OVERVIEW

The 400m Hurdles

VIEWPOINT
© by IAAF
27:1/2; 9-24, 2012

by Jürgen Schiffer

able to run a fast 400m flat time, possess stam-

AUTHOR ina at distances of 600-800m, possess flexibility

and agility, and have a good hurdling technique.
Jürgen Schiffer, PhD, is the Vice-Director From a technical point of view, the 400m hur-
of the Central Library of the German Sport dler must be able to apply force at take-off to
University in Cologne and the Documenta- move through the hurdle and minimise decel-
tion Editor of NSA. eration. Application of the right kind of forces
at take-off ultimately determines the efficiency
of one’s hurdling skills. The 400m hurdler must
determine the number of strides to use between
the hurdles, and then master that stride pattern.
Introduction
He or she must be able to maintain a consis-
tent rhythm for 10 hurdles. The hurdlers who will
his article aims to provide a summary
T
be the best in the long are those who have the
drawn from the current literature of special strength and consistent technique to run
the main aspects of the 400m hurdles over 10 hurdles with the least amount of techni-
as a general guide and a starting point for fur- cal decrement from start to finish. 400m hurdlers
ther study. must also learn to hurdle with either lead leg, al-
though a left lead leg is recommended because
Like the high (or short) hurdles sprint, inter- it allows the hurdler to run on the inside of the
mediate (or long) hurdling is a rhythmic sprint- lane on both curves. The ability to hurdle with
ing event. Speed and speed endurance are either leg is a safety valve if the chosen stride
basic requirements, but the ability to express pattern does not work and it allows the hurdler
these in a rhythmic pattern is more important. to change the stride pattern during a race due
The fact that 400m hurdlers must be espe- to the weather, track surface, lane assignment,
cially aware of the stride pattern between hur- or poor hurdle clearance. (JOLLY, 1989; LINDE-
dles requires them to be highly concentrated MAN, 1995; MCFARLANE, 1980; WINCKLER,
throughout the race. Although beginners tend 2000; on external effects in the 400m hurdles
to view the hurdles as barriers and consider race see: QUINN, 2010).
jumping over them rather than running over
them, hurdling is not a jumping event. Thus, As in all track events longer than 200m, race
the first lesson to learn is that clearing a hurdle distribution is very important, and a specific plan
takes only an elongated sprinting stride, with should be developed. One plan is to take the
as little deviation as possible from correct athlete’s best time over 200m flat and add 2.5
sprinting (LINDEMAN, 1995; WINKLER, 1989). sec, giving a target time for the initial 200m of
the race; the second 200m time of the race is
The 400m hurdles is arguably the most de- the target time plus 3.0 sec. This formula gives
manding of all events in the sprints and hurdles the athlete a good beginning guideline. In gen-
group. To be successful, the athlete must be eral, knowledge and experience of racing over

New Studies in Athletics · no. 3/2011 9

The 400m Hurdles

400m flat builds a solid foundation of race man- In spite of this lack of emphasis, Americans have
agement skills, which can be carried over to the dominated the event in world competition since
hurdles event (JOLLY, 1989; WINCKLER, 2000). its beginning. The mid-1950s saw the rise of three
great intermediate hurdlers, Glenn Davis and Ed-
The distance, the spacing, and the heights of die Southern of the United States and Gert Potgi-
the hurdles are the only aspects of the race that eter of South Africa. Davis and Southern duelled
remain constant. For both men and women, the frequently and were the first competitors to break
distance from the start to the first hurdle is 45m, 50 seconds in 1956 when Davis beat Southern at
with 35m between the hurdles and 40m from the the United States Olympic trials.
final hurdle to the finish. The height of the hurdles
differ, though: 91.44cm for men and 76.20cm for At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City,
women (JOLLY, 1989; MCFARLANE, 1980). the finals of the 400m hurdles was one of the
most spectacular hurdle races in history. The
According to WINCKLER (2000), when se- spread of winning times of the four heats was
lecting potential 400m hurdlers, coaches should less than one second. The fastest heat was won
look for: by Ron Whitney (USA) in a record time of 49.0
• Sprint ability; sec and the slowest heat was won by Roberto
• Aggressive mental attitude and concentra- Frinolli (ITA) in 49.9 sec. However, in the semifi-
tion; nals Frinolli ran 49.2 sec and Gerhardt Hennige
• Competitive nature; (FRG) ran 49.1 sec. Thus all of the eight finalists
• Strength and strength endurance; had run 49.6 sec or better in the preliminary rac-
• Dynamic mobility within the hips. es. When the final race was over, David Hemery
(GBR) was the new Olympic champion and the
History and Progression world record holder with a remarkable time of
48.1 sec.
The intermediate hurdle race has a relatively
short history. The first record of such a race be- After 1968 Ralph Mann (USA) and Wayne
ing run was at Oxford University in 1860, with Collett (USA) became the top intermediate hur-
each competitor going over 12 hurdles. How- dlers. They duelled each other regularly from
ever the race did not appear on the programme their high school days in various hurdle races
of major meets on a regular basis until well after and their rivalry came to a climax in the NCAA
the turn of the 20th century. The event gained finals in 1970 when Mann edged Collett at the
most of its popularity in France and appeared in tape and set a new world record for the 440
the Olympics for the first time in Paris in 1900. In yard distance with a time of 48.8 sec, Collett in
that race the hurdles consisted of 30-foot-long 49.2 sec also breaking the existing record.
poles and there was a water jump between the
last hurdle and the finish line. Walter Tewskbury In the 1972 Olympic Games John Akii-Bua
of the United States won in 57.6 sec, to the dis- (UGA) won the race in a remarkable world re-
appointment of the French who had developed cord time of 47.8 sec ahead of Mann. The sev-
the race and had it placed on the Olympic pro- enties and eighties were dominated by Edwin
gramme. It is interesting that Tewksbury also Moses (USA), who won Olympic gold medals in
won the 200m race, was second in the 100m 1976 and 1984 (plus a bronze medal in 1988)
race and third in the 200m hurdles. and world championships in 1983 and 1987.
Moses won 122 consecutive 400m or 440 yard
The 440 yard intermediate hurdles gained hurdles races from 1977 to 1987 and set four
popularity slowly in the United States. The event world records, bringing the world standard
was not included in the NCAA Championships down to 47.02 sec). The current men’s world re-
except in Olympic years until 1959, and it was not cord holder is also an American, Kevin Young
until 1963 that the intermediate hurdles replaced who ran 46.78 sec in winning the 1992 Olympic
the 220 yard low hurdles in college track meets. Games.

