Why is my 400m so slow?

You’re likely more of a long-distance runner - based on the fact that your 1600m and 3200m times are roughly equivalent (per IAAF) but your 400 (and presumably 800) times are worse. Unless you’re still really young (freshman/soph), I wouldn’t worry too much about 400m or 800m - top distance runners don’t necessarily have fast 400m times, but they have the strength that lets them close their 5ks at or close to their 400m PRs. For example, there was a guy in my high school who struggled to break 56 in a relay but ran a 4:15 mile/15:00 5k (granted that’s a bit of an extreme case but still).

I’d focus on gradually improving your endurance and strength via whatever your workout plan is (mileage, VO2, threshold etc) and then just add 3-5min of strides at the end of every easy run where you focus on turnover and efficiency. You can always add some 200m’s at the end of workouts too if you want to get more comfortable going all out.

With the 200m at the end of workout thing, I can’t really add that since I’m still in school team and I know my coach wouldn’t give a damn about me telling I need to improve “speed” 😂 and as for strides we really don’t do them so ima start doing them in the weekends when I don’t have practice with the team

Anyone else wanna give some thoughts?

Well I often run 17-17:15 5k and my 400 repeats are even worse at around 80 seconds. Perhaps gym is needed as I am very skinny.

Strides are good.

Rolling accelerations - start off slow and accelerate, then gradually let off the gas. I wouldn't try to hit "top" speed but maybe 95%. You want to gently get into the habit of running fast. As you familiarize your body with running near top speed, think about relaxing your body.

Later, do the rolling accelerations, starting at the top of the curve, try to maintain your fastest speed through the start/finish line and walk/jog back to the top of the curve. Keep in mind that you are trying to run fast, so you should be doing full recoveries after each sprint or acceleration.

Try that for a month and you should be off to a good start.

Later, maybe do similar type 200m accelerations and walk/jog across the infield.

Finally, when you run a 400m race, give it all you've got in the first 250m then try to relax your body as much as you can and try not to tie up too much in the last 200m.

Correction: "and try not to tie up too much in the last 100m."

Gonna bump this again

O.P., you are omitting an important event. Which Olympic event do you believe is most strongly correlated with 400m? If you guessed 200m, you are correct.

Give us a 200m TT at your convenience.

I’ve never done a 200m TT/race but I’ve run 27.x during workouts last season when I ran the 58.x, I think I could probably go sub 27 in a fresh all out 200m

You'll get faster as you get stronger. I wouldn't worry too much about 400 speed. Many distance runners go their whole career not knowing what their 400 PR is. You're not going to drop your PR without specific training which will be hard to do while doing mileage. I'd maybe suggest hitting the weight room and just getting stronger.

Bump

Do sprinter workouts twice a week.

Gym, jumps, max effort 30-60m runs

What do you mean by jumps?

Plyometric jumps.

On one leg, standing long jump, triple jump, jumping on stairs, boxes, hurdles and so on.

Your future is likely in longer distance but the position you are in currently I suggest you do more work at 5 pace, 1’ 320 / 1’ rest up to 20-30 reps, test 400 again after you’ve piled up ~200 reps over 2-3 week Try to complete the reps on flat dirt or grass, these will feel more like long strides, extended warmup not an exhausting session

Mileage will stay the same but overall training pace comes down. Training g time, HR > 140 goes up

Can you please elaborate on

“5 pace, 1’ 320 / 1’ rest up to 20-30 reps, test 400 again after you’ve piled up ~200 reps over 2-3 week”

i don’t understand what you mean by 1’ 320/1’

thanks!

Bump