400 Meter Race

Learning Outcomes

1. The learner will be able to able to apply scientific concepts in sports.
2. The learner will be able to calculate speed of moving object

Description Of Activity

How to run the 400 meter from start to finish 
 Acceleration - In the 400 meter, the athlete will get into the starting blocks after the starting official has given them the verbal cue of on your marks.  After the starting official has given the verbal cue set and fired the starting pistol, the 400 m runner will accelerate into the curve out of the blocks and try to reach near their maximum race velocity.

The acceleration to near maximum race velocity zone will range between 50-70 m (depending on the athlete) and then transition into the cruise control phase of their 400 m.

Cruise control

The next phase of the 400 m is the relaxed arm phase or cruise control phase (80-130 m in length).  This is when the 400 m runner continues to maintain the same arm and leg turnover as they did in the first 50-70 m, but the range of motion (ROM) of the arm form is decreased as the goal here is to conserve arm energy.   What this means is the 400 m runner does not need to pump the arms as aggressive and as far (ROM) because the arms will become very important later in the race.

It is very important that the 400 m runner does not show any visual signs of slowing down during this phase.  The idea is to maintain race velocity, not jog/slow down.  This cruise control phase can range anywhere between 100-150 m.

The 200 Meter

Once the 400m runner has reached the 200m, they should arrive around 1-2 seconds slower than their personal best 200m time.  So for example, if a 400m runner is capable of running the 200m in 21.5 seconds, they should hit the first 200m in their 400m race at 22.5-23.5 seconds (1-2 seconds slower).

Building the arm form back to 100%

When the 400m runner is around the 200m, they will go through a building phase (feels like re-accelerating) where they incorporate more energy toward their arms again with a progressive increase in range of motion and energy output over the next 20-50m.  If we were to compare both the cruise control phase and building phase to driving a car, it would go something like this.

Imagine that you have the cruise control set for 51mph (cruise control phase) while following a car but there is too much oncoming traffic for you to pass.  You see a passing lane up ahead and when the opportunity arises, you gradually push on the accelerator (building phase).  This is what the transition into the building phase is going to feel like as you incorporate more energy to your upper body.

All out!

Here is the important part where the arms come back into play.  As the 400m runner builds the arm form back up after the cruise phase, they will go all-out with a little more than 150m to go to the finish.  This is like pushing the accelerator to the floor in a car.  Out of shape 400m runners will most likely wait to go all-out when they are closer to 120m to go to the finish.

During this last and final push for the finish line, you really wont see a visual increase in the 400m athletes pace.  If there is a significant increase in the athletes speed, then there is a good chance that the athlete ran the first 250m way too slow and saved their energy for the last 100m-150m.

Remember the analogy used earlier about driving a car

In the all-out phase (150m to go), imagine that you are back in that passing lane and you have gradually pushed on the accelerator to pass (building phase).  The only problem is that the jerk in the other lane decided he wants to drive fast when there is a passing lane.  Also, its not a very long passing lane, so you have to pass quickly.  You begin to floor it.  This is what it is going to be like when you have about 150m to go to the finish.

Lift

Now that the 400m runner is going all-out and driving hard out of the curve to the finish straight, they will eventually need to use their arms to help create what most coaches refer to as lift.  As the 400m runner gets closer to the finish line, they will have a little more emphasis in driving their arms upward.  In order to create lift, they will drive their arms upward in an aggressive manner and keep the same range of motion as they would in any all-out sprint.

The reason the 400m runner wants to try to create lift is because by now the legs are very tired and need all the help they can get from the arms.  It is important that the 400m runner does not over emphasize in increasing the arms range of motion beyond normal sprinting form.  Remember, its not the range of motion we are trying to increase; its the emphasis on the upward drive within the arm form.  In other words, we are trying to create lift, not overly exaggerated and sloppy uppercut arms.

Finish line

As the 400m runner approaches the finish line, they will need to make sure they keep driving and that they lean across the line.  It is all too common for young athletes to run the 400m and then slow down the last 2m-5m before the finish line.  Slowing down just before the line will compromise valuable time and could mean the difference between a school record or even a state championship.

Putting the phases of the 400m together

Now that you have an idea of how to run the 400m faster, you will need to learn how to perfect it.  When you run the 400m, each phase has a different range that can be tweaked as you gain more experience and as your skill and fitness level improve.  Learning how to run the 400m in a race is going to take time and will not happen overnight.  In fact, learning how to run the perfect 400m could take an entire season if not multiple seasons.  Dont be discouraged if you dont figure it out your first time.  It takes practice and patience to really find the perfect ranges that compliment your 400m potential.

 

2. Teacher will take all the students at 400 miters running track and divide the students into four team having equal number of students in each team. Teacher informs to select one good athletes from each team to run 400 miter on track. teacher also give responsibility to record time to  four time keepers, Time keepers recorder the time at 100 miter,200 miter, 300 miter and 400 miter in the observation sheet given to them.

OBSERVATION TABLE:-

Sr.No.   Name of Students    Distance                Time taken              speed (Speed = Distance/ Time)

 1             Ma. A                    100 Mtr.                   ______ Sec.                  ______ m/s

                                             200 Mtr.                    ______ Sec.                   ______ m/s

                                            300 Mtr.                     ______ Sec.                   _______ m/s

                                            400 Mtr.                    _______ Sec.                  _______m/s

Teacher will repeat the same activity by replacing another athlete of another team and record time as done in the first case. Teacher ask to calculate speed by using formula that is -  Speed = Distance/Time. At the end of activity teacher will ask student to established relation between speed and time. Student understands that as the time will increase the Speed is decreases. The Speed is inversely propositional to the Time.

 

 

Variations

400 Mtr.  running track,

Coaching Tips

Teacher will advice students to be carefull during running to avoid injury.

Equipment/Material Required

400 Mtr. running track, Stop watch.