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 The 400m Hurdles

The first documented 400m hurdles race for IAAF World Championships in Athletics and for
women took place in 1971. The IAAF officially the first time in the Olympic Games in 1984. The
recognised the event in 1974 and the first official current women’s world record of 52.34 sec by
world record of 56.51 sec was set by Krystyna Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS) was set in 2003. Over
Kacperczyk (POL). A special world champion- the years, many athletic commentators and
ships for the event was held in 1980 and won by officials have brought up the idea of lifting the
Bärbel Broschat (GDR) in 54.55 sec. The event height of the women's 400m hurdles to incorpo-
was included in the programme of the 1983 rate a greater requirement of hurdling skill.

Table 1a: 400m hurdles world record progression - men

Time Athlete Date Location

55.0 Charles Bacon (USA) July 22, 1908 London
54.0 Frank Loomis (USA) August 16, 1920 Antwerp
53.8 Sten Pettersson (SWE) October 4, 1925 Paris
52.6y John Gibson (USA) July 2, 1927 Lincoln
52.0 Morgan Taylor (USA) July 4, 1928 Philadelphia
51.9 Glenn Hardin (USA) August 1, 1932 Los Angeles
51.8 Glenn Hardin (USA) June 30, 1934 Milwaukee
50.6 Glenn Hardin (USA) July 26, 1934 Stockholm
50.4 Yuriy Lituyev (USSR) September 20, 1953 Budapest
49.5 Glenn Davis (USA) June 29, 1956 Los Angeles
49.2 Glenn Davis (USA) August 6, 1958 Budapest
49.2 Salvatore Morale (ITA) September 14, 1962 Belgrade
49.1 Rex Cawley (USA) September 13, 1964 Los Angeles
48.8 Geoff Vanderstock (USA) September 11, 1968 Echo Summit
48.1 David Hemery (GBR) October 15, 1968 Ciudad de México
47.82 John Akii-Bua (UGA) September 2, 1972 Munich
47.64 Edwin Moses (USA) July 25, 1976 Montreal
47.45 Edwin Moses (USA) June 11, 1977 Westwood, Los Angeles
47.13 Edwin Moses (USA) July 3, 1980 Milan
47.02 Edwin Moses (USA) August 31, 1983 Koblenz
46.78 Kevin Young (USA) August 6, 1992 Barcelona

Table 1b: 400m hurdles world record progression - women

56.51 Krystyna Kacperczyk (POL) July 13, 1974 Augsburg

55.74 Tatyana Storosheva (URS) June 26, 1977 Chemnitz
55.63 Karin Roßley (GDR) August 13, 1977 Helsinki
55.44 Krystyna Kacperczyk (POL) August 18, 1978 Berlin
55.31 Tatyana Zelenzova (URS) August 19, 1978 Podolsk
54.89 Tatyana Zelenzova (URS) September 2, 1978 Prague
54.78 Marina Makeyeva (URS) July 27, 1979 Moscow
54.28 Karin Roßley (GDR) May 17, 1980 Jena
54.02 Anna Ambraziené (URS) June 11, 1983 Moscow
53.58 Margarita Ponomaryova (URS) June 22, 1984 Kiev
53.55 Sabine Busch (GDR) September 22, 1985 Berlin
53.32 Marina Stepanova (URS) August 30, 1986 Stuttgart
52.94 Marina Stepanova (URS) September 19, 1986 Tashkent
52.74 Sally Gunnell (GBR) August 19, 1993 Stuttgart
52.61 Kim Batten (USA) August 11, 1995 Gothenburg
52.34 Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS) August 8, 2003 Tula

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The 400m Hurdles

Since the parabolic path of the hurdler’s

Mechanical Aspects center of mass has not deviated from normal
sprinting action as much as the high hurdler’s,
Hurdling, whether in the high or intermedi- the intermediate hurdler does not need to be
ate hurdles, is a sprinting action. In fact, if the as aggressive in trying to “snap” the lead leg
velocities achieved in the two races are evalu- down, nor does he need to snap the trunk
ated, it turns out that the long hurdler is actu- back, since he has not leaned into the hurdle
ally sprinting at a faster mean velocity than the as much as the high hurdler would. Complete
110m hurdler. For example, Kevin Young, in his recovery of the trail leg, continuing the knee
46.78 WR had an average velocity of 8.55 m/ drive forward and upward after it has passed
sec where as Colin Jackson, in his 12.91 WR the hurdle, ensures an active landing of the
had an average velocity of 8.51 m/sec. lead leg and continuation of efficient sprinting.

The hurdler should strive to accelerate the The hurdle clearance stride is a good indi-
last few strides into the hurdle. The last stride cator of the efficiency of hurdle clearance. A
prior to the hurdle should be shorter and quick-
comparison of the hurdle clearance strides
er than the previous strides. The final strides
of “elite”, “average”, and “poor” male hurdlers
of the approach should be characterised by an
shows that shorter clearance strides with a
erect posture with tall hips. As in high hurdling,
a quick lead knee action initiates the take-off to higher percentage of the stride in front of the
the hurdle. Leading with the knee is the single hurdle correlate to higher level performance
most important fundamental of efficient hur- (see table below).
dling technique. A quick lead knee results in

