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 Women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics programme was held at Stadium Australia on Friday 22 September, Saturday 23 September, Sunday 24 September, and Monday 25 September 2000. The winning margin was 0.47 seconds.
Lisanne de Witte is a Dutch track and field athlete who competes in sprinting. She specialises in the 400 metres, where she held the Dutch record with her personal best time of 50.77 seconds from 2018 to 2021.
Rhasidat Adeleke is an Irish sprinter.
Femke Bol is a Dutch track and field athlete who competes in hurdling and sprinting. She specialises in the 400 metres hurdles, where she is the 2023 World Champion, and in the 400 metres, where she is the 2024 World Indoor Champion and the short track world record holder. In the 4 × 400 metres relay, she is the 2023 World Champion and the 2024 World Indoor Champion with the Dutch women's team.
Lieke Klaver is a Dutch track and field athlete who competes in sprinting. She specializes in the 200 metres and in the 400 metres. In the 4 × 400 metres relay, she is the 2023 World Champion and the 2024 World Indoor Champion with the Dutch women's team.
The women's 400 metres event at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 March 2021 at 11:22 (heats) and at 19:33 (semi-finals), and on 6 March 2021 at 20:25 (final) local time.
Sharlene Mawdsley is an Irish athlete who specialises in the 400 meters and other sprint events.
Susanne Gogl-Walli is an Austrian athlete. She competed in the women's 400 metres event at the 2020 Summer Olympics, advancing to the semi-final heat.
The women's 400 metres at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships took place on 18 and 19 March 2022.
The women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships took place on 20 March 2022.
The women's 400 metres at the 2022 World Athletics Championships was held at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, U.S. from 17 to 22 July 2022.
The women's 400 metres hurdles at the 2022 World Athletics Championships was held at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, United States, from 19 to 22 July 2022. It was won by Sydney McLaughlin in a world record time of 50.68 seconds. The winning margin was 1.59 seconds which as of 2024 stands as the greatest winning margin for the women's 400 metres hurdles at these championships.
The women's 400 metres at the 2022 European Athletics Championships took place in three rounds at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany, from 15 to 17 August 2022.
The women's 400 metres hurdles at the 2022 European Athletics Championships took place in three rounds at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany, from 17 to 19 August 2022.
The women's 400 metres at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary from 20 to 23 August 2023. The winning margin was 0.81 seconds which as of 2024 is the only time the women's 400 metres has been won by more than 0.7 seconds at these championships.
The women's 400 metres hurdles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was took place in three rounds at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary from 21 to 24 August 2023. On 21 August, fourty-one athletes of thirty nations participated in the five heats of round 1. On 22 August, twenty-four athletes competed in the three heats of the semifinals. On 24 August, eight athletes competed in the final, which was won by Femke Bol of the Netherlands in 51.70 seconds, ahead Shamier Little of the United States in 52.80 seconds and Rushell Clayton of Jamaica in 52.81 seconds.
The women's 4 × 400 metres relay was a two-round track event of the 2023 World Athletics Championships held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest. Seventeen national relay teams participated in the two heats that took place on 26 August 2023. Nine teams qualified for the final, the last track race of the championships, on 27 August 2023. The final was won by the Dutch team consisting of Eveline Saalberg, Lieke Klaver, Cathelijn Peeters, and Femke Bol in 3:20.72 minutes, which was a world-leading time and a national record. In second place finished the Jamaican team with Candice McLeod, Janieve Russell, Nickisha Pryce, and Stacey-Ann Williams in 3:20.88 minutes and third was Great Britain and Northern Ireland with Laviai Nielsen, Amber Anning, Ama Pipi, and Nicole Yeargin in 3:21.04 minutes.
The mixed 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on 19 August 2023.
The women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships took place on 3 March 2024.
