What's the hardest running event?

I giving my vote to the 800m as well. It's not long enough that you can go down from exhaustion, and it's not short enough that you can go all out and not experience excruciating pain. Sure the steeple chase is difficult, but you're not gonna' take off at full tilt in that event. Sprints hurt, and the 800 is the longest of 'em all.

BrnrdClbrn2005 wrote:

Sprints hurt,

So does hitting a steeple barrier.

the point of the steeple is to clear the barriers. once you do that it gets a little less painful on your shins.

Jason,

I'm going to have to agree with you on the Western States. I too have run on part of that course in preparation for running it back in 1990, but I tore an IT band during a 50 mile race 2 months before and couldn't run it - I had made it through the lottery and actually posted a qualifing time in that 50 miler, and then RIPPPPP!!

Those ultra distance guys don't get much respect here, but man that is one hell of a course - even a marathon on portions of that course would be tough.

Ex 400 Man,

If you run the 800 and 400 equally hard with respect to each distance, then you should be more spent at the end of the 800 and have greater pain.

Pain is all relative, and having experienced greater pain in the 800 and even other races than the 400, intense pain isn't what I could call it.

800m and indoor 3k

Steeple!

oh man I know what you mean....I ran 3X400m @ 54, 53 and 54

after that last one I was like MAN that felt like an 800!!!

During XC you can gaze and take breaks, fall of pace but that 800m will Monkey Slap you every time can I get a witness?

How can anyone argue that the 400 is the most painful? The entire race lasts 45-60 seconds. By the time you're in any serious pain, you only have 20 seconds left in the race! What, you can't endure 20 seconds of pain?

The single most painful race I ever ran was a 3200. It was my 3rd race of the day, but I had to run it because it was a really close meet. I ended up just holding on for dear life for the last 3 laps.

3 laps of intense pain, or 20 seconds of intense pain? Hmmm...

The Roc,

Amen my man!

What would hurt more?

3 minutes in a frying pan or 20 seconds in the fire?

400h/800

steeple

400.

no disrespect intended to distance runners but everything should hurt if u run it right. I've been both and i can tell you that while in a distance race u hurt for longer during the race, in alot of the sprint races you're still sore for several days. AS for people that die during marathons it's usually fat out of shape people that probably shouldnt be running it anyway.

Definately the steeple. Collegiately I have raced everything from the 400 to the 5k. But nothing makes you sore after every race like a great steeple. I raced at Nationals last spring and I have never wanted to take a nose dive so badly. The steeple is mentally and physically exhausting, but it's a lot of fun!

are you joking ifik? after a steeple i have trouble walking for days! if a 200 or 400 does that to you you have issues.

another comparison, if you run a 400 race in the morning are you going to dread the pain of a 400 race later that afternoon?

probably not

If you run an 800 in the morning are you going to fear the pain of an 800 later that day?

Im thinking yes

I'd make the steeple comparison to this test, but it takes too much out of you to even consider

Edwin Moses wrote:

Now add 10 36" hurdles to that already burning 400 meters! Running steeple aggressively and correctly can also make you question your discipline to keep pushing the envelope.

Hey that is hard but not as hard as the steeplechase where you jump 28 hurdles and 7 water pits. you sissy sprinter

Steeple

5000 (appropriately run - slightly easier than the guy on the link I posted a day ago)

10000

3000

Marathon (obviously different kind of hard)

400h

800 / 1500 / mile - tie (but I have utmost respect for those who do these well - love the mile)

400

200

100

You are clearly not a good track runner. To say that a 5k or 10k is more painful than an 800 is a joke. You are correct to have the steeple high on the list, but there is no chance in hell any more than 1% of track runners would rank a 5k ahead of an 800 in terms of pain or difficulty.

Come again?? What kind of response is that? I'll tell you.... not very smart.

First, I was unaware that there was some kind of correct order protocol I was supposed to follow. It sounded like an opinion question to me.

Secondly, although I am not fast, I am not sure where you get off making the assertion that I must not be a good track runner based on my list. Maybe I am decent at middle distance and never thought the 800 was so hard compared to the 5 or 10, and that's why I stuck with it. Or, perhaps I am a decent 5K runner who knows his event and how to really push through it and has never run an 800 real hard. In such a case, I could be a decent track runner and hold the opinion I do.

You're statistically proven 1% statement was the joke. I gaurantee you that this BS statement is incorrect.

Lastly, you may be correct that my times suck, but when you make such a claim, you imply that you are the stuff. So, everyone knows what my PRs are... What are yours. Let's see what apparantly is the definition of "good".

Please, do me a favor... no, do yourself a favor... if you're going to try to talk smack, try to do a good job and not make yourself look silly.

How about this, 14:43, 8:57, 1:48.47 (5k, steeple, 800). Not world class, but pretty good. I know what I'm doing bud, and any time I have had this discussion nobody has ever brought up the 5k or 10k as one of the hardest events. Take a look at the posts for further proof, the only events considered are the 800, 400, 400h, and steeple. The 400 has been widely dismissed and not enough people run the 400h to really have a good base of opinions, although I'm sure its hard.

Every event in track is hard, but the 800 and steeple are on a different level. By the way, I am also a pretty good cross country runner who has an appreciation for long distance.