How should each 200m of a 600m be split?

28 :56 :1:24

Even splits. If you go out in 28/56, you will probably finish in 1:25. In an 800, the rule of thumb is a two second positive split (If you are a 1:58 runner, then you would split :58 on the first lap and :60 on the second lap. Hopefully you are in a race with comparable athletes and will have someone close with you to push the third 200.

Positive splits. If you even split, you've left some on the table. Think about a 400m, no one ever runs their best 400m on an even or negative split. Same thing with an 800, slight positive splits are ideal. Why would the 600 be any different? Expect to go out a little outside your comfort zone and be prepared to go screaming down the pain tube the final 150. The more endurance-oriented you are, the closer to even splitting you'll be, but total even splits are never ideal.

Mr. Semenya style.

25.6-56.17 (53.6,28.17)

Makes sense, I'm an XC guy so that will definitely put me closer to even. I agree, I want to try and go out 54-56 and that last lap will likely be me just holding on for dear life pushing my arms as hard as possible. Thanks FartKing69

Balls to the wall. Anything less and you might as well not show up. See Wesley Vasquez for advice. 3x 800m Olympian

FartKing69 wrote:

Positive splits. If you even split, you've left some on the table. Think about a 400m, no one ever runs their best 400m on an even or negative split. Same thing with an 800, slight positive splits are ideal. Why would the 600 be any different? Expect to go out a little outside your comfort zone and be prepared to go screaming down the pain tube the final 150. The more endurance-oriented you are, the closer to even splitting you'll be, but total even splits are never ideal.

Epic name

the_guy_yea wrote:

Makes sense, I'm an XC guy so that will definitely put me closer to even. I agree, I want to try and go out 54-56 and that last lap will likely be me just holding on for dear life pushing my arms as hard as possible. Thanks FartKing69

Definitely go out hard. It's super early in the indoor season, so literally nothing to lose except maybe the short-lived embarrassment of a blow up that no one will remember by next week. But you might just surprise yourself and have a breakout performance. 600m is my favorite race. You can really go out blazing fast, but, worst case scenario is you hobble in the last 150–200m and it's over. Unlike the 800, where a too hot first quarter can you leave you gassed with a full 400m to go.

You'll want to use your explosiveness early while you can still use it, but this is really just the first several seconds or 10 seconds, then settle in. Because you used that explosiveness early your first 200 will be the fastest one, but hopefully your second 200 is the same speed as the second part of your first 200. Then the last 200 you should be barely holding on to keep that speed.

So summary, get out fast and settle in after 100 meters, as a result your first 200 is slightly quick but then you're in the rhythm and that rhythm should be as hard as you can run for that last 500 meters.

Go out fast and hold on.

Each 200 will be slower than the previous.

That's how it works for the 400 and the 800, so it makes sense for the 600.

I have kept a stop watch on over one hundred 600 meter races. A 1:25 would usually go something like 26.5, 28.5, 30.5.

Each lap slows somewhere around 2 seconds.

What I often see is that guys come around the first 400 at just about 3 seconds slower than their 400 PR.

Good luck. This is probably my favorite race to watch at an indoor track meet.

I have kept a stop watch on over one hundred 600 meter races. A 1:25 would usually go something like 26.5, 28.5, 30.5.

Each lap slows somewhere around 2 seconds.

What I often see is that guys come around the first 400 at just about 3 seconds slower than their 400 PR.

Good luck. This is probably my favorite race to watch at an indoor track meet.

I have kept a stop watch on over one hundred 600 meter races. A 1:25 would usually go something like 26.5, 28.5, 30.5.

Each lap slows somewhere around 2 seconds.

What I often see is that guys come around the first 400 at just about 3 seconds slower than their 400 PR.

Good luck. This is probably my favorite race to watch at an indoor track meet.

I have kept a stop watch on over one hundred 600 meter races. A 1:25 would usually go something like 26.5, 28.5, 30.5.

Each lap slows somewhere around 2 seconds.

What I often see is that guys come around the first 400 at just about 3 seconds slower than their 400 PR.

Good luck. This is probably my favorite race to watch at an indoor track meet.

mods. please delete three of those posts!

there's a glitch in the matrix.

I was never that great at 600s, but my best ones I treated like an extended 400 rather than a short 800, if that makes sense.

There are only two events, for which some deacceleration is required and one should embrace deacceleration, 100m & 200m. For 400m/400mH/800m, athletes and coaches have assumed deacceleration is necessary in order to achieve optimum results. Not true. We have seen 800m athletes D.N.F. 800m races due to going out 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 seconds over 400m personal best. Johnny Gray, a man who was willing to split first 400m in 48.xx, 49.xx and 50.xx, set his 800m personal best in a negative split race, 51.xx first 400m. Female world record, 800m is negative split I believe. Doesn't Athing Mu race close to even splits? James Robinson, USA raced 800m close to even splits or slightly negative splits. The last time I recall Sebastian Coe racing sub-50 first 400m in an important 800m race was 1978 European Championships. Cannot tell me it is efficient for many elite 400m athletes to finish last 100m, slower than 11.5. As with longer races, ideal splits for 600m are even splits but most do not have a feel for the event.

Wayde Van Neikerk ran like 12.0 for his final 100m at the games.

I wonder sometime about reading comprehension on this site. I know. There was nothing about 2016 Summer Olympics, men 400m final that contradicts what I stated. He split in low 10.xx from 100m to 200m. Inefficient. If Neikerk would have split 100m to 200m slower, Neikerk likely would not have raced with a piano on his back, final 100m.

positive splits are never necessary wrote:

FartKing69 wrote:

Wayde Van Neikerk ran like 12.0 for his final 100m at the games.

I wonder sometime about reading comprehension on this site. I know. There was nothing about 2016 Summer Olympics, men 400m final that contradicts what I stated. He split in low 10.xx from 100m to 200m. Inefficient. If Neikerk would have split 100m to 200m slower, Neikerk likely would not have raced with a piano on his back, final 100m.

Rudisha almost always positive split.