Elite coaching special - Clyde Hart coach to Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner

The greatest 400m coach of all time? Clyde Hart

Clyde Hart can stake a claim to being the greatest 400m coach of all time.

He has guided Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner to the top but there is far more to the man than that. He has worked with a 3min 50sec miler and 1min 44sec 800m runner. On top of that the man from Baylor is always fun to listen to.

So we found out what he had to say about training and preparation when he visited the UK.

Introducing the system
Clyde told us about the set up in Texas. He said: "I have been coaching for 40 years and have always admired the British system. A lot of what I have done in coaching I have stolen from the British and the best coaches around the world. With any good coach if they have not stolen from the best men in the business then they are a fool.

"This is what not only Michael Johnson did for 15 years but what the kids will be doing in Waco, Texas, today and what was done before Michael Johnson got on the programme. He didn't influence us to change the programme. I learned a lot from Michael - I have stolen from coaches and gained from every one of the athletes I have had.

"A lot has been added to the programme that is there due to the problems Michael Johnson and the others were having.

"Our system is different to that in the UK but you should never criticise until you have walked a mile in another man's boots.”

Clyde believes the 400m is a good event to focus on when building a team: "When I first came to the university I coached all the running events. I thought, 'you have got to have quarter milers as they can move up or down'.

"Our relay squad would often be two quarter milers and the others may be hurdlers or half milers.”

"I have had sub-four minute milers - I have coached Todd Harbour- a 3min 50.34sec miler. But the quarter mile has always remained the focal point of our track programme.”

Hitting top form at the right time is a key part of Clyde’s programme: "If you look at where my kids have run their best times most of them have been run at the big championship meets.”



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