400m and 300m times by age
The one-lap sprint is the toughest event on the track. Here are the official Scottish and English Schools standards for every age group, plus how to pace the race and how to train for it.
See the standards Book a session Written by Allan Smith, head coach at Edinburgh Sprint Coach: 4× British Champion, GB International and UKA Level 3 coach.The short answer
Most U16s race 300m rather than 400m. In Scotland, the 2026 ranking-list standard is 39.00s for U16 boys and 42.50s for U16 girls. Over 400m it's 51.99s for U18 men and 58.99s for U18 women. In the English Schools tables, county standard is 53.5s for Years 10–11 boys and 62.0s for Years 12–13 girls.
300m and 400m standards for boys and girls
Choose boys or girls. The Scotland table uses the new club age groups. The English Schools tables use school years: younger groups race 300m, older groups 400m.
Boys — 300m & 400m: Scotland
Seconds| Age group | Scottish ranking list |
|---|---|
| U16300m | 39.00 |
| U16400m | 55.00 |
| U18400m | 51.99 |
| U20400m | 50.39 |
Source: Scottish Athletics statisticians (SATS) ranking-list standards for 2026 (scotstats.net). This is the mark needed to appear in the Scottish ranking lists for the year.
Boys — 300m: English Schools standards
Seconds| Group | School | District | County | Entry | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JuniorYears 8–9 · U15 | 45.0 | 42.0 | 40.0 | 38.0 | 36.8 |
Source: English Schools' Athletic Association standards, 2026 (esaa.org.uk). Times in seconds, distances in metres.
Boys — 400m: English Schools standards
Seconds| Group | School | District | County | Entry | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IntermediateYears 10–11 · U17 | 59.0 | 55.5 | 53.5 | 51.1 | 49.7 |
| SeniorYears 12–13 · U19 | — | 55.5 | 53.0 | 49.7 | 48.8 |
Source: English Schools' Athletic Association standards, 2026 (esaa.org.uk). Times in seconds, distances in metres.
Girls — 300m & 400m: Scotland
Seconds| Age group | Scottish ranking list |
|---|---|
| U16300m | 42.50 |
| U18400m | 58.99 |
| U20400m | 57.99 |
Source: Scottish Athletics statisticians (SATS) ranking-list standards for 2026 (scotstats.net). This is the mark needed to appear in the Scottish ranking lists for the year.
Girls — 300m: English Schools standards
Seconds| Group | School | District | County | Entry | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JuniorYears 8–9 · U15 | 48.0 | 46.0 | 44.2 | 42.0 | 41.0 |
| IntermediateYears 10–11 · U17 | 47.5 | 45.5 | 43.5 | 41.0 | 39.8 |
Source: English Schools' Athletic Association standards, 2026 (esaa.org.uk). Times in seconds, distances in metres.
Girls — 400m: English Schools standards
Seconds| Group | School | District | County | Entry | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SeniorYears 12–13 · U19 | — | 65.0 | 62.0 | 58.3 | 57.0 |
Source: English Schools' Athletic Association standards, 2026 (esaa.org.uk). Times in seconds, distances in metres.
Who runs 300m and who runs 400m?
The long sprint grows with the athlete. Under UK rules, U14s can't race 300m or 400m at all.
Scottish age groups for the 2026–27 competition year (1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027), based on age at 31 December. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, under-10 to under-18 age groups are set by age on 31 August instead. Source: Scottish Athletics.
No 300m or 400m
U14s race 100m and 200m. The longest sprint hurdles race for U14s is the 200m hurdles.
300m
The main long sprint for U16s. Some competitions also put on a 400m for U16s.
400m
The full one-lap race, plus the 400m hurdles. See our hurdles guide for heights and spacings.
Why pacing decides the 400m
Nobody runs the 400m at full speed all the way. Everyone slows down in the second half. The best 400m runners slow down the least, and that comes from how they distribute their effort.
A useful check is the gap between your first and second 200m. For experienced, well-paced runners, the second half is typically one to three seconds slower than the first. A much bigger gap usually means you went out too hard. A tiny gap usually means you held back and left time on the track.
