What makes unified 400 meter dash different from the typical 400 meter event?
What is the unified 400 meter dash event in track and field?
In the unified 400 meter dash, the athlete and partner compete as a team by combining and averaging their fastest time around a full lap of the track.
As opposed to long jump and turbo javelin, both the athlete and partner will only have 1 attempt to achieve their fastest time.
Athletes and partners are encouraged to stay in their lanes for the entire race.
A maximum of 8 people are allowed to run on the track per race with the option to use starting blocks. Participants do not have to use starting blocks in order to complete the race.
Due to the scoring system athletes run in their own heat, and partners run in their own heat. If support is needed, exceptions may be made upon decision of the meet manager.
Key details and information
How does scoring work?
The scoring system used in the unified 400 meter dash alongside the unified long jump and turbo javelin events follows the Alberta Athletics Under 14 Combined Event Scoring System. To learn more, Click Me!
Under the 400 meter dash section in the document, points will be awarded to the team's average time, calculated by combining the athlete’s and partner’s fastest time.
To determine the average of the team, both the athlete and partner will have 1 attempt to achieve their fastest time to complete the race.
Follow this formula to accurately achieve a proper average:
(Time of athlete + Time of partner)/2 = average score of the team.
