The longest track event is the hardest. You have to run farther than everybody! So 10,000m? Is there a 15,000m event?
The longest track event is the hardest. You have to run farther than everybody! So 10,000m? Is there a 15,000m event?
The 400 is rough but nobody who knows how to run it sprints all-out the entire race. The 800 is more difficult. Pacing it is a challenge no matter your racing style. It is painful as heck when you run it properly, and also when you don't (unless you run like a cowardly baby.)
When this topic comes up the 400h are always in the conversation. I was a 400 hurdler starting in 8th grade all throughout college and I disagree that it is the toughest event. The thing about the 400h, is that when it really starts to hurt, you should be focusing on your steps between the last few hurdles and what leg you are coming up with.
So while in a flat 400, your brain is thinking "This hurts, this hurts, this hurts" in the hurdles you have to think about how you came off the last hurdle and how you are setting up for the next one. This small distraction helps you block out the pain..just a little.
The reality is that if you have the skillsets and the physical capabilities, then all events you are cut out for are fine.
As a jumper who blew his knee out in a motor vehicle accident and had to take up 400 running, it was tough. Not so tough for the guys who were really built for the 400.
Because I had athletic talent I was able to become world ranked. But it was never comfortable, and it was a mental exercise as much as a physical one.
If you have the talent for the event its easy. If you are joe blow off the street it might feel like an ordeal. I know that my easiest 400s were those when I wasn't in shape. I'd blow up and recover by the time I finished the race. When in the best shape it would knock me over for a week.
Events are tough if you are good enough to make them tough.
peace in the east wrote:
If by “hardest” you mean most instant pain it’s the 400 hurdles
If by “hardest” you mean the most enduring pain it’s the steeplechase
If by “hardest” you mean the most technical it’s the pole vault
If by “hardest” you mean the most dangerous it’s the pole vault
If by “hardest” you mean the event you need the most natural ability it’s the 100
If by “hardest” you mean the event the takes the greatest work ethic it’s the Marathon
The last 100 meters of an 800 is the most intense physical pain while continuing to push I have ever felt (1:53 guy).
Hardest as in I will never be able to do it would be pole vault. Or being a skinny distance runner, the shot put.
No one is even close thus far...
The toughest event by far by far by far on the current Olympic program is quite obviously my favorite event, the 50K racewalk....So tough that it's nearly five mile longer than the marathon run. So tough that the powers-that-be are unfortunately slicing it to 35K starting at 2022 Worlds....I know this website is populated by many who (a) don't understand racewalking; (b) actively dislike racewalking or (c) scorn anyone taking an opposite view....but calm down and learn to love racewalking and race walking people.....You may just find we are very nice folks with a similar destination but a slightly different manner of getting there...Remember that the planet is populated by a lot more people who are walkers than are runners ...Happy and Healthy New Year to all you good and open-minded people out there....From Elliott Denman, USA '56 Melbourne...
malmo wrote:
adfdaf wrote:
I've read from malmo that by 5 miles into a half marathon you should be white knuckling it. In other words you're hurting for 8 MILES. .
I've never said, nor implied what you said. I said that by 5 miles you should be "at the edge of the abyss" -- not over it. You should be "in the zone" and fully immersed in the task at hand. You shouldn't be hurting until the last 2-3 miles.
Stay thirsty, my friend.
You said it in this thread:
https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2648377&page=1"At five miles into a half marathon race you should be hanging on with white knuckles."
elliottden wrote:
No one is even close thus far...
The toughest event by far by far by far on the current Olympic program is quite obviously my favorite event, the 50K racewalk
Does it qualify as a track event though?
I think any event outside your wheelhouse is the hardest. If you are prepared, just about everyone can find ways to "coast" if only for a few seconds. For me it was the mile because I only ran a few.
I really like any race where someone is right there and you can push each other without those breaks. That is when the magic happens and is usually your best race. It might be at the front of the pack or the middle, and that is what I love about racing. :)
dodge ball wrote:
The longest track event is the hardest. You have to run farther than everybody! So 10,000m? Is there a 15,000m event?
10,000m is the longest "standard" track event. I think the longest race by distance on the track is 1,000km and the longest race by time is 6 days.