H. Dist. Dist. % %
clear. str. before H. beyond H. before H. beyond H.
“Elite” Hurdler 3.50m 2.22m 1.28m 63.5% 36.5%
“Average” Hurdler 4.02m 2.44m 1.58m 60.6% 39.4%
“Poor” Hurdler 4.54m 2.65m 1.89m 58.4% 41.6%

what is often called a delayed trail leg, that is, The hurdler should swing back an extended
the trail leg gets full extension at take-off. lead arm in opposition to the trail leg to main-
tain balance over the hurdle. He or she should
The lower hurdle height requires less body not “drive” or “snap” the elbow back, as this
lean into the hurdle than in the high hurdles. shortens the moment of inertia of the arm (rela-
Although the trail leg may clear the hurdle in a tive to the trail leg) and creates rotation imbal-
lower plane than in the highs, it must continue ances.
driving forward and upward to allow the hurdler
to return to good sprinting action. Rotation problems are also caused by
reaching too far with the lead arm and are mag-
The stride length for the hurdler who takes nified on the curve in the long hurdle race. The
13 strides between hurdles averages 2.45m
trail arm (on the side of the lead leg) should de-
versus an average stride length of 2.05m for
viate as little as possible from normal sprinting
the high hurdler. The hurdle clearance stride
action (LINDEMAN, 1995).
for the intermediate hurdler is approximately
3.50m, and is about the same for the high hur-
dler. Of course, since the hurdle is about 15cm Like in the short hurdles, the goal of every
(women: about 8cm) lower than in the highs, intermediate-hurdles coach should be to teach
the hurdler does not need to raise his or her hurdlers how to clear the hurdles efficiently so
center of mass as high as the high hurdler to that they return to the ground quickly in near-
clear the hurdle. sprinting form. To achieve this goal, the follow-

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 The 400m Hurdles

ing seven fundamentals of hurdling mechanics the hurdle by “sprinting through the hurdle”
presented by WINCKLER (1998) for high hur- (WINCKLER, 2000).
dlers should be applied to 400m hurdlers, too:
The acceleration and stride pattern to the
1. The center of gravity is raised only as high as first hurdle are of vital importance as they es-
is necessary to clear the hurdle. tablish the hurdler’s rhythm through the first
2. Flat sprint speed can be increased by in- few hurdles (LINDEMAN, 1995). While men
creasing the stride length or rate. Hurdling normally use a stride pattern of 20-23 strides,
speed can be increased only by improving women typically use 22-25 strides. The num-
the efficiency of the hurdle stride (not neces- ber of strides to the first hurdle is predicated by
sarily increasing its length) and of the the athlete’s speed and strength and by which
stride rate between the hurdles. lead leg they prefer to use at the first hurdle.
3. The take-off angle is determined by the hori- Most hurdlers will use the left leg for hurdles
zontal velocity and the vertical velocity. The on the curve, as this allows them to run on the
latter raises the centre of mass; tall hurdlers inside of the lane without fear of pulling the trail
have an advantage in already having a leg over the inside of the hurdle during clear-
higher centre of mass. ance. A right-leg lead on the curve must allow
4. Trunk lean should be enough to maintain for the trail leg to clear the hurdle without being
sprint form. off to the inside of the lane, as this results in
5. The action of the trail leg and the lead arm are disqualification. An athlete who uses the right
in parallel planes. Improper arm action lead on the curve should run toward the middle
causes compensating actions that result to outside portion of the lane to allow space for
in an off-balance landing. the trail leg to clear over the hurdle. This also
6. The lead leg has a short moment of inertia, means that the athlete will run farther than he
leading with the knee. or she were on the inside of the lane (WINCK-
7. Head position consists of keeping the eyes LER, 2000).
up and focused on the next hurdle.
According to JOLLY (1989), the common
Technical Aspects recommendation for men is 22 strides because
it closely resembles the rhythm of a 15-stride
Start to the first hurdle pattern between the hurdles. When an even
The 400m hurdler uses a normal sprint start. number of strides is used to the first hurdle, the
The placement of the feet in the blocks de- runner places the lead leg in the rear block. For
pends on the choice of lead leg and the num- an odd number of strides, the lead leg starts in
ber of strides to the first hurdle (JOLLY, 1989). the front block (LINDEMAN, 1995).

400m hurdlers should attack the first four to While a 20-stride approach requires the hur-
five strides with the characteristic inclination of dler to shorten or “chop” strides to get an ef-
the body found in the normal acceleration from fective 13-stride pattern to the second hurdle,
blocks. The acceleration pattern over the first the resultant stride length from a 21-strides ap-
30m of the race is not unlike that of a 400m proach to the first hurdle leads most efficiently
sprinter. By the 30m mark the hurdler should to an effective stride pattern of 13 strides be-
be focused on the initial hurdle and make tween hurdles. A 22-stride approach to the
any slight adjustments that might be neces- first hurdle results in a slightly shorter stride
sary (LINDEMAN, 1995; MCFARLANE, 1980). length between hurdles, which may lead to
The hurdle should be attacked from about the hurdler elongating or reaching to get an ef-
10m away. This will ensure an aggressive run, fective 13-stride pattern between the first two
which will minimise the deceleration that nor- hurdles. A 23-stride approach to the first hur-
mally occurs at this point. The hurdlers should dle will most often result in a 15-strides pattern
also minimise height and increase speed over between hurdles (LINDEMAN, 1995).

