| Event: | Men's 400 metres hurdles |
| Competition: | European Athletics Championships |
The men's 400 metres hurdles at the 1978 European Athletics Championships was held in Prague, then Czechoslovakia, at Stadion Evžena Rošického on 29, 30, and 31 August 1978.
| Gold | Harald Schmid | |
| Silver | Dmitriy Stukalov | |
| Bronze | Vasiliy Arkhipenko |
31 August
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | align=left | 48.51 | CR | ||||
| align=left | align=left | 49.72 | |||||
| align=left | align=left | 49.77 | |||||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 49.84 | ||||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | 50.07 | ||||
| 6 | align=left | align=left |  | 50.10 | |||
| 7 | align=left | align=left |  | 50.19 | |||
| 8 | align=left | align=left |  | 50.46 |
30 August
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 50.07 | Q | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | | 50.32 | Q | ||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | | 50.42 | Q | ||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 50.51 | Q | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | 50.83 | ||||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | 51.29 | ||||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | 51.63 | ||||
| 8 | align=left | align=left | 52.39 |
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 49.92 | Q | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | | 49.98 | Q | ||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | 50.12 | Q | |||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 50.22 | Q | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | 50.66 | ||||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | 50.98 | ||||
| 7 | align=left | align=left |  | 50.99 | |||
| 8 | align=left | align=left | 51.96 |
29 August
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 50.35 | Q | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 50.39 | Q | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | 50.45 | Q | |||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 51.02 | ||||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | | 51.03 | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left |  | 52.08 | |||
| 7 | align=left | align=left |  | 52.13 |
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 50.34 | Q | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 50.45 | Q | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | | 50.75 | Q | ||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 50.90 | ||||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | | 51.68 | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | 51.98 | ||||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | | 52.15 |
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 49.78 | Q | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 50.43 | Q | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | 50.45 | Q | |||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | | 50.49 | q | ||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | | 50.95 | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | 51.38 | ||||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | 51.48 |
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 50.15 | Q | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | | 50.27 | Q | ||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | 50.49 | Q | |||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 50.55 | q | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | 50.66 | q | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | | 50.72 | q |
According to an unofficial count, 27 athletes from 16 countries participated in the event.
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