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I'm wondering what people think is the most difficult (i.e. painful, stressful) running event. Is it the short and hard races or the long and slow(er) races?
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In the (19)50s, I was a 100, 220, 440, LJ guy but, on occassion was called on to run, in competition, 880, Mile and 3 Mile.
As a master runner, I have run 5 Ks and 10 Ks and hated every step of the last half of those races because I go out too fast.
But, when I was running for real, the worst experience of my life was the last 220 of the 880. Possibly because I was trying to run well, whereas, in the longer races I knew I was out of my range and was content to just run so the blood only came half way up my eyeballs. -
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Many people feel the 400h is the most difficult.The fool has said...there is no God. Psa 14Comment
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I Smack Bang Boom am one of those persons!!Many people feel the 400h is the most difficult.Comment
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As am I. And I've actually contested every event except the Hammer (which I'm guessing isn't as hard as the second worst, the Steeplechase). The Marathon doesn't count, of course, because it is only contested by drain-bamaged people!Originally posted by PelpaComment
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I am sure the 400H could be difficult, but for me the Steeplechase was sooooo painful. Ran it once and felt great through about 4 to 5 laps and then felt like that last 100 of a 400 for 2 and a half laps. Hurdling with no gas in the tank is tough! Trying to maintain any kind of rhythm with all those barriers is very difficult.Comment
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my vote goes to the 800, even though I had 2 brothers who 'specialized' in it. I'm with lonewolf in that the last 200 made my neck and jaw hurt, not to mention hams quads calves.Comment
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400m, 800m, 400m/h can turn in nightmarish agony if you don't correctly control your effort...
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Typical sprinters, there is nothing hard about any event under 800. The 800 isn't even that hard. All of these events once pain sets in your 2-5 steps from the finish, not much agony in that. Try running the last mile of the 5k with a side splitting stich.
As for Track races the 5k is the worst. Not only is it endurance but there is usually a number of speed changes throughout the race, which only get quicker as it progress.Comment
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I think the 400y and 3000st are the worst, although I've run neither. But I can imagine trying to hurdle when your legs are mush.
John Walker, however, once called the 2000 the "son of a bitch" of all races. A 3:54 mile (for him) and another lap under 60.Comment
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Correction: I meant to type the "400H".Comment
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If you think the pain was only in the last 2-5 strides, you just didn't run those races right.Originally posted by Jnathletics
In the 400H, the first 300m is fast, fun and easy. Then the descent into Hell's lower circles begins. At the 8th hurdle (which apparently has been mis-set at 42"), you begin to doubt the necessity of your birth. At the 9th hurdle (how did they get it to go up to 48"??!!), you are cursing your parents ever meeting. At the 10th hurdle - equivalent to the SEALS obstacle course's 10-foot wall (with quicksand in front of it) - you wish a sniper in the Press Box would just pick you off NOW. The run-in to the finish is approximately 26.2 miles long, with barbed wire in the way and gale force winds in your face. The actual finish line is on wheels, and they quickly tow it away from you as you near it. With two steps to go, it is moving away from you faster that you are approaching it. When (IF!) you cross the line, you are immediately given an IV injection of liquid fire and the air is instantly transformed into a cloud of sulphric acid. If you won or ran a PR, all of this immediately becomes a chorus of angels, who lift you into the heavens for some nectar and ambrosia. If you lost and ran a stinky time, your coach gives you shiv under the ribs and your teammates deny your existence.
At least that's the way I remember it.Comment
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ive have been completely bankrupt in a 880 with 200 to go, not fun, fighting for every second, knowing im slowing and my hope for a P.R. is evaporating, BUT the pain was short lived.
Ive run a marathon and was completely bankrupt with 8 miles to go...Bataan Death March.....phsstt!Comment
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Every other event almost all athletes can finish and finish in a 'reasonable' amount of time. That is not true for the marathon (or the 50K walk). Take a good athlete that should be able to run there event in, say 75% of the WR performance. 100: 9.58 -> 12, etc. But a good runner is going to have a hard time running 2:32 (or 2:45 for women) in the marathon; they will have trouble hitting the 3:00 mark, as was demonstrated when Armstrong had to work pretty hard to hit 3:00 and a number of top athletes, even from track distance runners like Holman did not run very fast marathons.
The three 'technical' track events -- 100/110h, 400h, and 3000SC are a bit of a special case, but really only the higher hurdles -- 110h -- present a full technique challenge in the 20% world.
If you are running as hard as you can, the last part of a 400 and especially of a 800 hurt. But if you have been running as hard as you can, the last 5k of a marathon can be more than brutal, reducing you to a very slow finish.Comment
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I wanted to see what a few of you thought before I ventured my take...but I've run everything from 800m to the marathon and, by far, the marathon is the most painful.I was barely hanging on over the final 6-7 miles and could easily apply Marlow's humorous description of his 400H agony except my pain lasted for an hour, not 10 seconds!Comment
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