How fast can mid distance guys typically run a 400?

At what level of competition?

Top high school 8/15 guys can go 49.x for a quarter.

Top collegiate 8/15 guys can go around 47.x mid

Pros 46.x to 47 low. A couple of the true 800 guys or the 4/8 guys are probably faster, but they'd be much stronger over 800 than 1500.

Those sound a bit on the fast side to me for guys who also run the 1500. Definitely fast for "aerobically based".

Part of the issue is that actually very few people are competitive to the same level in both the 800 and the 1500. I would guess (but it's just a guess) that all 800m guys in the Olympic final should be able to run 47 low from blocks, but only one or two guys in the 1500 final.

I was a 3:56 1500, 9:13 steeple guy. My coach let me run a couple of early season outdoor 400s. I went 51.3 and 50.9.

observator wrote:

Those sound a bit on the fast side to me for guys who also run the 1500. Definitely fast for "aerobically based".

Part of the issue is that actually very few people are competitive to the same level in both the 800 and the 1500. I would guess (but it's just a guess) that all 800m guys in the Olympic final should be able to run 47 low from blocks, but only one or two guys in the 1500 final.

I definitely meant the speedier 8/15 guys at the very top of the competition, not the aerobic machine 15/3k/5k guys. The best example I could think of was Coe (46.87 FAT for an open 400), but a couple of mid to low 3:3x guys have recorded times in the low 47s or faster (Murphy 45.9 split/3:36, Stember 46.x split/3:35, Earl Jones 46.32 open/3:36).

All those guys lean more 800 except Stember (although I imagine he could've run faster than his 1:46.2 pr), and the guys who lean more towards the 15 are probably a second or so slower over the quarter (think 47.5ish for the 8/15 guys--off the top of my head I know Ovett 47.5/3:30 and Symmonds 47.x/3:34). I would be surprised if any elite 15/5k guys could to break 48.5 open.

The 400 from blocks doesn't matter much. Running start 400 matters.

Been over 25 years since the fastest 5000 / 10000 runners in the world weren't capable of a running start 10.8-11sec 100m.

Yes, Stember was more of an 800 guy. Overtrained as a collegiate and post, got away with it at Stanford but not so much after

You add as much 1s to relay splits for an accurate 400m time.

What about for guys like Murphy and Wheating

dsrunner wrote:

Been over 25 years since the fastest 5000 / 10000 runners in the world weren't capable of a running start 10.8-11sec 100m.

A running start 100m in 10.8? Seems kinda unlikely. Do you have anything to back this up?

Salazar said Rupp can hit 11 flat in a running start 100m but I don't have the link. Idk about 10.8. That does seem pretty fast. Maybe with some wind help