Benjamin, who won Olympic gold medals in both the 400m and the 400mH events, has explained how different both events are
Double Olympic gold medalist Rai Benjamin has opened up about the nuanced differences between the 400 meters flat race and the 400 meters hurdles, a discipline in which he has cemented his legacy.
Speaking on Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson’s NightCap Podcast, Benjamin likened the hurdles event to navigating a high-speed car through a neighborhood filled with speed bumps.
“The 400 and the 400 hurdles are two completely different races. It is a completely different rhythm,” Benjamin explained. Drawing a vivid analogy, he added, “You know when you drive a really fast car and you want to go all the time? You will be in the neighborhood, and there will be a speed bump on the road, so you cannot really go and you are kind of gunning it light to light?”
Benjamin anchored USA to the 4 X 400m relay final at the Paris Olympic games, narrowly edging out Letsile Tebogo-anchored Botswana, but he has explained candidly why it was the toughest victory of his career.
For Benjamin, the hurdles disrupt the natural flow of his race, requiring meticulous attention to rhythm and stride patterns.
“I cannot really do what I need to do because these hurdles are in my way, and I got to be on a certain pattern. If you are not on that pattern, you start stutter-stepping, and it kind of ruins the rhythm,” he noted.
The 27-year-old emphasized the importance of rhythm in both events, comparing it to the need for athletes in other sports to find their groove.
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Tebogo has admitted to the strategic gamble he made in the final of the 4 by 400m relay that counted against Botswana in the end as the USA ended up clinching the medal.
“When you played, you needed to be in a certain rhythm, and you needed those games to get in that offensive rhythm. For me, I need to be in that rhythm consistently, and sometimes, it requires me slowing down a little bit.”
However, even for an athlete of Benjamin’s caliber, the hurdles present a unique challenge. “No matter how strong you are, you still need to get over those barriers, and that is kind of the kryptonite for me,” he admitted.
In contrast, the 400m flat race offers Benjamin the freedom to push his limits without interruption. “When I run in the open 4 and the relay, I can just let it go,” he said, highlighting the straightforward nature of the flat race compared to the technical demands of hurdling.
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Hall, the new Olympic 400m champion, has explained why he is wary of the potential threat posed by Noah Lyles who is haboring ambitions of competing in the event.
Benjamin’s insights come from years of mastery in both events. The American is the second-fastest man in history in the 400m hurdles, with a personal best of 46.17 seconds.
He claimed silver in his Olympic debut in Tokyo 2021 and struck gold in Paris 2024. Beyond the hurdles, Benjamin has played a pivotal role in Team USA’s 4x400m relay dominance, anchoring the team to another dramatic Olympic gold in Paris by fending off Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo in the final stretch.
With two Olympic gold medals and a string of World Championship accolades, Benjamin’s ability to excel in both the 400m and 400m hurdles is a testament to his versatility and discipline.
His reflections on the contrasting demands of these races offer a glimpse into the mind of one of track and field’s most accomplished athletes.
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Lyles openly expressed a desire to be part of Team USA’s 4 by 400m side for the Paris Olympics but was unable to take part, but Hall has explained why the reigning 100m Olympic champion deserves a sport in the team for the future.