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The 400m Hurdles

The speed and rhythm to the first hurdle is The action of the lead arm is not as pro-
slightly slower than in the flat 400m race, due nounced as that of the high hurdler’s. The lead
to the more controlled stride pattern demand- leg and its opposing arm must move in a par-
ed by hurdling. If any stride adjustment is re- allel manner, which helps the athlete keep the
quired, it should be made in the middle of the shoulders and hips square to the hurdle and
approach. The last four to six strides before the eliminates the twisting of the upper body. If the
hurdle should be very consistent and involve an arm is directed inward toward the leg, then the
acceleration (JOLLY, 1989). leg will also move inward, crossing toward the
arm, and the forward motion of the body will
Hurdle technique be disturbed. The velocity of both arms must
JOLLY (1989) holds that the opinion that coincide with that of the lead leg (JOLLY, 1989;
hurdle technique is not important is one of the WINCKLER, 2000).
most serious misconceptions about 400m hur-
dling. Good 400m hurdle technique allows the The trail leg must work in concert with the
athlete to negotiate the hurdle with minimum lead-leg and lead-arm actions. The trail leg
deviation from normal running technique. should be active throughout its range of move-
ment. As the trail foot leaves the ground, the
Departure and action over the hurdle leg is drawn vigorously forward and upward,
The placement of the take-off foot, i. e., the tucking the heel tightly to the butt and thereby
foot of the trail leg, to the track should be active shortening the trail-leg lever as much as pos-
(i.e., pulling backward from the hip with the foot sible. This enables the leg to pass over the
in dorsiflexion and the ankle joint strong and hurdle with greater speed and reduces the de-
stable). Active landing means an active, quick gree of compensating rotation in the rest of the
placing of the trail leg into the take-off position body. The foot of the trail leg should never rise
somewhat faster than in the previous running higher than its knee. The trail leg is kept tightly
stride. This active landing action will “cut” or folded until the knee has reached the front of
shorten the last stride, preventing planting or the body and is ready to accelerate downward
braking action and minimizing loss of velocity to the track once again (WINCKLER, 2000).
going into the hurdle. This placement should
be on the forefoot and occurs approximately In clearance, the hurdler should reach the
2m from the hurdle (WINCKLER, 2000). highest point prior to the hurdle, so that the
body is on its way down as it crosses the hur-
Going into the hurdle, the hurdler must lead dle (JOLLY, 1989).
with the knee of the lead leg, because by doing
so the most efficient body position for attack- The hurdle stride is longer than a normal
ing the hurdle is provided. To achieve this lead- stride, due to the need to elevate the body
ing with the knee, the lower part of the lead leg over the hurdle, but the amount of vertical mo-
should be flexed quickly, heel to the buttocks, as tion should be kept to a minimum. As shown
soon as possible after the lead leg has broken above, the hurdle-stride length is an excel-
contact with the ground. The lower part of the lent overall indicator of the efficiency of hurdle
lead leg remains tucked under the thigh until the clearance, i. e., the shorter the stride, the more
thigh has reached parallel to the ground or above. economical the motion (JOLLY, 1989).
When the thigh reaches its apex, momentum is
then transferred to the lower leg by relaxing the MCFARLANE (1980) points out that the
hamstring and allowing the knee joint to open. hips must be kept “tall” and moving forward
The knee does not lock. It is not a mistake to not throughout the clearance to maintain the run-
fully straighten the lead leg at the knee joint. This ning rhythm. If they fall, loss of horizontal speed
lower leg position allows for quicker, more effi- and an increased number of strides between
cient rotation of the upper portion of the lead leg hurdles will result. Since horizontal speed is
with less effort (JOLLY, 1989; WINCKLER, 2000). less than in the sprint hurdles it seems that

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 The 400m Hurdles

less emphasis is placed on the aggressive at- Fault: The clearance is too high over the
tack of the lead leg, running rhythm and hip hurdle.
flexibility. However, neglect here is a mistake. Causes: a) The athlete is too close to
the hurdle at take-off. b) The take
Touchdown off foot is planted on the heel too
far ahead of the center of mass.
Since economy of motion and energy is
c) The take-off is non-existent or
most important in the event, the body motion
non-active. d) The lead leg is not
should be directed forward, with as little side-
folded tightly until the thigh
to-side rotation of the shoulders and arms as reaches parallel or above. e) The
possible, as the athlete comes off the hurdle. athlete is afraid of the hurdle.
At touchdown, the athlete’s centre of mass Corrections: a) The athlete should maintain his
should be directly over or slightly ahead of or her sprint acceleration posture
the lead foot. By landing on the toes or ball longer. This keeps the strides
of the foot, not flatfooted, the athlete will mini- shorter and helps the athlete attain
mise forward braking, or stopping actions and higher velocity. The athlete should
thus will be in a good position for the getaway accelerate in a pattern and not
stride, which is critical in re-establishing the overstride. If the athlete is planting
running rhythm between the hurdles. The trail the take-off foot like a long jumper,
leg is tucked tightly until touchdown. Its action this will make the last stride before
is completed by coming down quickly to a po- the hurdle too long and result in
sition with the knee once again in sprinting po- placement too close to the hurdle.
sition in front of the body. The getaway stride b) A tall posture must be prac-
should be aggressive and grabbing the track. ticed, making the take-off step
The hurdler should follow the basics of good active and on the front of the foot.
sprinting, not overstriding or reaching. (JOLLY, c) Again, a tall posture should
1989; WINCKLER, 1989; WINCKLER, 2000) be practiced. d) Proper lead-leg
mechanics and body posture going
Common faults in clearing the hurdle into hurdle must be rehearsed.
What the take-off foot is doing
According to WINCKLER (2000), the follow- must also be examined. If it is
ing faults seem to be most frequent: planted on the heel, then the lead
leg will tend to open up too soon.
Fault: The take-off is too far from the first e) In practice, hurdles constructed
hurdle. of soft, flexible materials or con-
Causes: a) The sprint strides during initial structed to be forgiving should be
acceleration from the blocks are used. If this is the case, the athlete
too short. b) The arm action in will gain the necessary confidence
acceleration to the first hurdle to run through the hurdle with the
may be too passive. velocity necessary to perform
Corrections: a) The athlete lacks the contrac- efficient technique.
tive strength necessary to drive
from the blocks with sufficient Fault: The athlete hits his or her trail
stride length. b) He or she should knee on the hurdle.
lengthen hir or her arm action and Cause: Rushing take-off (jumping through
increase the amplitude of arm the hurdle rather than running off
movement during the run to the the ground).
first hurdle and attack the last Correction: The focus should be on an active
take-off step and the force appli-
10m prior to the hurdle.
cation of the trail leg should not
be rushed. Also, the trail leg must
be left back until feeling a push-off

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The 400m Hurdles

of the toe. This will cause a stretch Stride pattern between the hurdles
in the thigh muscles that will snap Success in the 400m hurdles requires a
the trail leg through with little or stride pattern that fits smoothly into the 35m
no effort. between the hurdles. This pattern depends
on such factors as the athlete’s lead leg, race
Fault: The athlete is off balance coming plan, and natural stride length. A rule of thumb
off the hurdle. is to use as few strides as possible without
Causes: a) The lead leg and opposite arm overstriding (JOLLY, 1989).
are driven inward and not parallel
to the direction of travel. b) The According to JOLLY (1989), the number of
trail leg is opening up too soon strides used from the start to the first hurdle
as it clears the hurdle. is a good indicator of the stride pattern of the
Corrections: a) The athlete should work on following strides between hurdles. Compatible
keeping lead-leg mechanics as stride patterns are as follows:
described above to enable him or
her to more easily keep actions in Strides to first hurdle Strides between hurdles
line with the direction of the run. 21 13
Sprint arm action should be used 21 or 22 14
into the hurdle instead of moving 22 15
the arms across the body. Also, the 22 or 23 16
athlete may be too close to the 23 or 24 17
hurdle. b) A significant amount of
work should be done on trail-leg Without question, the ideal stride pattern
mechanics to keep the leg folded would be a consistent pattern of an odd num-
until the thigh has reached a ber of steps between all hurdles. This odd
position where the knee is point- stride pattern (13s, 15s, 17s, 19s, etc., all the
ing in the direction of travel before way) allows the hurdler to take all hurdles with
opening up toward the ground. the same lead leg (preferably the left), whereas
This problem often occurs when an even stride pattern between hurdles forces
the athlete is trying to rush the the hurdler to alternate his or her lead leg on
trail leg to the ground. consecutive hurdles (LINDEMAN, 1995).

