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{{Short description|Running race distance}}
{{For|the motorsport acceleration test|Dragstrip}}
The '''440-yard dash''', or '''quarter-mile race''', is a [[sprint (running)|sprint race]] in [[track and field]] competitions.
The '''440-yard dash''', or '''quarter-mile race''', is a [[sprint (running)|sprint race]] in [[track and field]] competitions.


In many countries, athletes previously competed in the 440&nbsp;[[yard]] dash (402.336&nbsp;m) – which corresponds to and was referred as the 'quarter-mile' (the design of which many athletic tracks in the United States were set to in the 20th century). In the 19th century it was thought of as a middle distance race.<ref name="google1">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=XCl1c2yy5ooC&pg=PA121&dq=440+yard+dash+%22sprint+race%22&hl=en&ei=T8m-TvbXNOjf0QGbiZn1BA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=440%20yard%20dash%20%22sprint%20race%22&f=false |title=Sports and games of the 18th and 19th centuries|author=Robert Crego |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |date= 2003|accessdate=November 12, 2011}}</ref>
In many countries, athletes compete in the 440&nbsp;[[yard]] dash (402.336&nbsp;m) – which corresponds to a quarter mile. Many athletic tracks are 440 yards per lap. In the 19th century it was thought of as a middle distance race.<ref name="google1">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/sportsgamesof18t0000creg |url-access=registration |quote=440 yard dash sprint race. |title=Sports and games of the 18th and 19th centuries|author=Robert Crego |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |date= 2003|access-date=November 12, 2011|page=[https://archive.org/details/sportsgamesof18t0000creg/page/121 121]}}</ref>


==History==
World-record holder [[Lon Meyers]] of Virginia who ran in the 1880s was the first runner to consistently break 50 seconds at the distance, and ran more 440s under 50 seconds than the total run by all amateur and professional athletes of his era.<ref name="google1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/LonMyers.htm |title=Lon Myers |publisher=Jewishsports.net |date= |accessdate=November 12, 2011}}</ref> In 1947, [[Herb McKenley]] of Jamaica set a world record in the event with a time of 46.3 seconds, which he lowered the following year to a new world record of 46.0 seconds.<ref>{{cite news|last=Litsky |first=Frank |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/28/sports/othersports/28mckenley.html |title=Herb McKenley, 85, Top Jamaican Runner, Is Dead |location=Jamaica |publisher=New York Times |date=November 28, 2007 |accessdate=November 12, 2011}}</ref> In 1971, [[John Smith (athlete)|John Smith]] lowered the world record to 44.5 seconds.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-05-05/sports/17294516_1_michael-johnson-s-world-drake-relays-jeff-hartwig |title=Modesto 400 field - a blast from the past? |publisher=The San Francisco Chronicle |date=May 5, 2006 |accessdate=November 12, 2011 |first=John |last=Crumpacker}}</ref>
World-record holder [[Lon Meyers]] (1858–1899) was the first person to run the 440 in under 50 seconds.<ref name="google1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/LonMyers.htm |title=Lon Myers |publisher=Jewishsports.net |access-date=November 12, 2011}}</ref> In 1947, [[Herb McKenley]] of Jamaica set a world record in the event with a time of 46.3 seconds, which he lowered the following year to a new world record of 46.0 seconds.<ref>{{cite news|last=Litsky |first=Frank |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/28/sports/othersports/28mckenley.html |title=Herb McKenley, 85, Top Jamaican Runner, Is Dead |location=Jamaica |work=New York Times |date=November 28, 2007 |access-date=November 12, 2011}}</ref> [[Adolph Plummer]] took the record under 45 seconds with a 44.9 on May 25, 1963. In 1971, [[John Smith (sprinter)|John Smith]] lowered the world record to 44.5 seconds, which remains the world record.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Modesto-400-field-a-blast-from-the-past-2519328.php |title=Modesto 400 field - a blast from the past? |publisher=The San Francisco Chronicle |date=May 5, 2006 |access-date=November 12, 2011 |first=John |last=Crumpacker}}</ref>