The 400m relies heavily on your body's fast, anaerobic energy systems, and they can only work flat out for a short time. That's where the famous "burning legs" in the home straight come from. Training raises how fast you can run and how long you can hold your speed before it fades.
Coach's tip: get your splits taken in races. A friend with a phone at the 200m mark tells you more about your pacing than any amount of guessing.
A simple four-part race plan
0–100m: attack
A strong block start and a fast first bend. Get up to speed quickly and efficiently.
100–200m: float
Relax down the back straight. Hold the speed with as little effort as possible: loose shoulders, smooth rhythm.
200–300m: maintain
Keep the rhythm going round the second bend. This is where races are lost by switching off.
300–400m: hold your form
Stay tall, drive the arms and keep your knees coming through. Fight to keep your technique rather than trying to sprint harder.
Running 300m? The same idea applies with less float: a fast bend, a relaxed back straight, then hold your form round the last bend and up the straight.
How to train for the 400m
400m runners need speed first, then the ability to hold it. A good programme trains five things.
Speed
Short, fast sprints with full recovery. A faster 200m runner has more speed to spend.
Speed endurance
Repeated runs of roughly 150–300m at high speed, with long recoveries, so you can hold your speed for longer.
Race-specific work
Runs at or close to race pace, which teach you what the last 100m feels like. Used sparingly because they're very demanding.
Aerobic base
Tempo runs and circuits, mostly in winter. They help you recover between reps and between rounds.
Strength
Gym work and jumps for power, and to keep the body robust under heavy training.
A sample competition-season week
- MonSpeedAccelerations and flying sprints
- TueStrengthGym and jumps
- WedSpeed endurancee.g. 3 × 200m fast, long rests
- ThuRecoveryEasy tempo or rest
- FriRestFresh for racing
- SatRaceOr race-pace work
- SunRestRecover
Common mistakes
- Going out too hard and running out of speed with 100m to go.
- Only doing long reps, so you get fitter but never faster.
- Too many race-pace sessions, which leave you tired for actual races.
- Technique collapsing in the home straight: leaning back, short steps, shoulders up.
400m rules in brief
In lanes all the way
The 300m and 400m are run in lanes from start to finish, with staggered starts so every lane covers the same distance.
Blocks and false starts
Races up to 400m start from blocks. U18 and older athletes are disqualified for their first false start; U16s are warned once first.
Lane draws
In heats, lanes are drawn at random. In later rounds the fastest qualifiers are usually drawn into the middle lanes.
400m coaching in Edinburgh
We coach young athletes, club athletes and adults at Meadowbank Sports Centre, which has an eight-lane outdoor track and a six-lane 60m indoor track with a jumps area for the winter. We help long sprinters with speed, pacing and race plans as well as technique.
Your first session includes a full technique assessment.
Sprint Analysis: slow-motion video, timed splits and a written plan for £60.
More athletics guides
400m and 300m: common questions
What is a good 400m time for a 16-year-old?
In the English Schools tables for Years 10–11 boys, county standard is 53.5s and the national championships entry standard is 51.1s. In Scotland, the 2026 ranking-list standard for U18 men is 51.99s and for U18 women 58.99s.
What is a good 300m time for an under-16?
In Scotland, the 2026 ranking-list standard for U16s is 39.00s for boys and 42.50s for girls. In the English Schools tables, the entry standard is 38.0s for Years 8–9 boys and 41.0s for Years 10–11 girls.
Can under-14s run the 400m?
No. Under UK rules, U14 athletes can't race 300m or 400m. U16s usually race 300m, and U18s and older race 400m.
How should I pace a 400m?
Run a fast but controlled first 100m, relax down the back straight, keep your rhythm on the second bend and fight to hold your form in the home straight. For experienced runners, the second 200m is typically one to three seconds slower than the first.
Why does the 400m hurt so much?
It relies heavily on the body's fast anaerobic energy systems, which can only work flat out for a short time. The burning legs in the final 100m come from the by-products of that hard work.
Is the 400m a sprint or an endurance event?
It's a sprint. The fastest 400m runners are usually fast 200m runners who have trained to hold their speed for longer.
How often should I race 400m?
The 400m is very demanding, so most athletes race it far less often than the 100m or 200m and use shorter races to keep sharp in between.
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