Introduction to Training for the 4 x 400m Relay

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In this free video series, our expert Darren Storr will tell you how to train for the 4 x 400 meter relay. He will tell you how to train for the second leg, the differences between the 4 x 400 and other relays, and talk about how hand offs work. Finally Darren will also offer valuable tips and techniques for training for a running race so you can have the competitive edge you need to win...or just get some exercise.

"DARREN STORR: Hi. My name is Darren Storr. On behalf of Expert Village, I'm going to show you how to run the 4 x 400 relay. This is the most exciting relay of the whole track and field event. This is the last event for the day so you're just comprised of four runners, each run the four laps. The first runner usually runs about 500 meters into the race for the first leg, and that's because of international rules. Just like the 4 x 100, you have an exchange zone, usually 20 meters, the blue lines. And this is--you hand it off before you reach the marking point. Each runner, they have to split and you cannot compare it to an individual 400-meter performance because it's a rolling start and the times will be different. Usually, for world-class 400-meter runners, they split between 43 and 45 seconds comparatively. So this is a classic running event but the most compared event of anything else. My teammate, Louis Young, is gonna--we're going to show you how you successfully hand off a relay baton in the exchange zones."