THE 400
OATCCC 2015
TRACK AND FIELD CLINIC
Rod O’Donnell
“The heart of a great track team is built around
the 400. If you can run a 400, you’ll be
able to succeed in the shorter sprints, the
300 hurdles, the sprint relays, and maybe
even the 800.”
Carl Dupler,
Former Cambridge Coach
MAJOR POINTS OF PRESENTATION
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Importance of 400 in your program
Important general facts for 400 success
Key workouts
Resources that will help
Questions
GENERAL FACTS
• Predicted time for the 400 is to take the
athlete’s 200 time and double his/her best
200 and add 3.5 seconds.
Another predictor is to take the 200 time,
multiply by 2.208 for a high school boy and
2.234 for a high school girl.
• A successful 400 training program
will include training comprised of
STRENGTH ENDURANCE
SPEED ENDURANCE
TEMPO ENDURANCE
STRENGTH TRAINING
POWER
SKILL (Event Running)
FLEXIBILITY
MENTAL TRAINING
PROPER SPRINT
MECHANICS IS A
CRITICAL PART OF THE
SUCCESS IN THE 400
AND SHOULD BE
INCLUDED IN ALL
PHASES OF THE
TRAINING FOR THE
EVENT
CORE STRENGTH IS A
KEY TO 400 SUCCESS
Building a base of aerobic and anaerobic work,
especially in the early season, will
allow athletes to perform
over a long season.
PRESEASON CONDITIONING SHOULD INCLUDE
ONE DAY PER WEEK OF HILL WORK.
SUGGESTED DISTANCE: 30-150 METERS
THE AMOUNT OF WORK
DONE DURING THE PEAK PHASE
OF TRAINING WILL DEPEND ON THE
QUANTITY AND QUALITY
OF WORK DONE IN THE
BASE PERIOD.
TRUE SPEED WORK IS ANY
DISTANCE RUN UNDER :08,
USING MAXIMUM EFFORT.
Tony Venay, OATCCC Clinic
400 BREAKDOWN
The first 70 meters – SPRINT
The next 130 meters – FLOAT
The next 100 meters – BUILD
The final 100 meters – LIFT
The opening 200 of a 400 meter race should be
one to two seconds slower than the athlete’s
best 200 time, according to the athlete’s
experience, with the second 200, one-two
seconds slower than the first.
WEIGHT TRAINING
Wt Training is important, using 3-4 sets of
8-9 reps for 4-6 weeks, then 4-5 sets of 5 reps
for 6 weeks. If lifting during peak phase, 3 sets
of 5 reps are recommended.
PERCENTAGE OF EMPHASIS CHART FOR WORKOUTS
TYPES OF WORKOUTS
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Speed Endurance
Tempo Endurance
Strength Endurance
Endurance Training
Power Speed
Event Runs
Strength
FALL
EARLY
MID
LATE
75
100
100
100
20
25
100
90
100
90
20
60
90
100
100
100
80
10
70
100
100
100
75
70
5
80
100
100
SAMPLE WORKOUTS
THE PACE OF THE WORK-OUT SHOULD
BE ADJUSTED TO THE ATHLETE,
BY TAKING INTO ACCOUNT
AGE, GENDER, BACKGROUND,
CURRENT INFORMATION,
TRAINING SEGMENT (early, mid, late season),
CURRENT BEST TIME
12 SAMPLE WORKOUTS
- 8 x 200 in :28 on 2:00 – Recover 8:00 – 400 – Go!
Tempo
Endurance
- 4 x 500 – Go through 400 at assigned pace, then pick up
tempo for the final 100 – 5:00 active rest recovery. Tempo
Endurance
- 4-8 x 400 – 85-95% effort with a recovery of 3:00 or less
Tempo Endurance
- Running in place on the high jump pit. Ex.: 4 x :30 as hard as
possible. Work up to more reps. Strength Endurance
- 200-300-400-500 – 90% with 10:00 recovery between each
one. Speed Endurance
- 25:00 continuous run – alternating :90 at 80% with :60 jog –
good during base period. Endurance Running
- 6 x (300:30 jog-100) – 90% - 10:00 RI – Speed Endurance
- 10 x flying 100 at 400 pace with 5-10:00 recovery. Speed Endurance
- 6 x 130 meter hill – Walk back recovery – emphasize correct form
- push off, lift knees, don’t shuffle - Strength Endurance
- 8 x 30 meter hill - Power Speed
- 4 x 20, 3 x 30, 3 x 40, 2 x 50, 1 x 60 – Rest 4:00 on reps –
500 on set - Speed
- Meets during the week can be used as speed and speed endurance
workouts
THE 400
10 RESOURCES THAT WILL HELP
1. Track and Field Omnibook, 5th edition, Ken Doherty, Chapter
7 – pgs. 99-113
2. Running Trax – J. Gerry Purdy
3. Speed Improvement for Young Athletes – 2nd Edition, George
Dintiman
4. Track Technique – Speed Training – Dare and Kearney, Spring
1988 – Older article but very relevant
5. “400 Meter Training” – Clyde Hart – NACACTFCA.org/articles
6. “400 Meter Training: Ideas for Training Design” – Jim
Hiserman – Coaching Athletes Quarterly – Spring 2010
7. 400 Meter Training – Ron Parker – Clinic Presentation
8. “Building Strength” – Vern Gambetta – Techniques, Nov 2007
9. “Sprinting the Florida Way” – Mike Holloway –
Coachesdirectory.com
10. World Class “All Sports” Speed Development Program,
Second Edition: April 2011, Steve Silvey
SPRINT CAMP
EARLY-SEASON SAMPLE PRACTICE PLAN
1. Active Warm-Up
A. Jog 10:00
B. Jumping jacks, Down-up-Wayback, Chop Wood, Squat
Thrusts (:30 each)
2.Neural Pathway
A. Quick feet – 4 square hop (:30)
B. Karaoke (:30)
3. Tech Development – Form Drills – Cone to Cone x 3
1) High knee
2) Butt kicks
3) Skips
4) High knee wall
5) Wall hold
4. Max Speed Work –
Outdoor
- 90 M – 30 stride, 30 faster, 30 fastest
-60 M – 20 sprint, 20 float, 20 sprint
Indoor
- 15 M from 3 pt
- 20 M from 3 pt
5. Sprint loading
- 2 resisted followed by 1 unassisted
- Resisted sprinting – against partners or tow
rope
- Hills – 8-10% angle
- Plyometrics – 80-100 contacts
6. Specific Sport Drills
Starts/Exchanges
Endurance
7. 2 x 200 -:60 RI (10:00) 3 x 100- :60 Outdoor
4 x 4 x 60 – (2:00) and (4:00) Indoor
QUESTIONS?