Fault: The athlete hits hurdles late in the However, it is rare for the hurdler to be able to
race. accomplish a consistent number of odd strides
Causes: a) Loss of rhythm. b) Too close to all the way through the race. In most cases, the
hurdles. c) Loss of concentration. hurdler is forced to make a transition to a greater
Corrections: a) The athlete fails to maintain a number of strides between hurdles. A transition
hips-tall position, which may cause takes place when a hurdler changes down to a
him or her to sit and thereby not shorter stride length (because of fatigue, usually
maintain good sprint mechanics. around the 5th, 6th, or 7th hurdle, or adverse en-
b) The athlete should make eye vironmental conditions), which results in one or
contact with the next hurdle at two more steps between hurdles (JOLLY, 1989;
least 15m away and run aggres- LINDEMAN, 1995).
sively to the hurdle. c) He or she
should think of the hurdle race According to LINDEMAN, there are three
as 400m long and 1.22m wide. forms of transitions: 1) The preferable transition
He or she should learn to limit is a single alternate, an example of which would
attention to what’s happening in be the left lead-legged hurdler transitioning from
his or her own lane and to concen- 13 to 14 strides, requiring him to then hurdle with
trate on his or her own rhythm. a right lead leg over every other hurdle for the

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 The 400m Hurdles

rest of the race. 2) In a dual alternate transition, as the lead leg on the turns. When using the
the hurdler who is leading with his left and taking right lead leg, the athlete must run more to the
13 strides between would take 14 strides and centre of the lane to prevent bringing the trail
use a right lead leg, then 14 again to get back leg outside the hurdle and facing disqualifica-
to the preferred left lead leg, and then finish the tion (JOLLY, 1989).
race with his left lead leg. 3) The double cut-
down is most often used by the inexperienced If the hurdler with a left lead leg is able to
hurdler who is unable to hurdle with his alternate run 60cm closer to the inside lane line than the
lead leg. In this case the hurdler who is taking 13 hurdler with the right lead leg for 20 strides (4
strides between hurdles and leading with his left for each of the 5 hurdles on the curve), he will
lead leg would cut down to 15 strides between gain an entire meter (or 0.12-0.13 sec) on his
(so as not having to hurdle with a right lead leg). opponent (LINDEMAN, 1995).
The disadvantage of this type of transition is that
the stride length must be drastically shortened However, it should not be forgotten to men-
in just a few meters of hurdle clearance from tion that many world-class hurdlers have hur-
2.45m to 2.13m. However, very few elite hurdlers dled with a right lead leg. For example, Ralph
ever use a double cutdown transition in a race Mann was a world record-holder in the late
situation, as their ability to alternate lead legs 1970s with a right lead leg (LINDEMAN, 1995).
allows them to use the more effective single or
dual alternate transitions. Therefore, the ability Run-in off last hurdle to the finish line
to alternate lead legs over consecutive hurdles Hurdle races are often won or lost between
is the most valuable technique the developing the touchdown after the last hurdle and the fin-
hurdler should be taught. ish line. At that point, most competitors are fa-
tigued. If in a position to win, the hurdler who
Regardless of the type of transition which first returns to sprint form and attacks the finish
takes place in a race, the long hurdler should line has the best chance of victory (WINCKLER,
have a race plan which dictates for him or her 1989).
where the transition will take place. This predeter-
mined stride pattern is called the hurdler’s effec- For a fast run-in, the athlete must clear
tive stride pattern. At the planned transition point the last hurdle as relaxed, and as technically
in the race, the hurdler should consciously try to sound, as possible. At this point, the athlete
increase the stride frequency while reducing the must concentrate on correct sprinting form and
stride length. This change in the stride pattern on increasing his or her leg speed to the finish
should be initiated before the hurdler is forced to line rather than overstriding (JOLLY, 1989).
change due to fatigue (LINDEMAN, 1995).
A high level of anaerobic endurance that re-
It is also very important to be able to make any sults from including a large volume of speed
adjustment well in advance of the hurdle, instead endurance work in the training programme is
of trying to rush an adjustment in the last few the key to a fast run-in from the last hurdle to
strides before the hurdle (LINDEMAN, 1995). As the finish (LINDEMAN, 1995).
MCFARLANE (1980) points out: “The last three
strides before and after clearance must be exact Distribution of Effort
and consistent for every clearance with altera-
tions made between hurdles and not at them.”
LINDEMAN (1995) points out that the hurdler’s
Hurdling on the curve distribution of effort throughout the race can
be effectively measured by the coach by us-
To master the turn, the athlete must prac-
ing a stopwatch to determine the “touchdown
tice on the turn under both fatigued and non-
times.” These times can be charted and re-
fatigued conditions and also work in all lanes.
viewed with the hurdler to evaluate his or her
If possible, the hurdler should use the left leg
race. It’s important to note that every hurdler,

New Studies in Athletics · no. 1/2.2012 17

The 400m Hurdles

from beginner to world-class, loses velocity Elite female 400m hurdlers should be be-
over the course of the race, as denoted by in- tween 1.70m and 1.80m tall and weigh be-
creasing touchdown times. Major discrepan- tween 60 and 70kg. They will need to have
cies in the chart of a race can point to errors these physical dimensions for the stride length
in judgment of transitions and late-race adjust- needed to handle the necessary stride pattern,
ments, as well as where fatigue sets in. as well as to develop the physical strength nec-
essary to handle the last 100m of the event.
The touchdown time at the fourth hurdle in The somatotype is likely to favour mesomor-
the 400m race is an especially valuable indica- phic/ectomorphic characteristics.
tor of the distribution of effort during the early
stages of the race because it is at the 150m For improvement to occur in the women’s
mark or precisely 3/8 of the way through the 400m hurdles, the athletes are going to have to
race. Another good indicator, although more improve their speed over the first 100m, their
difficult to obtain, is the 200m split. Ideally, the stride pattern and their ability to handle fatigue
differential in times for the first and second half and maintain form and rhythm in the last 100m
of the race should be no more than 5%, which of the event. lt therefore appears that elite fe-
is 2.4 sec in a 48 sec effort or 2.5 sec in a 50 male 400m hurdlers should have a sprinting/
sec effort (LINDEMAN, 1995). hurdling/jumping background as a teenager.

