I’ve always thought if think the 400 is tougher than the 800, you are pacing the 800 wrong. And if you think the mile is tougher than the 800, you are pacing the mile wrong.
Shout out to the 1000 meters as a race that sucks. In terms of pace it's so close to the 800 that sometimes you don't even notice, but it's 25% longer. Ugh.
Agree. Roger Bannister, almost unconscious, was being supported in people’s arms after breaking the 4-minute mile barrier (and it took him a very long time to recover afterwards – you can see it when he was giving an interview while coughing). There are many examples of athletes (almost) fainting after finishing races of 1500m and longer, but I don’t recall seeing this happen in the 800m.
Max Burgin is often like that at the end of an 800m, even physically sick. But then he might be the only top guy in the 800 who is not taking a stack of peds.
I was a 3:45 1,500m man who also ran a 29:05 10,000m. Keep in mind I am 43 years old now. My thoughts are 15 years are so aged. So the 10,000m was relatively relaxed the 1,500m was straight middle distance. My 800m open was 1:52.05 indoor on a 200m track, my our 800m was 1:52.43 and my 800m split during a 4x800m indoor 1:52.9, outdoor 1:48.2. The 800m was my favorite event probably because running it was a treat. I think had I focused on it as my primary event I could have run 1:45-1:46 open. I do agree but the 800m if you dont have sub 50 400m speed as a male at the college level it is going to be a very long 2 laps. I had 48 400m speed which made the event just a great experience. I always won my heats at big invites in it the only time I lost was during the 1:52.43 however it was rainy and we went out in something 59 for the first 400m really slow.
Shout out to the 1000 meters as a race that sucks. In terms of pace it's so close to the 800 that sometimes you don't even notice, but it's 25% longer. Ugh.
When I competed in the 90's we all thought the 800 was the worst, but maybe just because we were told that before we'd even raced. Personally, my worst race ever was an indoor 1000. I ran it like an 800 and then had another lap to go. I tied up so badly that my teammate thought I had pulled a hamstring and was just toughing it out to the finish. Coming off of x-c season, indoor tracks seem so short, but that last lap was an eternity.
Bicarb has really nerfed the 800 pain level. 16 year olds are cranking out 1:42s...
This was honestly my thought when I saw it. GHB looks like she’s barely feeling any pain running 57.xx/58.xx. She maxed out at 2:03 before her break from running.
i agree longer is harder. but there might be an axiety that comes from running a 400 or 800 because you're all in from the start. You know the pain is gonna hit you really fast.
the longer races allow you to get into a rhythm before the pain starts to set in.
The further the race the more painful it is. Period.
People say things like "the 400m is the hardest event there is!" but that's because they're 100/200 sprinters who only ever occasionally race the 400.
Run a 10k and come back to me with how hard that is compared to a 400 or 800.
They are both "hard", but for different reasons. I see more people puke (have had at least two recently) after 400/800 races. The marathon is "hard" as well. The 400/800 have a lactic involvement that make it a different "hard" than distance races (often more mentally hard). It is a different kind of fatigue.
The further the race the more painful it is. Period.
People say things like "the 400m is the hardest event there is!" but that's because they're 100/200 sprinters who only ever occasionally race the 400.
Run a 10k and come back to me with how hard that is compared to a 400 or 800.
They are both "hard", but for different reasons. I see more people puke (have had at least two recently) after 400/800 races. The marathon is "hard" as well. The 400/800 have a lactic involvement that make it a different "hard" than distance races (often more mentally hard). It is a different kind of fatigue.
I moved down from the 3200 to 800 as my body filled out during high school. As an 800 runner, Anything over 1500m on the track felt like like a monumentous task and I was never aerobically conditioned enough to get into any kind of competitive rhythm. If I wanted to stay relaxed I wouldn't be able to hang with the lead packs, so it was more of just hang on and pray your legs dont blow up 3/4 the way through. Being conditioned and trained to run the 800 though I honestly never felt any realy physical pain. The first 500 feels like nothing if you go out comfortably slower than your 400 pr. And the acid hits around the 600, but by 150 I was already making my move so its just pure adrenaline carrying you through the line. My pb I actually finished strong and fast, but felt like I was going to puke after, I had more pain after the race than during, oddly enough. 800m was by far my best and easiest event.
i agree longer is harder. but there might be an axiety that comes from running a 400 or 800 because you're all in from the start. You know the pain is gonna hit you really fast.
the longer races allow you to get into a rhythm before the pain starts to set in.
With more even or even negative split type 800 races, I feel like it’s less painful - my PR is only 1:57 but I was 1:30 at 600 before closing in 27. I didn’t feel any pain until about the 680 mark, at which point it was only about 15 seconds to go.
I agree to a point wrote:. My 800m open was 1:52.05 indoor on a 200m track, my our 800m was 1:52.43 and my 800m split during a 4x800m indoor 1:52.9, outdoor 1:48.2. The 800m was my favorite event probably because running it was a treat. I think had I focused on it as my primary event I could have run 1:45-1:46 open.
Seems unlikely. Mid/high 1:52 to sub 1:46 is a world of difference
The further the race the more painful it is. Period.
People say things like "the 400m is the hardest event there is!" but that's because they're 100/200 sprinters who only ever occasionally race the 400.
Run a 10k and come back to me with how hard that is compared to a 400 or 800.
They are both "hard", but for different reasons. I see more people puke (have had at least two recently) after 400/800 races. The marathon is "hard" as well. The 400/800 have a lactic involvement that make it a different "hard" than distance races (often more mentally hard). It is a different kind of fatigue.
You're starting to address something that for some reason nobody is touching on.
First of all when someone says a race is tough I think it should be obvious we are talking about a time trial, not a "championship race" or run walking a turkey trot.
A 400m is 99% for a min, an 800m is 97% for 2 mins, a mile is 95% for 4 mins, a 5k is 92% for 13 mins... something like that. So obviously some prefer short and acute pain, others long and grueling. I would say the majority of people I've talked to would dread a 5k race the most
Depends on the type of runner you are, I think if you are a 400m and 800m type, the 800m is the hardest since you can't maintain a solid pace for a 1500m since your body won't allow it. Where as if you are more so a 800m and 1500m runner, the 1500m would be harder because you can push the pace through out.