# List of British champions in 400 metres

The British 400 metres athletics champions covers four competitions; the current British Athletics Championships which was founded in 2007, the preceding AAA Championships (1880-2006), the Amateur Athletic Club Championships (1866-1879) and finally the UK Athletics Championships which existed from 1977 until 1997 and ran concurrently with the AAA Championships.
The AAA Championships were open to international athletes but were not considered the National Champion in this list if they won the relevant Championship.
David Jenkins, with nine AAA titles, including eight successive titles between 1971 and 1978 and again in 1982, and a single UK Athletics Championships gold medal in 1980, is the most successful 400 metre athlete in British domestic history. Linda Keough won eight national women's titles, five AAA and three UK championships; on three occasions she won both titles in the same year, but Valerie Ball's six successive AAA wins in the immediate post-war era where only one championship was available annually means she is normally considered the most successful domestic British female athlete in the event.

## Past winners

AAC Championships
440 yards, mens event only :
| Year | Men's champion |
| 1866 | John Ridley |
| 1867 | John Ridley |
| 1868 | Edward Colbeck |
| 1869 | Edward Colbeck |
| 1870 | Abbott Upcher |
| 1871 | Abbott Upcher |
| 1872 | Robert Philpot |
| 1873 | Abbott Upcher |
| 1874 | George Templer |
| 1875 | Frederick Elborough |
| 1876 | Frederick Elborough |
| 1877 | Frederick Elborough |
| 1878 | John Shearman |
| 1879 | Edgar Storey / Henry Ball |
AAA Championships
440 yards, men's event only :
| Year | Men's champion |
| 1880 | Montague Shearman |
| 1881 | William Phillips |
| 1882 | Henry Ball |
| 1883 | James Cowie |
| 1884 | James Cowie |
| 1885 | James Cowie |
| 1886 | Charles Wood |
| 1887 | Charles Wood |
| 1888 | Henry Tindall |
| 1889 | Henry Tindall |
| 1890 | Thomas Nicholas |
| 1891 | J.P. Shuter |
| 1892 | David Basan |
| 1893 | Edgar Bredin |
| 1894 | Edgar Bredin |
| 1895 | William Fitzherbert |
| 1896 | William Fitzherbert |
| 1897 | Samuel Elliott |
| 1898 | William Fitzherbert |
| 1899 | Reginald Wadsley |
| 1900 | William Welsh |
| 1901 | Reginald Wadsley |
| 1902 | George White |
| 1903 | Charles McLachlan |
| 1904 | Robert Watson |
| 1905 | Wyndham Halswelle |
| 1906 | Wyndham Halswelle |
| 1907 | Edwin Montague |
| 1908 | Wyndham Halswelle |
| 1909 | Alan Patterson |
| 1910 | Lionel Reed |
| 1911 | William Tettenhall |
| 1912 | Cyril Seedhouse |
| 1913 | George Nicol |
| 1914 | Cyril Seedhouse |
| 1919 | Guy Butler |
| 1920 | Guy Butler |
| 1921 | Robert Lindsay |
AAA Championships & WAAA Championships :
| Year | Men's champion | Year | Women's champion |
| 440 yards ||||
| 1922 | Harry Edward | 1922 | Mary Lines |
| 1923 | Guy Butler | 1923 | Mary Lines |
| 1924 | Eric Liddell | 1924 | Vera Palmer |
| 1925 | Henry Stallard | 1925 | Vera Palmer |
| 1926 | John Rinkel | 1926 | Vera Palmer |
| 1927 | Douglas Lowe | 1927 | Dorothy Proctor |
| 1928 | Douglas Lowe | 1928 | Florence Haynes |
| 1929 | John Hanlon | 1929 | Marion King |
| 1930 | Kenneth Brangwin | 1930 | Elsie Wright |
| 1931 | Godfrey Rampling | 1931 | Nellie Halstead |
| 1932 | Crew Stoneley | 1932 | Nellie Halstead |
| 1933 | Freddie Wolff | 1933 | Nellie Halstead |
| 1934 | Godfrey Rampling | 1934 | Violet Branch |
| 1935 | Bill Roberts | 1935 | Olive Hall |
| 1936 | Godfrey Brown | 1936 | Olive Hall |
| 1937 | Bill Roberts | 1937 | Nellie Halstead |
| 1938 | Godfrey Brown | 1938 | Olive Hall |
| 1939 | Alan Pennington | 1939 | Olive Hall |
| 1945 | nc | 1945 | Winifred Jordan |
| 1946 | Bill Roberts | 1946 | Margaret Walker |
| 1947 | John Mark | 1947 | Joan Upton |
| 1948 | Bill Roberts | 1948 | Valerie Ball |
| 1949 | Derek Pugh | 1949 | Valerie Ball |
| 1950 | Leslie Lewis | 1950 | Valerie Ball |
| 1951 | Derek Pugh | 1951 | Valerie Ball |
| 1952 | Leslie Lewis | 1952 | Valerie Ball |
| 1953 | Peter Fryer | 1953 | Valerie Ball |
| 1954 | Peter Fryer | 1954 | Gloria Goldsborough |
| 1955 | Peter Fryer | 1955 | Janet Ruff |
| 1956 | Mike Wheeler | 1956 | Janet Ruff |
| 1957 | Peter Higgins | 1957 | Janet Ruff |
| 1958 | John Salisbury | 1958 | Shirley Pirie |
| 1959 | John Wrighton | 1959 | Margaret Pickerill |
