatshipi #216 September 2025Tokyo
2043.62Wariner #314 July 2006Rome
2043.620.164van Niekerk #36 July 2017Lausanne
112243.64Fred Kerley27 July 2019Des Moines
2343.65Johnson #517 August 1993Stuttgart
122443.650.195LaShawn Merritt26 August 2015Beijing
2543.66Johnson #616 June 1995Sacramento
2543.66Johnson #73 July 1996Lausanne
1343.70Champion Allison25 June 2022Eugene
1443.72Isaac Makwala5 July 2015La Chaux-de-Fonds
1443.720.145Jereem Richards18 September 2025Tokyo
1643.74Kirani James3 July 2014Lausanne
1643.740.185Muzala Samukonga7 August 2024Saint-Denis
1843.76 Zakithi Nene31 May 2025Nairobi
1943.81Danny Everett26 June 1992New Orleans
2043.85Randolph Ross11 June 2021Eugene
2043.850.158Jacory Patterson28 August 2025Zurich
2243.86 Lee Evans18 October 1968Mexico City
2343.87Steve Lewis28 September 1988Seoul
2443.91Khaleb McRae22 June 2025London
2543.93Yousef Masrahi23 August 2015Beijing
2543.93Rusheen McDonald23 August 2015Beijing
2543.93Anthony Zambrano2 August 2021Tokyo

Women (outdoor)

  • Correct as of September 2025.
Time Reaction AthleteNationDatePlace
1147.60Marita Koch6 October 1985Canberra
2247.780.171Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone18 September 2025Tokyo
3347.980.183Marileidy Paulino18 September 2025Tokyo
4447.99Jarmila Kratochvílová10 August 1983Helsinki
5548.140.186Salwa Eid Naser3 October 2019Doha
648.16Koch #28 September 1982Athens
648.16Koch #316 August 1984Prague
848.17Paulino #29 August 2024Saint-Denis
948.190.189Naser #218 September 2025Tokyo
1048.22Koch #428 August 1986Stuttgart
61148.25Marie-José Pérec29 July 1996Atlanta
1248.26Koch #527 July 1984Dresden
71348.27Olga Bryzgina6 October 1985Canberra
1448.29McLaughlin-Levrone #216 September 2025Tokyo
81548.36Shaunae Miller-Uibo6 August 2021Tokyo
1648.370.145Miller-Uibo #23 October 2019Doha
1748.45Kratochvílová #223 July 1983Prague
1848.53Naser #39 August 2024Saint-Denis
91948.57Nickisha Pryce20 July 2024London
102048.59Taťána Kocembová10 August 1983Helsinki
2148.60Koch #64 August 1979Turin
2148.60Bryzgina #217 August 1985Moscow
2348.61Kratochvílová #36 September 1981Rome
112448.63Cathy Freeman29 July 1996Atlanta
2548.65Bryzgina #326 September 1988Seoul
1248.70Sanya Richards-Ross16 September 2006Athens
1348.83Valerie Brisco-Hooks6 August 1984Los Angeles
1448.89Ana Guevara27 August 2003Saint-Denis
1548.90Natalia Kaczmarek20 July 2024London
1649.05Chandra Cheeseborough6 August 1984Los Angeles
1749.07Tonique Williams-Darling12 September 2004Berlin
1749.07Rhasidat AdelekeIrelandUSANGAURSUSAUSAUSARUS