| Event: | 400 metres hurdles |
| Gender: | Men and women |
| Firstyearmen: | 1983 |
| Lastyearmen: | 2023 |
| Firstyearwomen: | 1980 |
| Lastyearwomen: | 2023 |
| Crmen: | 46.29 Alison dos Santos (2022) |
| Crwomen: | 50.68 Sydney McLaughlin (2022) |
The 400 metres hurdles at the World Championships in Athletics has been contested by women since 1980 and by men since 1983.
The championship records for the event are 46.29 for men, set by Alison dos Santos in 2022, and 50.68 s for women, set by Sydney McLaughlin, also in 2022. The women's world record has been broken four times at the World Championships: by Sally Gunnell in 1993, Kim Batten in 1995, Dalilah Muhammad in 2019, and Sydney McLaughlin in 2022. The men's world record has never been broken at the competition.
Karsten Warholm is the most successful athlete in the history of the event, winning three medals between 2017 and 2023. is the second most successful athlete, winning two gold medals and one silver medal between 2001 and 2007. Nezha Bidouane has the same medal tally as Sanchez and is the most successful female athlete, winning two golds and one silver between 1997 and 2001. Yuliya Pechonkina, Lashinda Demus and Dalilah Muhammad have won the most medals in the event, with four total; all won one gold, two silver and one bronze.
The United States is the most successful nation in the discipline, winning 7 gold medals in the men's discipline, 5 gold medals in the women's discipline and 39 medals in total. Great Britain is the only other nation that has won gold in both the men's and the women's event.
| Distinction | Male | Female | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlete | Age | Date | Athlete | Age | Date | ||
| Youngest champion | 21 years, 165 days | 9 Aug 2017 | 20 years, 292 days | 15 Aug 2003 | |||
| Youngest medalist | 20 years, 14 days | 4 Aug 1997 | 19 years, 305 days | 16 Aug 1980 | |||
| Youngest finalist | 17 years, 246 days | 18 Aug 2009 | 19 years, 137 days | 16 Aug 1980 | |||
| Youngest participant | 17 years, 243 days | 15 Aug 2009 | 16 years, 99 days | 26 Aug 1991 | |||
| Oldest champion | 32 years, 1 day | 1 Sep 1987 | 31 years, 324 days | 8 Aug 2001 | |||
| Oldest medalist | 32 years, 272 days | 27 Aug 1991 | 36 years, 226 days | 13 Aug 2005 | |||
| Oldest finalist | 37 years, 185 days | 18 Aug 2009 | 36 years, 226 days | 13 Aug 2005 | |||
| Oldest participant | 37 years, 245 days | 16 July 2022 | 37 years, 321 days | 28 Aug 2007 | |||
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Period | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017–2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 2 | 2001–2007 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 3 | 1983–1987 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2007–2009 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||
| 5 | 1991–1995 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 6 | 1995–1999 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 7 | 1999–2001 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 8 | 2005–2009 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 9 | Rai Benjamin | 2019-2023 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 10 | 2009–2011 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 11 | 1983–1987 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1991–1993 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 13 | 2001–2005 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Period | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997–2001 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 2 | 2003–2007 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2013–2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||
| 4 | 2001–2007 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2005–2013 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |||
| 2013–2022 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |||
| 7 | 1991–1993 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2009–2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |||
| Sydney McLaughlin | 2019-2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Femke Bol | 2022-2023 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 11 | 1995–1997 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1999–2001 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 13 | Shamier Little | 2015-2023 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 14 | 1995–1999 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 1980–1983 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2003–2005 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 17 | Rushell Clayton | 2019-2023 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| Rank | Time (sec) | Athlete | Nation | Year | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46.29 | 2022-07-19 | |||
| 2 | 46.89 | 2022-07-19 | |||
| 2023-08-23 | |||||
| 4 | 47.09 | 2023SF | 2023-08-21 | ||
| 5 | 47.18 | 1993-08-19 | |||
| 6 | 47.24 | 2023SF | 2023-08-21 | ||
| 7 | 47.25 | 2003-08-29 | |||
| 8 | 47.30 | 2005-08-09 | |||
| 9 | 47.34 | 2023SF | 2023-08-21 | ||
| 2023-08-23 | |||||
| Rank | Time (sec) | Athlete | Nation | Year | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50.68 | 2022-07-22 | |||
| 2 | 51.70 | 2023-08-24 | |||
| 3 | 52.16 | 2019-10-04 | |||
| 4 | 52.17 | 2022SF | 2022-07-20 | ||
| 5 | 52.23 | 2019-10-04 | |||
| 6 | 52.27 | 2022-07-22 | |||
| 7 | 52.42 | 2009-10-20 | |||
| 8 | 52.47 | 2011-09-01 | |||
| 9 | 52.61 | 1995-08-11 | |||
| 10 | 52.62 | 1995-08-11 | |||