| 1960 | Robbie Brightwell | 1960 | Pam Piercy |
| 1961 | Adrian Metcalfe | 1961 | Jean Dunbar |
| 1962 | Robbie Brightwell | 1962 | Jean Sorrell |
| 1963 | Adrian Metcalfe | 1963 | Joy Grieveson |
| 1964 | Robbie Brightwell | 1964 | Ann Packer |
| 1965 | John Adey | 1965 | Joy Grieveson |
| 1966 | Tim Graham | 1966 | Joy Grieveson |
| 1967 | Tim Graham | 1967 | Lillian Board |
| 1968 | Martin Winbolt-Lewis | 1968 | Janet Simpson |
| 400 metres - metrification ||||
| 1969 | Gwynne Griffiths | 1969 | Jenny Pawsey |
| 1970 | Martin Bilham | 1970 | Marilyn Neufville |
| 1971 | David Jenkins | 1971 | Jannette Roscoe |
| 1972 | David Jenkins | 1972 | Verona Bernard |
| 1973 | David Jenkins | 1973 | Jannette Roscoe |
| 1974 | David Jenkins | 1974 | Donna Murray |
| 1975 | David Jenkins | 1975 | Donna Murray |
| 1976 | David Jenkins | 1976 | Verona Elder |
AAA Championships/WAAA Championships & UK Athletics Championships
dual championships era 1977-1987 :
| Year | AAA Men | Year | WAAA Women | Year | UK Men | UK Women |
| 1977 | David Jenkins | 1977 | Verona Elder | 1977 | Walcott Taylor | Donna Hartley |
| 1978 | David Jenkins | 1978 | Josyln Hoyte | 1978 | Richard Ashton | Jane Colebrook |
| 1979 | Sebastian Coe | 1979 | Joslyn Hoyte-Smith | 1979 | Steve Scutt | Joslyn Hoyte-Smith |
| 1980 | Rod Milne | 1980 | Michelle Probert | 1980 | David Jenkins | Linsey MacDonald |
| 1981 | Garry Cook | 1981 | Joslyn Hoyte-Smith | 1981 | Steve Scutt | Joslyn Hoyte-Smith |
| 1982 | David Jenkins | 1982 | Michelle Scutt | 1982 | Phil Brown | Michelle Scutt |
| 1983 | Ainsley Bennett | 1983 | Joslyn Hoyte-Smith | 1983 | Alan Slack | Joslyn Hoyte-Smith |
| 1984 | Alan Slack | 1984 | Tracy Lawton | 1984 | Kriss Akabusi | Jane Parry |
| 1985 | Derek Redmond | 1985 | Linda Keough | 1985 | Phil Brown | Linda Keough |
| 1986 | Roger Black | 1986 | Kathy Cook | 1986 | Phil Brown | Angela Piggford |
| 1987 | Derek Redmond | 1987 | Linda Keough | 1987 | Steve Heard | Carol Finlay |
AAA Championships & UK Athletics Championships
dual championships era 1988-1997 :
| Year | Men AAA | Women AAA | Year | Men UK | Women UK |
| 1988 | Kriss Akabusi | Linda Keough | 1988 | Brian Whittle | Linda Keough |
| 1989 | Phil Brown | Linda Keough | 1989 | Paul Sanders | Linda Keough |
| 1990 | Lewis Samuel | Linda Keough | 1990 | Roger Black | Diane Edwards |
| 1991 | Derek Redmond | Lorraine Hanson | 1991 | Paul Sanders | Sandra Leigh |
| 1992 | Derek Redmond | Phylis Smith | 1992 | Roger Black | Sandra Douglas |
| 1993 | Ade Mafe | Phylis Smith | 1993 | Du'aine Ladejo | Phylis Smith |
| 1994 | Roger Black | Melanie Neef | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1995 | Mark Richardson | Melanie Neef | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1996 | Roger Black | Phylis Smith | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1997 | Kent Ulyatt | Iwan Thomas | 1997 | Lorraine Hanson | Donna Fraser |
AAA Championships
second era 1998-2006 :
| Year | Men's champion | Women's champion |
| 1998 | Iwan Thomas | Allison Curbishley |
| 1999 | Jamie Baulch | Katharine Merry |
| 2000 | Mark Richardson | Donna Fraser |
| 2001 | Mark Richardson | Lesley Owusu |
| 2002 | Tim Benjamin | Lee McConnell |
| 2003 | Daniel Caines | Helen Karagounis |
| 2004 | Tim Benjamin | Christine Ohuruogu |
| 2005 | Tim Benjamin | Donna Fraser |
| 2006 | Tim Benjamin | Nicola Sanders |
British Athletics Championships
2007 to present :
| Year | Men's champion | Women's champion |
| 2007 | Andrew Steele | Nicola Sanders |
| 2008 | Martyn Rooney | Lee McConnell |
| 2009 | Robert Tobin | Christine Ohuruogu |
| 2010 | Martyn Rooney | Lee McConnell |
| 2011 | Martyn Rooney | Perri Shakes-Drayton |
| 2012 | Martyn Rooney | Christine Ohuruogu |
| 2013 | Nigel Levine | Christine Ohuruogu |
| 2014 | Martyn Rooney | Kelly Massey |
| 2015 | Rabah Yousif | Anyika Onuora |
| 2016 | Matthew Hudson-Smith | Emily Diamond |
| 2017 | Matthew Hudson-Smith | Zoey Clark |
| 2018 | Matthew Hudson-Smith | Anyika Onuora |
| 2019 | Matthew Hudson-Smith | Laviai Nielsen |
| 2020 | Alex Knibbs | Laviai Nielsen |
| 2021 | Niclas Baker | Jodie Williams |
| 2022 | Matthew Hudson-Smith | Victoria Ohuruogu |
| 2023 | Alex Haydock-Wilson | Victoria Ohuruogu |
| 2024 | Charlie Dobson | Amber Anning |
nc = not contested