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.
Jarmila Kratochvílová is a Czechoslovak former track and field athlete. She won the 400 metres and 800 metres at the 1983 World Championships, setting a world record in the 400 m.
Dafne Schippers is a Dutch track and field athlete who competes in sprinting and previously also competed in the combined events. In the 200 metres, she is the 2015 en 2017 world champion.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo is a Bahamian track and field sprinter who competes in the 200 and 400 metres. She is a two-time Olympic champion after winning the women's 400 metres at the 2016 Rio Olympics and again at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Lisanne de Witte is a Dutch sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres. She won bronze medals in this event at the 2018 European Championships and 2019 European Indoor Championships. De Witte earned four major medals as part of Dutch women's 4 × 400 m relays.
Natalia Kaczmarek is a Polish athlete sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres. She won the silver medal in the event at the 2022 European Championships. Kaczmarek earned several global medals as part of 4 x 400 m relays, including gold in the mixed event and silver in the women's event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The women's 400 metres hurdles event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place between 31 July and 4 August 2021 at the Japan National Stadium. 39 athletes from 25 nations competed.
The mixed 4 × 400 metres relay event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 30 and 31 July 2021 at the Japan National Stadium. There were 16 competing relay teams, with each team having 4 members. It was the first mixed-gender relay in athletics held at the Olympic Games, as part of a larger focus on gender equality by the International Olympic Committee.
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 indoor world record holder. In the 4 × 400 metres relay, she is the 2023 world 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 with the Dutch women's team.
Marlene van Gansewinkel is a Dutch Paralympic athlete. In 2021, she won the gold medal in both the women's 100 metres T64 and 200 metres T64 events at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan. She also won the bronze medal in the women's long jump T64 event.
Eveline Saalberg is a Dutch sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres.
Yemi Mary John is a British track and field athlete. She won the gold medal in the 400 metres at the 2022 World Athletics Under-20 Championships.
The 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held from 2 to 5 March 2023 at the Ataköy Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, the first time the event took place in this country although the venue did stage the 2012 World Indoor Championships for which this 7000-seater was specifically built. The four-day competition was held during the centenary year of the Republic of Turkey, and featured 13 men's and 13 women's athletics events over three morning and four afternoon sessions.
Alida van Daalen is a Dutch track and field athlete who competes in shot put and discus.
The Netherlands competed at the 2023 European Games, in Kraków and Małopolska, Poland from 21 June to 2 July 2023. This was the third appearance of the Netherlands at the Games.
The women's 400 metres hurdles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary from 21 to 24 August 2023.
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.
Cathelijn Peeters is a Dutch track and field athlete, who specializes in the 400 metres hurdles and previously competed in the heptathlon.
Tasa Jiya is a Dutch track and field athlete who competes as a sprinter. In 2023, she became the Dutch national champion over 200 metres.
