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 (402.336 m)—which is a quarter of a mile and was referred to as the "quarter-mile"—instead of the 400 m (437.445 yards), though this distance is now obsolete.
The 4 × 400 metres relay or long relay is an athletics 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 a track meet. The first leg and the first bend of the second leg are run in lanes. Start lines are thus staggered over a greater distance than in an individual 400 metres race; the runners then typically move to the inside of the track. The slightly longer 4 × 440 yards relay, on an Imperial distance, was a formerly run British Commonwealth and American event, until metrication was completed in the 1970s.
The World Athletics U20 Championships is a biennial world championships for the sport of athletics organised by the World Athletics, contested by athletes in the under-20 athletics age category (19 years old or younger on 31 December in the year of the competition.
The Men's Decathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Stadium Australia on Wednesday 27 September and Thursday 28 September 2000.
LaShawn Merritt is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 metres. He is a former Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.65 seconds makes him the eleventh fastest of all time.
These are the official results of the Men's 400 metres event at the 1991 IAAF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. There were a total of 46 participating athletes, with six qualifying heats and the final held on Thursday August 29, 1991. The winning margin was 0.05 seconds.
These are the official results of the Men's 4 × 400 metres event at the 1991 IAAF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. There were a total number of sixteen participating nations, with three qualifying heats and the final held on Sunday 1 September 1991. The final was won by Great Britain in what was, at the time, the fourth fastest time in history. Going into the meeting, the USA 4 × 400 metres team hadn't lost at a major championships in over seven years. Britain, by contrast, hadn't won a gold medal in the event since the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
These are the official results of the Men's 400 metres event at the 1993 IAAF World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. There were a total number of 43 participating athletes, with six qualifying heats and the final held on Tuesday 1993-08-17. The winning margin was 0.48 seconds.
These are the official results of the Men's 4 × 400 metres event at the 1993 IAAF World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. There were a total number of eighteen participating nations, with three qualifying heats and the final held on Sunday, August 22, 1993. The current world record for the event was set in the final.
The men's 400 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 18–21 August at the Beijing National Stadium. Fifty-five athletes from 40 nations competed.
These are the official results of the Men's 400 metres event at the 2001 IAAF World Championships in Edmonton, Canada. There were a total number of 55 participating athletes, with seven qualifying heats, three semi-finals and the final held on Monday 6 August 2001 at 18:25h. The winning margin was 0.23 seconds.
These are the official results of the men's 100 metres event at the 2003 IAAF World Championships in Paris, France. There were a total number of 79 participating athletes, with ten qualifying heats, four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and the final held on Monday 25 August 2003.
These are the official results of the Men's 400 metres event at the 2003 IAAF World Championships in Paris, France. There were a total number of 51 participating athletes, with seven qualifying heats, three semi-finals and the final held on Tuesday 26 August 2003 at 21:50h. The winning margin was 0.02 seconds which as of May 2024 remains the narrowest winning margin in the men's 400 metres at these championships.
The men's 400 metres at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Luzhniki Stadium on 11–13 August. The winning margin was 0.66 seconds.
The men's 400 metres at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Beijing National Stadium on 23, 24 and 26 August. The winning margin was 0.17 seconds.
The men's decathlon at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Beijing National Stadium on 28 and 29 August.
The men's 400 metres event at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships was held at the Budapest Sportcsarnok in Budapest on 4 and 5 March 1989.
The men's 400 metres at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics was held at the London Olympic Stadium on 5, 6, and 8 August. The winning margin was 0.43 seconds.
The men's 400 metres hurdles at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics was held at the London Olympic Stadium on 6–9 August.
The men's 400 metres at the 2019 World Athletics Championships was held at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on 1, 2 and 4 October 2019. The winning margin was 0.67 seconds which as of 2024 is the greatest winning margin in the men's 400 metres at these championships since the retirement of Michael Johnson.
