The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

competitions. It has been featured in the

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

programme at the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor

running track An all-weather running track is a rubberized, artificial running surface for track and field athletics. It provides a consistent surface for competitors to test their athletic ability unencumbered by adverse weather conditions. Historically, v ...

, 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 The 440-yard dash, or quarter-mile race, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. In many countries, athletes compete in the 440 yard The yard (symbol: yd) is an English units, English unit of length in both the British im ...

(402.336 m)—which is a quarter of a

mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a imperial unit, British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length; both are based on the older English unit of Unit of length, le ...

(1,760

yards The yard (symbol: yd) is an English unit of length in both the British imperial and US customary systems of measurement equalling 3 feet or 36 inches. Since 1959 it has been by international agreement standardized as exactly ...

) and was referred to as the "quarter-mile"—instead of the 400 m (437.445 yards), though this distance is now obsolete. Like other sprint disciplines, the 400 m involves the use of

starting blocks Starting blocks are a device used in the sport of track and field by Sprint (running), sprint athletes to brace their feet against at the start of a race so they do not slip as they stride forward at the sound of the starter's pistol. The 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 Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has the molecular formula C3H6O3. It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as wel ...

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. The current men's

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

and Olympic record is held by

Wayde van Niekerk Wayde van Niekerk (South African English: , ; born 15 July 1992) is a South African track and field sprinter who competes in the 200 and 400 metres. In the 400 metres, he is the current world and Olympic record holder, having set the rec ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

; his time of 43.03 seconds is the fastest 400 m ever run, in either an open 400 m or a relay. 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 Quincy Hall (born July 31, 1998) is an American track and field athlete who competes over 400 metres and 400 m hurdles. He won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the 400 metres event. Early life From Kansas City, Missouri, Hall part ...

is the reigning men's Olympic champion.

Antonio Watson Antonio Watson (born 11 September 2001) is a Jamaican sprinter. He won the gold medal in the 2017 World Youth Championships in Athletics – Boys' 400 metres, boys' 400 metres event at the 2017 World Youth Championships in Athletics held in Nairob ...

is the current men's world champion.

Christopher Morales Williams Christopher Morales Williams (born 5 August 2004) is a Canadian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. Since 2022, he has competed for the University of Georgia Bulldogs. On February 24, 2024, as a sophomore, he set an unofficial world ind ...

is the men's world indoor record holder with a time of 44.49 seconds. The current women's world record is held by

Marita Koch Marita Koch (later Meier-Koch; born 18 February 1957) is a German former Sprint (running), sprint track and field athlete. During her career she set 16 List of world records in athletics, world records in outdoor sprints as well as 14 world re ...

, with a time of 47.60 seconds.

Marileidy Paulino Marileidy Paulino (born 25 October 1996) is a Dominican athlete sprinter specializing in the 400 meters. She won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first woman from the Dominican Republic to earn an individual Olympic m ...

is the current women's world champion and women’s Olympic champion, and holds the Olympic record in a time of 48.17 seconds.

Femke Bol Femke Bol (; born 23 February 2000) is a Dutch track and field athlete who competes in hurdling and Sprint (running), sprinting. She specialises in the 400 metres hurdles, where she is the 2023 World Athletics Championships – Women's 400 ...

holds the women's world indoor record at 49.17 (2024). The men's T43 Paralympic world record of 45.07 seconds is held by

Oscar Pistorius Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius ( , ; born 22 November 1986) is a South African double amputee, former professional sprinter, and convicted murderer. He was the 10th athlete to compete at both the Paralympic Games and Olympic Games. Pistorius r ...

. An Olympic double of

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400-metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slight ...

and 400 m was first achieved by

Valerie Brisco-Hooks Valerie Brisco-Hooks (born Valerie Ann Brisco; July 6, 1960, in Greenwood, Mississippi) is an Olympian who won three gold medals as an Olympic track and field athlete at the 1984 Olympics at Los Angeles, California, making her the first Olympi ...

in 1984, and later by

Marie-José Pérec Marie-José Pérec (; born 9 May 1968) is a retired French track and field sprinter who specialised in the 200 and 400 metres and is a three-time Olympic gold medalist. She was born in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe and moved to ...

of France and Michael Johnson from the United States on the same evening in 1996.

Alberto Juantorena Alberto Juantorena (born 3 December 1950) is a Cuban former runner. He is the only athlete to win both the 400 and 800 m Olympic titles, which he achieved in 1976. He was ranked as the world's best runner in the 400 m in 1974 and 1976–19 ...

of Cuba at the

1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal ...

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 (as of 2019).

Continental records

*Updated 9 August 2024.

All-time top 25

Men (outdoor)

*Correct as of June 2025.

Women (outdoor)

*Correct as of April 2025.

Annulled marks

Christine Mboma Christine Mboma (born 22 May 2003) is a Namibian Sprint (running), sprinter who competes in the 100 metres and 200 metres, 200 m. At the age of 18, she won a silver medal in the Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metres, 200 m ...

ran 48.54 in

Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...

on 30 June 2021, but her performance was removed from the World Athletics database due to testosterone regulations in women's athletics. *

Aminatou Seyni Aminatou Seyni (born 24 October 1996) is a Nigerien track and field Sprint (running), sprinter. She has the List of Nigerien records in athletics, Nigerien national records for the 200 metres and 400 metres. Seyni competed in the Athletics at t ...

ran 49.19 in

Lausanne Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...

on 5 July 2019, but her performance was removed from the World Athletics database due to testosterone regulations in women's athletics.