The 440 yard race distance used [[imperial measurement]]s, which have been replaced by metric-distance races. The [[400 Metre Dash]] is the successor to the 440 yard dash.<ref name=400M>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=4682.html 400 m Introduction]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 26 March 2010.</ref> An athlete who competes in the 400 m may still be referred to as 'quarter-miler'.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/feb/08/jermaine-gonzales-olympic-diary?newsfeed=true | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Jermaine | last=Gonzales | title=Jermaine Gonzales: life at the Racers Track club is tougher than ever | date=February 8, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/feb/08/jermaine-gonzales-olympic-diary?newsfeed=true | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Jermaine | last=Gonzales | title=Jermaine Gonzales: life at the Racers Track club is tougher than ever | date=February 8, 2012}}</ref>
The 440 yard race distance used [[imperial measurement]]s, which have been replaced by metric-distance races. The [[400 metres]] (400 meter or 400 m race) is the successor to the 440 yard dash.<ref name=400M>{{cite web|url=http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=4682.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080523213644/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid%3D4682.html |archive-date=May 23, 2008 |title=400 m Introduction |publisher=[[IAAF]] |url-status=dead }}</ref> An athlete who competes in the 400 m may still be referred to as 'quarter-miler' though this rounded, metric distance is 2 1/3 meters shorter than a full 440-yard (quarter mile) race.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/feb/08/jermaine-gonzales-olympic-diary?newsfeed=true | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Jermaine | last=Gonzales | title=Jermaine Gonzales: life at the Racers Track club is tougher than ever | date=February 8, 2012}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Men's 440 yards world record progression]]
*[[Women's 440 yards world record progression]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist|30em}}


{{Athletics events}}
{{Athletics events}}


[[Category:Events in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Events in track and field]]
[[Category:Sprint (running)]]
[[Category:Sprint running disciplines]]

Latest revision as of 23:55, 31 October 2024

For the motorsport acceleration test, see Dragstrip.

The 440-yard dash, or quarter-mile race, is a sprint race in track and field competitions.

In many countries, athletes compete in the 440 yard dash (402.336 m) – which corresponds to a quarter mile. Many athletic tracks are 440 yards per lap. In the 19th century it was thought of as a middle distance race.[1]

History

[edit]

World-record holder Lon Meyers (1858–1899) was the first person to run the 440 in under 50 seconds.[1][2] In 1947, Herb McKenley of Jamaica set a world record in the event with a time of 46.3 seconds, which he lowered the following year to a new world record of 46.0 seconds.[3] Adolph Plummer took the record under 45 seconds with a 44.9 on May 25, 1963. In 1971, John Smith lowered the world record to 44.5 seconds, which remains the world record.[4]

The 440 yard race distance used imperial measurements, which have been replaced by metric-distance races. The 400 metres (400 meter or 400 m race) is the successor to the 440 yard dash.[5] An athlete who competes in the 400 m may still be referred to as 'quarter-miler' though this rounded, metric distance is 2 1/3 meters shorter than a full 440-yard (quarter mile) race.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Robert Crego (2003). Sports and games of the 18th and 19th centuries. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 121. Retrieved November 12, 2011. 440 yard dash sprint race.
  2. ^ "Lon Myers". Jewishsports.net. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  3. ^ Litsky, Frank (November 28, 2007). "Herb McKenley, 85, Top Jamaican Runner, Is Dead". New York Times. Jamaica. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  4. ^ Crumpacker, John (May 5, 2006). "Modesto 400 field - a blast from the past?". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  5. ^ "400 m Introduction". IAAF. Archived from the original on May 23, 2008.
  6. ^ Gonzales, Jermaine (February 8, 2012). "Jermaine Gonzales: life at the Racers Track club is tougher than ever". The Guardian. London.
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