Average person’s 400m genetic potential?

Lol these are the sorts of times you see in the Paralympics. These would probably be the genetic potentials of disabled people (eg people with genetic disorders, cerebal palsy, multiple sclerosis, etc).

Able bodied people have the potential to go quite a bit faster than this.

50 for males, 60 for females I’d say would be average if everybody trained like a sprinter for a few years.

Rez wrote:

Able bodied people have the potential to go quite a bit faster than this.

50 for males, 60 for females I’d say would be average if everybody trained like a sprinter for a few years.

You're a moran and this topic has been beat to death.

Thread reported.

Dizzy Dez wrote:

Let me explain why I have come to this conclusion reguarding times. 400M time is largely dependant on 100M time. I think the average male could be sprint trained to a 13.0 100m if appropriately speed trained and would hit about a 1:00 400M if appropriately endurance trained once developing the speed. The same would be true for women at around 15.0/1:10.

Currently, the average male untrained but in their prime (20 y/o) runs a 100M 15.0 and the average female untrained runs 18.5 - this can only be trained a limited amount (by about 2-3 seconds at best). The average person is 50/50 fast twitch/slow twitch.

I think you're probably being optimistic in what you think an average untrained but in their prime 20 year old can run. It depends on whether these are sporty types or not too. Even with training a lot of people wouldn't be able to run that fast in my opinion.

You will get the usual responses about how 13 seconds is slow, which it is if you're talking about track runners or elite level participants, but for the general population it's bordering on fast.

It's like anything, even with all the training/hours in the world, some people just don't have the ability. In education you could give a kid the best teacher in the world and excessive hours and learning, but it still doesn't mean they will understand what is being taught if they don't have the brain.

So since you mentioned 'average' i'm not sure I agree that the average male could run a 13 sec 100m and 60 sec 400m even if trained. A lot could but just not sure on the average person being able to do it. You could be right though, it's all opinions on this one as there is no way of proving it.

Average males can’t run anywhere near 50 seconds. The star of Vermont had 332 boys run the 400 this year and none broke 50. These guys are in the prime of their life and they are track guys, not the average population. The average 18 year old with training would run 70 seconds.

It varies and it varies a lot. 65-70 seconds trained seems about right for most people. You will get a few unlucky ones (mainly women who aren’t built one bit for running or people with naturally weak metabolic systems) who would max out their potential between 80-95 seconds.

It takes a bit of talent (not loadsof talent but still a smidge) to run 60s. Sub 50 is for the serious genetic freaks, I bet there are even a handful of pro footballers out there who can’t break 50 (granted, they’ll be quite close running low 50s though).

Crossfit considers anywhere between 60 and 90 seconds to be in decent condition for most people and is probably quite accurate. Obviously you will get a few beasts who break 60 without much effort bit on the other gand you’ll get people who train pretty hard and efficiently for quite some time who have trouble getting much under 90. You’ll get some people with the potential to go umder 60 but will be pleased enough with 70 so don’t blther to persue it anymore It’s all relative and depends on what youre born with and how you use it.

It's a funny question, what is genetic potential. Very few people talented people who train hard in their prime ever break 50sec--maybe 0.1% of males have the potential by this metric--but it may be that if a lot of people could if Salazar started training them at a young age and dedicated 10 years to it like he did Rupp. Certainly with normal HS training, the average male's potential is probably closer to 60s than 50s but who can say what it would be with unlimited resources.

One thing people seem to forget about in these genetic potential threads, is that "genetic potential" is more than just muscle fibers, and VO2 max. There's no reason to think that all of the mental factors that go into running (e.g. inclination to pursue lofty goals, discipline to carry out a hard training program year after year, ability to push oneself through the suffering) aren't just as genetic as the purely physical traits.

Actual LOL

If you think sub 50 is attainable by anyone but at least 0.01% regardless of sprint training you're highly mistaken.

There are no average people, only average LR threads.

Try harder.

If everyone in the world trained for the 400, the average time for a man would likely be 56-58 seconds and the average time for a woman would likely be a 63-65. This is assuming that everyone trained specifically for the 400 and reached their potential.

The average person probably has the "genetic potential" to write at a fifth grade level. Yet, as the Let's Run message boards demonstrate daily, most of the posters haven't achieved such a standard, despite ample resources, including free schooling being available. I seriously doubt if 10% of the population would ever be able to run under 75 seconds for 400 meters, even with access to the best trainers and facilities in the world.

Youre spot on. I ran a 47.4 PR in college at arkansas. When i was in highschool I ran a 49 which won state and in nationals i think 4 people broke 50. Thats out of thousands. Id say 0.01% of the trained can run sub 50.

Believe it or not 400 and 800 are more similiar than 100 and 400. Sprinters could get up in the 200 lb range but to be a good 400 runner you had to be decently tall and light....most guys were 6-6'3 160 - 170 lb.

I started running in september and was googling average 400m times because I tested myself on an oval track. How does 82 seconds sound for an untrained beginner? I’m 38, male, average weight but not played sport since high school. How long should it take me to get down to about 60 or 65 seconds?

The majority of humans have no athletic ability. Males .01% sub 50. 10% sub 60. 50% sub 75. 75% sub 90.

Most are uncoordinated wrote:

The majority of humans have no athletic ability. Males .01% sub 50. 10% sub 60. 50% sub 75. 75% sub 90.

I don’t think that’s necessarily true. The majority of humans do have the potential to sprint but they never develop it properly. Personally, I think that sprinters all have one thing in common- they were developed as children. Most did a lot of sport like soccer which involves sprints and pushes your strength (name one kid who plays sport who doenst want to be the fastest), running and jumping off things. If you do this while you are a child and your body is still shaping itself, growing and developing you will reap lifelong benefits that you cannot obtain during adulthood once your growth hormones have settled.. Anaerobic power is different than aerobic power and it peaks at a young age and then declines repidly even for some who keep fit. If you want to be a good sprinter, push yourself while you are young. There’s no other time really. Anyway in relation to the original question I would say if active from childhood then I wager men have 0:50-0:58 potential and women 0:57-1:10 potential. For people with average speed starting out late (age 20+) I would say you can add ten seconds onto those potentials.

Maybe back in the caveman days but not now. And why would we need to sprint in the 21st century? ? We don't have to chase our prey down for meals anymore. We just drive to the grocery store or fast food joint.

This is a totally weird thread.

Rez wrote:

Lol these are the sorts of times you see in the Paralympics. These would probably be the genetic potentials of disabled people (eg people with genetic disorders, cerebal palsy, multiple sclerosis, etc).

You sick fukking prick

Dizzy Dez wrote:

I truly believe that only about 1% of people have the talent to run a very fast 400 (sub 50 for men/sub 55 for women). Maybe about 5% of people can get sub 52/sub 60) but as for everybody else...

I trained for distance exclusively and ran a 50s 400m my senior of HS my second time trying it. I am sure I have some talent, but there is no way for a second I would believe I'm the '1%'. My mom signed me up for XC way back when because I played too many video games, and I was super mediocre till I worked hard, and became okay at best.

No way I was the "1%".