Why do you avoid being first during the 400m until the last 100m?

Question

Ive always heard that you shudnt be first until the very last 100m or so

how bout if u can go faster?

how bout if u still have plenty of energy left to pass the leader on the back straight and sprint til the end?

Answer 1

400m is an all out sprint, you should be 100% when the gun goes off untill you cross the finishline. you have to find the energy to push the last 100m.

good luck

Answer 2

my advice was given to me by my favorite coaches:  run YOUR OWN race.

do not worry about everyone else.  you know yyour capabilities best.  gauge your fatigue and take off when you feel ready.  who cares what everyone else is doing.  your 12, you have many years left to develop that kick.  you just want to get the feel for the race now so yo become more experienced for the future.

Answer 3

Part of it is awareness.  When I run a 400m, I want to make sure that the people in the lanes to my right do not make up the stagger and I try to catch up the stagger on those to my right.  I always found that the 2nd curve was the toughest one but I always found a little push for the end.  World class sprinters definitely have a methodology, but the would never coast lower than 95% for any part of the race unless it was qualifying and they knew they were going to the next round.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

Why the heck would you hold back until the 300M mark? If you have the speed and endurance to be ahead and carry it to the finish it means you are going to win which is why most people run races or compete.

Being in 1st makes you end in 1st.

If everyone sucks and you are ahead why would you slow down to let them get ahead of you to run them down at the 300M mark? Why to make yourself look good? Not really you'll make yourself look stupid because it will be obvious.

Answer 5

That rule only works if the guys you are racing are faster than you and you want to win the race. If you push them and they can go faster then you then at the end they will be able to out run you. This technique requires you to have a killer kick at the end of the race and be able to out sprint the others with only 50m to go. If the race seems to be going slow to you, by all means, go faster. The guys you could be racing might be only able to run a 57 while you can run a 53. If you stay with them untill the end, then sprint, you still will win but only run a 55 instead of making a new PR.

Answer 6

You dont run against the competition like that in a 400m

You just go all out, the whole way, and then gut out the last 100m when you full of lactic acid

Answer 7

expirament for yourself, there is no right or wrong way to run, because everyone is different, if you can go faster, go faster, if you've got the energy, USE IT!! =p now, go win!

Answer 8

most people say this because it does save a bit of energy so that you can sprint your hardest toward the end. but it is also a bit of a psychological advantage. the leader does not feel the desperate need to be so far ahead, physically challenging him or herself to such an extent if they feel they can still lead because the others are behind them. so in a way, its a bit of a strategy. but yeah, experiment. if you have enough energy, why not win by a long shot? :]

Answer 9

Do not watch or worry about what anyone else is doing during your race.

If you look at the others you may be going too fast or too slow.

You must run your race. If you try not to be first, then you may be going too slow and you can not catch up later in the race.

You need to use your energy through out the race and not save it for the last 100.

Get out fast, don't save enough energy to pass the leader, why would you want to give someone a head start so you have to catch them?

Answer 10

Only wimps run like that. Look at Michael Johnson (world record holder), Jeremy Wariner (current Olympic champion) and Lashawn Merritt (will be the gold or solver medalist in Beijing, none of them ran/run like that. Man-up, 400m is a sprint.

First 100m @ 100%

Middle 200m @ 85-90%

Last 100m @ 100%