How to run 40m sprints on the track?

The first hurdle mark for the 400m is located 45 meters from the start (355m from the finish). Each successive hurdle is in increments of 35m, so the hurdle marks are at:

45m (355m from the finish), 80 (320), 115 (285), 150 (250), 185 (215), 220 (180), 255 (145), 290 (110), 325 (75), and 360m (40m from the finish).

Markings all over the place! These are all helpful, too, of course. For those unaware, just realize that the women's hurdle marks are spaced every 8.5m after the first hurdle (as mentioned), so only the 3rd hurdle gets you the multiple of 10 (13 + 8.5 + 8.5 = 30m, as mentioned).

For the 90m, I like the end of the last 100m exchange zone to the finish line, since it's clearly marked in all lanes!

Great info in these posts. If you can't remember where all the hurdle lines are you can do this. In lane one before the finish line there will be two triangles... one at 10m and the other at 20m before the start/finish line. Step off that distance and count the number of steps. In my case, it's very close to 12 paces for 10m. Therefore, the 50m mark will be 60 paces from the start/finish line.

Or you could do this.

I took a measuring wheel to my local track, calibrated it over 100m, and then marked every 10m around the track. When I finished, I measured it again in reverse. Once I was sure that each mark was exactly where it should be, I went back and put a tiny mark using a metallic silver Sharpie on the cement drainage line around the track at each 10m mark. These marks are almost invisible unless you're looking for them. Then, I carry those small soccer cones with me to the track and put these cones at the appropriate marks, depending on the workout.

That is the mark for the first hurdle for HS 300m hurdles. Most high school tracks in the US are marked for 300m hurdles instead of 400m hurdles. Start to first hurdle is 45m and then 35m between hurdles. That puts the first hurdle 255m from the finish.

BTW for the guy that asked about 150m, the 4th 300m hurdle mark is 150m from the finish (as well as from the 300mH start). Alternatively the 4th 400m hurdle is 150m from the start of the 400mH.

to elaborate and point you where you're seeking to go, HS will usually have 300H, as a popular secondary school standard. college will usually have 400H as they tend to run international races/distances, eg, 1500. if you have a NCAA track nearby it would probably have 400H markings. but like the poster said most states will have 300H HS markings. that's the distance i ran in HS.

to me the far easier way to go about this is run 50s. the 100m increments are marked for race starts. midpoint on the straightaways, which is usually roughly the football 50 or soccer centerline. midpoint on the curves. training IMO it's more important you are running the right effort level for roughly the right distance, than that you are exact on the distance and timing yourself. at least at first. if i am time trialing for a precise distance it's gonna be a standard competition distance marked on the track where there is zero doubt what i just ran, how fast others do it, how fast i have done it before. so honestly when i am running, say, 50m intervals, i eyeball it, "ok next one is to the drain next to the track," and for windsprints i often just go end zone to end zone. which is what we did for strides in XC.

honestly most people just pick a visual marker and eyeball it, for training purposes. the general idea is roughly a distance at roughly an effort. you don't want to be running a ton looking down at your feet for indicators.