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I have heard that the 400 is the hardest track event and I have heard that the 800 is the hardest. Some of my distance friends say that the 1500 is harder than all.

I've never raced anything over 200 and that seemed far enough.

What do you consider the hardest track event?

A lot of people say the 400m. I've run everything from the 50m to the 800m, and a few easy 5k's for fun.

Steven McChesney (he's my son's track coach and a personal friend) is of the opinion that every race from the 400m up is the "toughest" - because you're always performing at the edge of your ability. I can't dispute that. I've suffered equally in the 400m, 600m and 800m.

I nominate the 400 meter hurdles. No, I've never run it. And I don't think I want to, either.

2K or 3K steeplechase: combo of distance, speed, MANY hurdles and water.

I would say the 400 meters would be the hardest event that I have run (I have run most events)
You try to run it as a full out sprint and that last 100 meters when everything tightens up has to be the hardest. At least for me anyway

I think I'll vote for the 800. The 400 is tough but it's over in less than a minute. Most people can tolerate torture for a minute. The 800, however, goes on for at least a couple of minutes (unless you're really good) and is especially bad on hot, dry days. Now that I think of it, the 1500 is rather painful too. McChesney might be right on afterall

Most technically difficult - Pole Vault
Most painful - 400m hurdles

Gosh, BMO, wish my 400's were over in a minute~.

In my age group that would be a world record and then some. I vote for the 400 being "scariest" and... for me.... definitely the hardest.

I vote for the 400m also as the ugliest event. Notice how easy it is to find people at the last minute to run a 4x100 relay. Now come back and ask those same "volunteers" to run on your 4x400 relay. All of a sudden there is a language barrier - je ne parle pas anglais......no comprende.....etc....

linda

It's personal... I personally find 400 hardest and 800 and 400 hurdles much easier, but there are enough athletes who have diferent opinions.
But th really hardest will be the one hour run - I never tried it.

I ran my first and only competitive 400 of the season yesterday evening. 400 is hardest - no contest!

My view has always been that the event is a middle distance event. My proof? Well, they run it over two laps indoors, don't they?

Being a 100/200 sprinter, I realise I have a very short attention span. At 100 in a 400, I find myself thinking "Oh God, not another three of those!". At 200, I subconsciously find I'm ready to stop and shake hands with my fellow competitors. At 250 the body says "GO!". At 300, the body says "OK, gone!". Where do the meet organisers get those pockets of extra strong gravity that they line the finish straight with?

Some of my great memories as a younger athlete are of storming through over the last 50 in a 400. As a Master, I think I'd have to conclude that "storming" is one of the first things to go.

A sequel to the above post, by way of proving my point. Which point, I'm not quite sure - may have been the one about heavy gravity, as the sequel was staged on the same track.

Next day, feeling like I needed a fast 200, I had the chance of a non-scoring appearance at our local league. I actually felt ok warming up. It was very windy, and I realised I wasn't going to get the fast time. But I wasn't expecting to run my slowest 200 for two years! I developed legs like lead about 60 metres from the finish as the previous evening's 400 took its revenge on me!

Have always heard and considered the 400 hurdles, 800, and steeple to be the hardest track events. Personally, I've run the 800 and steeple. I'm scared to ever run the 400 hurdles so would go with that being the toughest, then the 800, then the steeple (my favorite event).

I orginally said it was 400, but perhaps the 400 hurdles would merit consideration, Because I tried to do it a few years ago at 42 and I just couldn't clear the hurdles anymore, the other events, even if I run them mediocre, at least I can get across the finish