Characteristics of Women’s 400m The female 400m hurdler should be able to

Hurdling take 22-24 strides to the first hurdle (currently
most take 23-25 strides) with a left leg lead and
will be looking for a touchdown in the vicinity of
According to KERR (1992), the women’s
6.3-6.5 sec (currently 6.7-7.0 sec is the norm)
400m hurdle event has major differences to
to set up a good speed through the first 100m.
the mens in performance breakdowns. Touch-
She is then going to look to running 14 strides
down times to the first three hurdles appear
to hurdle seven and 15 home. This pattern
to be much slower in relation to the rest of the
would enable the hurdler to use left leg leads
race in comparison to men’s performances.
over the hurdles on the curves and thereby
lt would also appear that for most of the top
save in distance run and allow for better “at-
women 400m hurdlers the second half of the
tacking” of hurdles on the curves. Obviously,
race is dominant, whereas the opposite is true
if she is using 14 strides, the hurdler will be
for the men. Further, on examining stride pat-
capable of hurdling with either leg in the lead
terns of the leading women hurdlers, speed
position. The athlete is going to be looking for
endurance for the event is still not being devel-
touchdowns in the following ranges:
oped as well as it could be. There appears to
be a large number of women who can maintain • 1st hurdle 6.3 to 6.5 sec
15 strides to hurdle seven but cannot run 15 • 3rd hurdle 14.6-15.0 sec
strides home. • 5th hurdle 23.2-24.0 sec
• 8th hurdle 36.4-37.8 sec
KERR believes that for a female athlete
• 10th hurdle 45.4-47.0 sec
to be internationally successful in the 400m
hurdles certain physical characteristics will
This pattern has a different emphasis to
be required in the future. lt appears that the
that which is practiced by most of the world’s
athlete has to be tall with corresponding leg
leading hurdlers at the moment, with a much
length and physique suitable for the develop-
quicker first 200m but still maintaining speed
ment of the 400m hurdles requirements. The
over the last 200m to produce faster times
400m hurdles requires speed, speed endur-
(KERR, 1992; see on women’s 400m hurdles
ance, rhythm, strength, reasonable hurdling
also: BAILEY, 1987; BREIZER et al., 1985;
technique and good emotional control.
BREIZER & KORCHEMNY, 1990).

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 The 400m Hurdles

Teaching the 400m Hurdles The various sessions are:

1) One-stride hurdling – using both isola-
According to WARBURTON (1985), one of tion exercises and full technique runs on both
the most important parts of a 400m hurdler’s leading legs. This allows rapid repetition and
technical skill is the ability to hurdle confidently reinforcement of a technique pattern. Up to
with either leg leading over the hurdle, because 10 hurdles in a row is common. The hurdles
it enables a smooth transition in stride pattern can be separated as shown in Figure 1 and the
during the course of a race, thus preventing athlete runs down the middle with one-stride
the unnecessarily fatiguing problem of over or between hurdles, this gives lead leg at the first
under-striding. hurdle, trail at the second and so on.

There are a number of ways that alternate leg 2) Two-stride hurdling – this is, according to
hurdling can be developed effectively. All of the WARBURTON (1985), an invaluable alternate-
following hurdling sessions to develop alternate leg hurdling session when space is lacking.
leg hurdling have been found to be beneficial. This involves quick thinking on the behalf of
The measurement between hurdles for each ex- the athlete. To make the session more interest-
ercise have not been included as coaches will ing, as in Figure 2, the hurdles can be moved
need to experiment to find the correct distance apart and the athlete will then run down the
for their own athlete. In warm-up the women’s middle using each leading leg in turn and run
hurdles can be put on the 110m hurdle marks down the middle again and use each trailing
and the men’s on about 10m spacings, this al- leg in turn.
lows a relaxed five-stride run between the hur-
dles for isolating. The height of the hurdle can 3) Three-stride hurdling – this is a common
also be varied from 91.4cm to 1.06m for men session with timed runs over 3-12 hurdles often
and from 76.2cm to 84cm for women. used. In this activity, athletes are asked to run

Figure 1: One-stride hurdling variation – isolation exercise

Figure 2: Two-stride hurdling variation – lead or trail leg isolation

New Studies in Athletics · no. 1/2.2012 19

The 400m Hurdles

Figure 3: Four-stride Swiss turnabout

first with their left leg lead and then walk back conditions thus developing an athlete’s aware-
and run with their right leg lead. This encour- ness of hurdling on the bend and his/her spa-
ages equal mental emphasis on each leading tial awareness needed for a race situation.
leg action. Each run is timed and the coach
should be looking for a very low differential be- 8) Six hurdles placed at increasing distances
tween left and right leg lead and between the apart – the first space at one-stride, second at
first and last run of the series. two-stride, third at three-stride, etc. up to five-
stride spacings. Likewise the spacings could
4) Four-stride hurdling – as with two-stride start at three-stride and move up progressively
hurdling but needs more available space. The by one-stride to an eight-stride spacing. These
most common application of this is the Swiss activities require a great degree of mental agil-
turnabout (Figure 3). The athlete is timed from ity on the parts of the athletes. Once agains
the start to the finish and recovery is whatever time the runs from a start line to a finish line.
the coach deems to be necessary. Ten runs at
this gives one hundred hurdle clearances under 9) Up to five hurdles over 100m at irregular
progressively more difficult fatigue conditions. spacings. Each run is timed and a walk back
recovery allowed. On every other run the spac-
5) Five-stride hurdling – as with three-stride ings are altered so that the athlete has to al-
hurdling, but the athlete has more time to con- ter the stride pattern used. This session can
centrate on the hurdling technique. Timed runs be varied and the bend used so that there is
over 5-8 hurdles are commonly used, once 100m on the bend from the 200m start and a
again looking for a low differential between left second 100m down the straight. A short rest
and right leg lead. is allowed between the first and second 100m
stretch with a walk back recovery before the
6) Seven-stride (or double-spaced) hurdling next set of two 100m. This is a fairly relaxed
– the hurdles are placed on or near every oth- session and gives a comfortable approach to
er sprint hurdle mark, this allows the athlete alternate leg hurdling. Concentration by the
to develop more speed and develop a more athlete should be on attack into the hurdle and
relaxed open rhythm. As with three and live- positive running off and away from the barriers.
stride hurdling, the runs can be timed running
from the start to the 100m finish. An excellent 10) 200m hurdle spacings – usually 5-6 hur-
activity for developing confidence is running at dles with a walk back recovery. The number
speed over hurdles using either leading leg. of repetitions is dependent upon the level of
development of the athlete. (See on teaching
7) The above sessions (3, 4, 5 and 6) can and coaching the 400m-hurdles also: Bulan-
all be carried out on the bend under the same chik, 1983; THOMAS, 1989; VONSTEIN, 1997)

