HARDEST EVENT IN TRACK IS...? *DRUMROLL*

800 m and steeplechase.

The 800 is the easiest track event IMO.

The 1600 is the hardest IMO. It's hard to get the pacing right. The first lap is easy no matter what time you run it in, but if you go too fast, it will screw up your whole race. In Gerry Lindgren's book he told a story of when he was in high school and thought he was going to break the mile world record. He cleared 440 in less than 60. He finished in 4:30. He later got a 4:01 in high school.

The third lap of the 1600 is the make-or-break. You have to run that lap all out. The last 400 is always faster than the 3rd somehow, even though it feels just as hard.

Are talking about strictly a pain perspective or skill difficulty? Either way I might say weight throw. Hurts like hell from the hands to the feet and to be good there is a definite learning curve. Throwers hate it.

He said track, not field.

Why do you say the 800 is the easiest? It may not be the toughest overall but its definitely up there. I've seen people black out after 800s.

Also, related to your log I saw, what is a BLEED RUN? Is it a harder version of a tempo? How long do you go for?

Yep steeplechase is up there as one of the hardest. Good argument for that one.

400 hurdles.

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.

anything 5k and up because i cant count past 10 laps.

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.

If the 800 is easy for you, it just means you aren't running to your potential. Not attacking or being snarky, just speaking from experience :)

When Symmonds or Wottle were picking people off, that's after going out in 51-52 sec and then (with increased difficulty/effort) running almost the same pace for the 2nd lap.

That's not the same as, say, me in HS at many small meets, going out in 65-67 behind the pack and then kicking from 300m to win in 2:06-2:09. Sure, it was easy, and it was all that was needed to win, and I had already run a 400 with a 4x4 or 4x8 coming up. But it was not to my potential.

Try going out at just 3-4 sec slower than your 400m pace and then running hard enough that you only slow down by 2-3 sec over the 2nd lap. Or go out 4-6 sec slower than your 400m pace and then run hard enough to achieve even splits. That's what makes the 800m such a difficult event.

If you think the 400 is tough, try the 400 hurdles.

Or else the steeple. There is no "rig" like steeplechase rig.

1500/mile is the easiest event in track.

As an 800m runner who ran a number of events over the years, I'd rank the hardest track events as follows (I'm excluding the 800m, because as an 800m runner, i found it easy):

1. 110m hurdles (simply too high for this 5-9 mid distance runner to get over all 10 cleanly)

2. 400m hurdles

3. 3000m Steeplechase

4. 10k

5. 1500m

6. 400m

7. 100m

8. 200m

123 5 wrote:

800 m and steeplechase.

Agree.

Run them all except steeple.

800m properly run was the hardest, the way deep sea diving without scuba is more than swimming longer distances. Lack of oxygen the last part makes it last so long.

This assumes no PEDs, no cheater shoes, and very fast 1st 400m.

As to the steeple, I take it on word from very good steeplechasers that if the race pace breaks you, it really breaks you.

800m, steeple, and 400 hurdles imo

I’ve always heard it’s been 800m and 400m hurdles.

Thing with the 800 is that it’s mentally exhausting too. You never know when everybody else is gonna make their move. You need to make split second decisions, do I cover it or do I bide my time? You could get boxed in etc. pushing and shoving while you’re blasting like 4 secs off your best 400m for the first lap.

400m hurdle is prob like a 400m but even harder. That sucks but you basically just learn how to blast it and keep the legs working the last 120m. Not much else to it.

110m hurdles Olympic final.

Everything you (and the guys either side of you)do has to be near perfect.

1) 400m hurdles

2) 800

I was a 400m guy and I say the 800m is much harder.