If you’ve ever watched a 400m race, you will know that it’s a really tough challenge. So, if you want to run a 400m race in under a minute, you should know how to run a 400m race properly. And, to help you learn the right technique, in this post, we describe how to run a 400m race in under 1 minute.
How To Run 400m In Under 1 Minute (From 45 – 50 Seconds)
The strategies for improving your running time of 400m and reducing it to around 45 – 50 seconds will vary from improving your form to increasing your speed endurance (stamina).
Improve and practice good sprinting form
- At the beginning of each run, spend a few minutes practicing proper running form.
You can utilize simple warm-up drills that emphasize various aspects of proper running form. This will enhance your movement during your running workouts.
- After the warm-up and throughout your run, pay close attention to your posture, arm motion, and foot strike position, as they all impact your speed.
After the acceleration and getting into the 200m, you should relax your arms with elbows close to your body to shorten the arm motion range while keeping fast legs. Then, when you are about 150m near the finish line, exaggerate your arms’ movements, driving your arm upward aggressively to help you get through the last meters of the track.
Enhance the alactic energy system.
The anaerobic alactic system is the quickest and most powerful. This system operates without oxygen, produces no lactic acid, and lasts between 6 and 15 seconds. In other words, this is our powerful energy system that will finish in the first 7–10 seconds of an all-out run. So, we need to improve this energy system to perform a more efficient and faster 400m.
To gain this improvement, it is a good idea to work on extremely short-distance sprints, for example, 20-50m dashes. It would be ideal to do this 10 rounds with a 30-second break between each round.
Training for upper body strength improvement
To have a faster run for 400m, you should use a lot of your arm movements to help you drive your body forward in the last meters of the race, like the last 150m. To effectively use this, you need to enhance your upper body strength. Doing standard workouts like dumbbell shoulder presses, upright rows, etc., will significantly help you achieve this goal.
Enhance sprinting stamina
As the majority of 400-meter sprinters are aware, maintaining your speed after a strong finish may be the most difficult aspect.
To maintain (or attempt to maintain) your sprinting pace, you need to perform longer runs. To increase your running distance, begin by gradually increasing your current running distance, such as the 800-meter run.
Remember to rest well after hard training
Do not assume that daily strenuous exercise will make you run faster. Proper rest is also super important. Rest days are indispensable for proper healing and injury prevention. Your muscles require this break for tissue regeneration and repair.
An active rest day would be perfect for engaging muscles you don’t use when running. You can take a yoga class, go for a bike ride, swim, or visit a rock-climbing gym.
400m Running Technique
The most important thing you need to keep in your mind when running is that you must stay on the balls of your feet.
To perform better 400m running, you need to pace yourself properly throughout the track. Below are the technique, more specifically the critical phases of a 400m running, and what you should do to make it better.
- The first 50-70m: Acceleration
This is the acceleration stage of your running. Start with 100% of your alactic energy system. Starting out slow will not make good use of your energy system because it runs out after the first 7-10 seconds of your run. So, the start and acceleration are very important to your success in a race.
- The next 100-150m: Transition phase or cruise control
In this phase, you will relax your arms to save the arm energy that is crucial for the last meters of the race. Here, you will decrease your arm range of motion, with elbows close to the body, so you may slow down slightly, about 2-3 seconds, to prepare for your next 200m. During this phase, you will also attempt to pass as many people on the outside while maintaining a lead over those on the inside.
- 200m – 250m
By now, your legs will start having their unpleasant achings. The only key to this phase is to dismiss all thoughts of slowing down and instead slowly speed up. In this phase, you may want to use your arms more to create energy that helps your legs keep fast.
- The last 150m
This last 150 is mental, and it is up to you to finish strong. Go with your 100% powerful driving arm to lift your body and legs forward.
After knowing the running phase and how to pace yourself with it, you should practice to make it better and get used to it. And be patient because success will not happen overnight.
What is a good 400m time & speed?
Though the time of running 400m will also depend on your age, gender, and body condition, on average, under 1 minute (60 seconds) for 400m is great timing. Particularly, a good 400m time for a man is to run under 50 seconds, while for a high school female runner is 58 seconds.
FAQs
How fast should you run 400 meters?
It depends on your gender, age, and background. For example, a 400m time for male and female high school runners would be 54 seconds and 58 seconds, respectively. Meanwhile, Olympic athletes will run the 400m for around 44 seconds for men and around 48 seconds for females.
But running a 400m track under 60 seconds would be great and worth aiming for.
How do I make my 400m faster?
To make your 400m faster, here are three critical points you should remember:
– Run on the balls of your feet.
– Start with 100% of the energy on your first 50-70m to utilize the energy system effectively.
– Exaggerate your arm movement upwardly for the last 150m.
Is endurance important for 400m?
Yes, endurance is important for 400m. Both endurance and speed are crucial components of training for such an event and a prerequisite for improving performance.
Video: How To Run The 400m Faster With Ball Of Foot Striking
References:
- https://trackstarusa.com/how-to-run-the-400m/
- http://oldserver.usatf.org/groups/Coaches/library/2007/Sprint%20Training/Clyde_Hart3.pdf