20 New Studies in Athletics · no. 1/2.2012

 The 400m Hurdles

Training Drills The two types of fast-leg routines are:

The following technical exercises or drills 1) Single-side actions – From a jog the ath-
presented by WINCKLER (2000) serve to cor- lete attains a tall posture. In concert with the
rect deficiencies in mechanics, to teach and arms, one leg is quickly cycled through the
ingrain proper motor patterns, and to promote recovery cycle, following the sequence of ac-
local muscle and specific hurdle conditioning. tions described above and accelerating the
The basis of most hurdling exercises should be foot back to the track again. Performance of
sound sprinting exercises. Hurdle training is by the movement is alternated with two to three
nature very specific and training sessions must jogging steps. When performed properly, the
be geared toward the specific rhythm neces- athlete senses an acceleration upon each con-
sary in hurdling. For advanced hurdlers, spe- tact of the foot with the track. Emphasis should
cial hurdle endurance should be emphasised be on the following:
in training. • full and proper range of motion,
• acceleration of the thigh and heel upward
High-knee routines (Mach drills)
during recovery,
The exercise is performed with high-knee
• acceleration of the thigh downward in
action, pulling heels to butt. The posture is tall.
The ankle joint is kept dorsiflexed and weight preparation for support,
bearing is on the forefoot. The progress down • active cycling culminating in a clawing
the track is slow, with all foot contacts under action of the foot in preparation for
the centre of mass. contact with the ground again,
• the lower leg is kept folded tightly to the
The three high-knee variations are:
thigh until full thigh lift is complete,
• marching,
• skipping, • quick actions of the hands and arms in
• running. proper sprint arm motions.

Fast-leg routines 2) Dual-side actions – The dual-side form

This exercise is very difficult and demands of the fast-leg routine is performed in the
good coordination and timing. The objective is same way as the single-side form, except the
to isolate the proper motion of the sprint stride movement alternates from left side to right
into left- and right-side movements, teaching side following the two to three jogging steps
the proper mechanics of the leg through the between movements. When athletes become
recovery cycle. Speed of movement is the ul- accomplished with this exercise, they can ac-
timate objective, although most athletes will celerate quickly and perform its actions at near
learn this exercise at slow speeds and prog- top speed. The ultimate objective is to improve
ress to faster speeds. speed of movement, neuromuscular timing,
and coordination, and thus be able to per-
The following cues will help with this drill: form an efficient movement on each and every
stride in full-flight sprinting.
• Hips tall.
• Active action with toe-up, heel-up, Fence drill for trail leg
knee-up sequence. The hurdle (about 76cm high) is placed
• Try to place the support foot under the about 61cm from a fence or other immovable
centre of mass at ground contact. object and parallel to it so that the athlete is
• The recovery leg should cycle, with the facing the fence and the hurdle in the normal
ankle passing above the knee of the sup- orientation. Standing on the side of the hurdle,
port leg. the athlete inclines his or her body toward
the fence and puts one or both hands on the

New Studies in Athletics · no. 1/2.2012 21

The 400m Hurdles

fence. The athlete then performs the trail-leg This drill can be performed:
action over the side of the hurdle. The exercise • with a normal stride pattern and heel re-
develops specific dynamic mobility as well as covery between hurdles,
teaches correct mechanics of the trail leg. This • using a fast-leg action on every lift of the
is more of a beginner’s exercise, but it may be
lead leg, thus placing more emphasis on
useful to more advanced athletes as well. The
action should be quick, and the trail leg should local muscular endurance.
never be allowed to open up at the knee once
it has cleared the hurdle. The action coming off The hips should be maintained in tall body
of the hurdle should be an acceleration of the posture throughout, and the principles pre-
thigh toward the ground. scribed earlier for fast-leg routines should also
be adhered to.
Partner drill for trail leg
Running hurdle skills
This exercise is performed similarly to the
“fence drill for trail leg”, except the hurdle is Usually 3-5 hurdles are used, with spacings
placed on the track and the athlete uses a part- of 7.5-8.2m and heights of about 68.5-76cm.
ner in place of the fence. The partner actively The exercises are individually oriented in the
pulls the athlete by the hand as the athlete per- sense that each may be used to emphasise
forms the trail-leg movement. In this way the very different technical points. The speed of
athlete feels what it is like to move quickly over the run is usually quite fast because the prima-
the hurdle and can begin coordinating a fast, ry objective is to increase one’s ability to per-
uninterrupted movement of the trail leg with form correct technical or mechanical move-
good horizontal velocity over the hurdle. ments at high velocity.

