Ernie Clark, Bob Thurnhoffer, and Jason Wakenight: Training for the 400 meters

This episode brings together three coaches with documented success coaching the 400 meters and 4×400 m relay within the NCAA system.

Ernie Clark, the Head Coach for sprints, hurdles, and jumps at Northern Arizona University, previously coached at San José State and Ashland University. He has guided athletes such as Trevor Bassitt, Myles Pringle, and Jeremiah Walker to 45-second performances, while also producing multiple school and conference record holders in the 400 m. Most recently, Clark led the NAU women’s 4×400 m relay to the NCAA Championships, where they ran a school and conference record of 3:31.28.

Bob Thurnhoffer, the first-ever guest on the podcast, continues to expand an already accomplished résumé. Now an Assistant Coach at the University of Louisville, he coached Synclair Savage to the NCAA Outdoor Championship title in the women’s long jump this past season. During his two seasons at the University of New Mexico, Thurnhoffer coached Rivaldo Leacock and Jovahn Williamson to NCAA final appearances in the 400 m hurdles and 400 m, respectively, while also guiding Jevon O’Bryant and Brodie Young to multiple 45-second performances, culminating in his men’s 4×400 m relay reaching the NCAA final.

Jason Wakenight, Assistant Coach at the University of Iowa and a previous guest (Episode 22), has built one of the strongest reputations in the NCAA for developing elite 400–800 m training groups. During his time at Iowa he has coached two 44-second performers (Jenoah McKiver and Mar'yea Harris), six athletes under 45 seconds (2020 Big Ten athlete of the year, Wayne Lawrence Jr), and four 4×400 m relay teams under 3:01. In 2025, Wakenight led the Iowa men’s and women’s 4×400 m relay teams to 4th- and 6th-place finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. On the women’s side, Iowa broke both the indoor and outdoor school records last season, highlighted by a 3:26.90 outdoor performance in the 4×400 m relay. The Iowa men’s 4×400 m relay has reached the NCAA Outdoor final in five of the last eight championships and won seven of the last ten Big Ten outdoor titles.

Topics:

• What truly defines elite 400 m training for men and women
• Speed vs. special endurance and how to allocate training emphasis
• Training the first 300 m versus the final 100 m of the race
• Race modeling, split targets, and velocity management
• Developing quarter-milers from different athlete profiles
• Building championship-ready 4×400 m relay teams
• Managing volume and intensity across long seasons
• Confidence, belief systems, and execution under fatigue

Apologies for the audio/connection difficulties within this episode. 

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