The
400 metres, or
400 metre dash, is a common
sprinting event in
track and field competitions. It has been featured in the
athletics programme at the
Summer Olympics since 1896 (1964 for women). On a standard outdoor
running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and race in separate lanes for the entire course. In many countries, athletes previously competed in the
440 yard dash (402.336 m)—which is the length of a quarter of a
mile and was referred to as the 'quarter-mile'—instead of the 400 m (437.445 yards), though this distance is now obsolete. An athlete who competes in the 400 m may still be referred to as 'quarter-miler'; the distance or event might still be called the "quarter."