• The trail foot should be kept tight to the

The two variations of this exercise are:
butt and the knee should move forward 1) Half-hurdle lead leg
and upward. On each run the emphasis may differ:
• The thigh lift should continue until the rail • Maintaining distance of the take-off foot
foot has once again come in alignment from the hurdle.
under the thigh. • Active take-off step going into hurdle.
• The trail-leg thigh should be accelerated • Heel of lead leg to butt going into hurdle.
downward with the foot under the center • Fast-leg action of the lead leg.
of mass. • Active downward action of the lead leg
• The hips should move through the hurdle, coming off the hurdle.
and the athlete should feel the fast • Performance of lead-leg action while ac-
horizontal displacement of his or her hips celerating over five hurdles.
forward. The hips should be maintained 2) Half-hurdle trail leg
On each run the emphasis may differ:
in tall position throughout.
• Draw the heel to the butt actively and as
Fast-leg lead leg over hurdles soon as the take-off foot leaves ground.
In this exercise the fast-leg action is per- • Keep the trail leg continuously in motion
formed with the lead leg over the side of four to from the start of movement until touch-
six hurdles spaced at 7-8.5m apart for three- down.
stride rhythm and 9-11.5m apart for five-stride • Keep the trail toe up and the leg folded
rhythm. The hurdle height used can vary from until completion of action to the front of the
30.5 to 76cm.
body.
• Perform the lead-leg action on the outside

22 New Studies in Athletics · no. 1/2.2012

 The 400m Hurdles

of the hurdle. This aids in keeping balance Indoor Preparation

and in being able to perform the trail-leg Monday Sprint development, power de-
velopment
and associated arm actions in a coordinat-
Tuesday Hurdle skill, weights, multi-jumps
ed fashion. Wednesday Hill running, strength endurance
• Actively accelerate the trail leg to the ground Thursday Weights, core training, swimming
under the center of mass and in position to Friday Acceleration, lactacid power
sprint into next stride. Saturday Tempo running, core training
Sunday Rest
• Imagine that the lead leg and trail leg are
racing each other to the ground. This en- Indoor Season
courages quick action off of the hurdle and Monday Sprint development, power de-
helps anticipate the touchdown. velopment
Tuesday Hurdle skill, weights
Sample Workouts Wednesday Lactacid power, strength endur-
The following sample workouts are also ance
taken from WINCKLER (2000). Thursday Weights, core training, swimming
Friday Acceleration
Saturday Competition
Autumn Preparation
Sunday Rest
Monday Circuit training (field circuit: such as
30 push-ups, 10 tuck jumps, 100m Outdoor Preparation/Season
run, 30 lunges, 40 crunches, 200m
Monday Hurdle skill, weights, core training
run, 10 pull-ups, plus other exer-
Tuesday Lactacid power, 400m hurdle dis-
cises, including medicine balls and
tribution
jump ropes. The circuit is performed
Wednesday Core training, tempo running
with 0-30 sec rest between stations
Thursday 400m hurdle starts, weights
and should last 15 min per circuit.)
Friday Core training, tempo running
Tuesday Bounding, core training (long alter-
Saturday Competition
nate-leg bounding on grass: 8 x
Sunday Rest
60m. Core: push-ups, sit-ups, and
so on for the trunk.)
Wednesday Hill running (2 x 4 x 200-250m hill,
with walk back recovery)
Further Information
Thursday Sprint development, hurdle skill Valuable 400m hurdles training advice can
(rollover starts, i. e., start by leaning also be found in: BOYD, 2011; BROWN, 1992;
over until you lose your balance ISKRA, 1999 and ISKRA, 2007.
forward and go; high-knee running;
butt kicks; fast-leg exercise; mar-
ching and skipping over hurdles; runs
over 4 hurdles set at about 68.5cm Please send all correspondence to:
and spaced at 20m: 6-8 runs) Dr Jürgen Schiffer
Friday: Acceleration, circuit training (roll- j.schiffer@dshs-koeln.de
over starts; block starts over 2
hurdles; circuit work as on Monday)
Saturday Aerobic running (tempo runs over
100-200m with 50m walk between;
continuous run at varied pace for
15 min)
Sunday Rest

New Studies in Athletics · no. 1/2.2012 23

The 400m Hurdles

REFERENCES KERR, T. (1992). Characteristics of an elite female 400m

hurdler. Modern Athlete and Coach, 30(3), 35-38.

MCFARLANE, B. (1980). Understanding the 400metre hur-

BAILEY, J. H. (1987). Intermediate ladies 400m hurdles dles. Track & Field Quarterly Review, 80(2), 65-58.
event. Athletics Coach, 21(1), 12.
QUINN, M. D. (2010). External effects in the 400m hurdles
BOYD, R. (2011). 400m hurdles: the components. Modern race. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 26(2), 171-179.
Athlete and Coach, 49(3), 26-31.
ROBERTS, S. (no year). Theory and training for the 400m
BREIZER, V. et al. (1985). Women’s 400, hurdles training. hurdles. URL: http://www.itccca.com/forms_pdfs/clinic10/
Modern Athlete and Coach, 23(3), 42-43. clinic_notes_ROBERTS1.pdf.

BREIZER, V. & KORCHEMNY, R. (1990). The preparation of ROBISON, C. F.; JENSEN, C. R.; JAMES, S. W. & HIRSCHI,
women for the 400metres hurdles. New Studies in Athlet- W. M. (1974). Intermediate hurdles. In: C. F. Robinson et al.,
ics, 6(4), 21-28. Modern Techniques of Track and Field (119-135). Philadel-
phia, Pa.: Lea & Febiger.
BROWN, G. (1992). Conditioning for the 400m hurdles.
Modern Athlete and Coach, 30(2), 8-11. THOMAS, D. (1989). Young people and 400metre hurdling.
Athletics Coach, 23(3), 21-23.
Bulanchik, E. (1983). 400meter hurdles – beginning
training. Track & Field Quarterly Review, 83(2), 49-50. VONSTEIN, W. (1997). Technical development of junior
400m hurdlers. Modern Athlete and Coach, 35(3), 36-38.
ISKRA, J. (1999). Characteristics of the training of Euro-
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37(3), 20-23. ment of effective technique. Athletics Coach, 19(3), 21-25.

ISKRA, J. (2007). Principles of 400m hurdle training. Track WINCKLER, G. (1989). Hurdling. In: V. Gambetta (Ed.),
Coach, (177), 5641-5645. The Athletics Congress’s Track and Field Manual (73-87).
Champaign, Ill.: Leisure Press.
JOLLY, S. (1989). 400m hurdles. In: V. Gambetta (Ed.),
The Athletics Congress’s Track and Field Manual (89-92). WINCKLER, G. (2000). 400m hurdles. In: J. L. Rogers (Ed.),
Champaign, Ill.: Leisure Press. USA Track & Field Coaching Manual, (75-91). Champaign,
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24 New Studies in Athletics · no. 1/2.2012