Yiannis Kouros holds the world records for both: 5d 16h 17min 00s and 1,038.851 km (645.512 miles). He famously insisted the 800m was much harder!
adfdaf wrote:
malmo wrote:
I've never said, nor implied what you said. I said that by 5 miles you should be "at the edge of the abyss" -- not over it. You should be "in the zone" and fully immersed in the task at hand. You shouldn't be hurting until the last 2-3 miles.
Stay thirsty, my friend.
You said it in this thread:
https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2648377&page=1"At five miles into a half marathon race you should be hanging on with white knuckles."
There you have it. I agree that "white knuckles" sounds a lot more dire than the phrasing I usually make when describing HM pace at 5 miles "on the edge". I've made that metaphor often. Stick with "on the edge of the abyss" "White knuckles" sounds like your hands are about to explode.
elliottden wrote:
No one is even close thus far...
The toughest event by far by far by far on the current Olympic program is quite obviously my favorite event, the 50K racewalk....So tough that it's nearly five mile longer than the marathon run. So tough that the powers-that-be are unfortunately slicing it to 35K starting at 2022 Worlds....I know this website is populated by many who (a) don't understand racewalking; (b) actively dislike racewalking or (c) scorn anyone taking an opposite view....but calm down and learn to love racewalking and race walking people.....You may just find we are very nice folks with a similar destination but a slightly different manner of getting there...Remember that the planet is populated by a lot more people who are walkers than are runners ...Happy and Healthy New Year to all you good and open-minded people out there....From Elliott Denman, USA '56 Melbourne...
Honor to have you with us sir! Would you be willing do an AMA on like Evan Dunfee did a couple years back and share your experiences with us?
If "hardest" = "most painful" then it's the flat 400m for the win, with the 400m hurdles and 800m duking it out for second place. The flat 400m is faster and more rapidly puts an athlete's body into an anaerobic state than the 400m hurdles does, which is a more paced and measured race due to the rhythm of the hurdles. The 800m certainly hurts for longer, but not with the intensity of pain generated by the 400m since in an 800m race the athlete's body remains generally aerobic for most of the race and only gets highly anaerobic at the very end. Since anaerobic = pain and misery and puking, the "hardest" race is the most anaerobic race and thus it's the 400m. (Speaking from experience here as a former top 100 world-ranked 400m runner who took a shot at the 800m post-collegiately for a few years as well... although admittedly with no 400m hurdles experience)
Certainly, Please give details on what is involved,,,
Steeple by far. I was a state champ in the 800, multiple time state qualifier in the 400, ran primarily middle distance (400, 800, 1500, mile) in college, but did the steeple for a season (along with a couple of 400 hurdles) and one 5000. Nothing comes close to the steeple in terms of sheer pain.
malmo wrote:
adfdaf wrote:
You said it in this thread:
https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2648377&page=1"At five miles into a half marathon race you should be hanging on with white knuckles."
There you have it. I agree that "white knuckles" sounds a lot more dire than the phrasing I usually make when describing HM pace at 5 miles "on the edge". I've made that metaphor often. Stick with "on the edge of the abyss" "White knuckles" sounds like your hands are about to explode.
Cool, thanks for the clarification. Still sounds beastly, I'll stick to my short and sweet mid-d events, ha.
From my experience, the hardest event is the next distance up from what you've been training for. When I was is my best 800m shape, the 1500 used to hurt like hell and seem so long.
Sham 69 wrote:
The 800 is the easiest for me. I don't get a lot of lactic build up at all. I'm like Nick Symmonds and Dave Wottle who start near the back and then start picking people off.
Maybe my potential really lies in the 800 but I like the 1600 too.
There are lots for hard events; even the 100m hurts. However, most events it's only the last 20% that really stresses you. What makes the 800 so difficult is that if you are running to your potential, you are stressed 50% of the race.
adfdaf wrote:
I've read from malmo that by 5 miles into a half marathon you should be white knuckling it. In other words you're hurting for 8 MILES. How can an 800 ever compare to that? You guys know the first 300-400 of an 800 doesn't really hurt, right?
I'm sorry, the painful last 400 of an 800 can never top 8 miles of pain.
Longer race = harder.
Longer == easier. It is only the hobby joggers who think distance is a barrier. It is a heck of a lot less painful to cruise along at a slow pace than crank up the blood acid levels.
Now some of this is personal preference. Would you rather a ton of discomfort for a short period of time or a little bit of discomfort for a long period?
24h track race. Believe me.