Men (indoor)

*Correct as of September 2024. *

Women (indoor)

*Correct as of March 2025.

Fastest relay splits

Men

Women

Most successful athletes

3 or more 400-metre victories at the Olympic Games and World Championships: *6 wins: Michael Johnson (USA) - Olympic Champion in 1996 and 2000, World Champion in 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999. *4 wins: Marie-Jose Perec (FRA) - Olympic Champion in 1992 and 1996, World Champion in 1991 and 1995. *3 wins:

Cathy Freeman Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman (born 16 February 1973) is an Australian former sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. Her personal best of 48.63 seconds currently ranks her as the ninth-fastest woman of all time, set while fin ...

(AUS) - Olympic Champion in 2000, World Champion in 1997 and 1999. *3 wins:

Jeremy Wariner Jeremy Matthew Wariner (born January 31, 1984) is a retired American track athlete specializing in the 400 meters. He has won four Olympic medals (three gold, one silver) and six World Championships medals. He is the joint sixth fastest comp ...

(USA) - Olympic Champion in 2004, World Champion in 2005 and 2007. *3 wins: Christine Ohuruogu (GBR) - Olympic Champion in 2008, World Champion in 2007 and 2013. *3 wins:

LaShawn Merritt LaShawn Merritt (born June 27, 1986) is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 metres. He is a former Summer Olympics, Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.65 ...

(USA) - Olympic Champion in 2008, World Champion in 2009 and 2013. *3 wins:

(RSA) - Olympic Champion in 2016, World Champion in 2015 and 2017. *3 wins:

Shaunae Miller-Uibo Shaunae Miller-Uibo (born 15 April 1994) is a Bahamian track and field sprinter who competes in the 200 and 400 metres. She is a two-time Olympic champion after winning the women's 400 metres at the 2016 Rio Olympics and again at the 2020 ...

(BAH) - Olympic Champion in 2016 and 2020, World Champion in 2022. The Olympic champion has frequently won a second gold medal in the

4 × 400 metres relay The 4 × 400 metres relay or long relay is an athletics track and field, track event in which teams consist of four runners who each complete 400 metres or one lap, totaling 1600 meters. It is traditionally the final event of ...

. This has been accomplished 14 times by men; Charles Reidpath, Ray Barbuti, Bill Carr, George Rhoden, Charles Jenkins,

Otis Davis Otis Crandall Davis (July 12, 1932 – September 14, 2024) was an American athlete, winner of two gold medals for record-breaking performances in the 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics. He set a new wor ...

, Mike Larrabee, Lee Evans,

Viktor Markin Viktor Fyodorovich Markin (; born 23 February 1957 in the village of Oktyabrsky, Ust-Tarksky District, Novosibirsk Oblast ) is a former Soviet athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics. After graduating from a se ...

Alonzo Babers Alonzo C. Babers (born October 31, 1961) is an American former athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, in the 400 m and the 4 × 400 m relay. Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Alonzo Babers was a military dependent who gradua ...

, Steve Lewis,

Quincy Watts Quincy D. Watts (born June 19, 1970) is an American former athlete, and two-time gold medalist at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Career Born in Detroit, Michigan, Quincy Watts attended the University of Southern California (USC) where he excelled a ...

and

; and 4 times by women;

Monika Zehrt Monika Zehrt (later Landgraf, born 29 September 1952) is a retired East German sprinter who specialized in the 400 m. At the 1972 Olympics she won gold medals in the individual 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay, setting an Olympic and a world record, ...

Olga Bryzgina Olha Bryzhina (, maiden name Olga Arkad'evna Vladykina; ; born June 30, 1963, in Krasnokamsk, Perm Oblast) is a retired athlete who represented the Soviet Union (until 1991) and later Ukraine. Career Bryzhina trained at Dynamo (sports society), ...

and

Sanya Richards-Ross Sanya Richards-Ross (née Richards; born February 26, 1985) is a retired American track and field athlete who competed internationally for the United States in the 400-meter sprint. Her notable accolades in this event include being the 2012 Oly ...

. All but Rhoden, Markin, Zehrt and Bryzgina ran on American relay teams. Injured after his double in 1996, Johnson also accomplished the feat in 2000 only to have it disqualified when his teammate

Antonio Pettigrew Antonio Pettigrew (November 3, 1967 – August 10, 2010) was an American sprinter who specialized in the 400 meters. Early life and career Pettigrew was born in Macon, Georgia. While attending St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, North C ...

admitted to doping.

Olympic medalists

Men

Women

World Championships medalists

Men

Women

World Indoor Championships medalists

Men

Women

* Known as the ''World Indoor Games''

Season's bests

Men

Women

Notes and references

External links

IAAF list of 400-metres records in XML
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Events in track and field Sprint running disciplines Summer Olympic disciplines in athletics