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440-yard dash

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

In many countries, athletes previously competed in the 440 yard dash (402.336 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.[1]

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.[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] In 1971, John Smith lowered the world record to 44.5 seconds.[4]

The 440 yard race distance used imperial measurements, which have been replaced by metric-distance races. The 400 Metre Dash 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'.[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Robert Crego (2003). Sports and games of the 18th and 19th centuries. Greenwood Publishing Group. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  2. ^ "Lon Myers". Jewishsports.net. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  3. ^ Litsky, Frank (November 28, 2007). "Herb McKenley, 85, Top Jamaican Runner, Is Dead". Jamaica: New York Times. 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. Retrieved on 26 March 2010.
  6. ^ Gonzales, Jermaine (February 8, 2012). "Jermaine Gonzales: life at the Racers Track club is tougher than ever". The Guardian. London.
  7. ^ Gonzales, Jermaine (February 8, 2012). "Jermaine Gonzales: life at the Racers Track club is tougher than ever". The Guardian. London.
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