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, while Joslyn Hoyte-Smith won seven titles in the two championships era, again winning both titles in three separate years; 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, crowned national champion in six separate years.

Past winners AAC Championships 440 yards, mens event only Year Men's champion1866John Ridley1867John Ridley (2)1868Edward Colbeck1869 Edward Colbeck (2)1870 Abbott Upcher1871Abbott Upcher 1872Robert Philpot1873 Abbott Upcher (3)1874George Templer1875Frederick Elborough1876Frederick Elborough 1877 Frederick Elborough (3)1878John Shearman1879 Edgar Storey / Henry Ball

AAA Championships 440 yards, men's event only Year Men's champion1880 Montague Shearman1881 William Phillips1882 Henry Ball (2)1883 James Cowie1884 James Cowie1885 James Cowie (3)1886 Charles Wood1887 Charles Wood (2)1888 Henry Tindall1889 Henry Tindall (2)1890 Thomas Nicholas1891 J.P. Shuter1892 David Basan1893 Edgar Bredin1894 Edgar Bredin (2)1895 William Fitzherbert1896 William Fitzherbert 1897 Samuel Elliott1898 William Fitzherbert (3)1899 Reginald Wadsley1900 William Welsh1901 Reginald Wadsley (2)1902 George White1903 Charles McLachlan1904 Robert Watson1905 Wyndham Halswelle1906 Wyndham Halswelle 1907 Edwin Montague1908 Wyndham Halswelle (3)1909 Alan Patterson1910 Lionel Reed1911 William Tettenhall1912 Cyril Seedhouse1913 George Nicol1914 Cyril Seedhouse (2)1919 Guy Butler1920 Guy Butler1921 Robert Lindsay

AAA Championships & WAAA Championships Year Men's champion Year Women's champion440 yards1922Harry Edward1922Mary Lines1923Guy Butler (3)1923Mary Lines (2)1924Eric Liddell1924Vera Palmer1925Henry Stallard1925Vera Palmer 1926John Rinkel1926Vera Palmer (3)1927Douglas Lowe1927Dorothy Proctor1928Douglas Lowe (2)1928Florence Haynes1929John Hanlon1929Marion King1930Kenneth Brangwin1930Elsie Wright1931 Godfrey Rampling1931Nellie Halstead1932Crew Stoneley1932Nellie Halstead 1933 Freddie Wolff1933Nellie Halstead 1934 Godfrey Rampling (2)1934Violet Branch1935Bill Roberts1935Olive Hall1936Godfrey Brown1936Olive Hall1937Bill Roberts1937Nellie Halstead (4)1938Godfrey Brown (2)1938Olive Hall 1939Alan Pennington1939Olive Hall (4)1945nc1945Winifred Jordan1946 Bill Roberts1946Margaret Walker1947 John Mark1947Joan Upton1948 Bill Roberts (4)1948Valerie Ball1949Derek Pugh1949Valerie Ball 1950 Leslie Lewis1950Valerie Ball 1951 Derek Pugh (2)1951Valerie Ball 1952 Leslie Lewis (2)1952Valerie Ball 1953Peter Fryer1953Valerie Ball (6)1954 Peter Fryer 1954Gloria Goldsborough1955Peter Fryer (3)1955Janet Ruff1956 Mike Wheeler1956Janet Ruff 1957Peter Higgins1957Janet Ruff (3)1958 John Salisbury1958Shirley Pirie1959 John Wrighton1959Margaret Pickerill1960Robbie Brightwell1960 Pam Piercy1961Adrian Metcalfe1961Maeve Kyle1962Robbie Brightwell1962Jean Sorrell1963 Adrian Metcalfe (2)1963Joy Grieveson1964Robbie Brightwell (3)1964Ann Packer1965John Adey1965 Joy Grieveson 1966 Tim Graham1966Joy Grieveson (3)1967Tim Graham (2)1967Lillian Board1968Martin Winbolt-Lewis1968Janet Simpson400 metres - metrification1969Gwynne Griffiths1969Jenny Pawsey1970Martin Bilham1970Marilyn Neufville1971David Jenkins1971Jannette Roscoe1972David Jenkins 1972Verona Bernard1973David Jenkins 1973Jannette Roscoe (2)1974David Jenkins 1974Donna Murray1975David Jenkins 1975Donna Murray (2)1976David Jenkins 1976Verona Elder (née Bernard) AAA Championships/WAAA Championships & UK Athletics Championships dual championships era 1977-1987 Year AAA Men Year WAAA Women Year UK Men UK Women 1977David Jenkins1977Verona Elder (3)1977Walcott TaylorDonna Hartley (née Murray)1978David Jenkins 1978Josyln Hoyte1978Richard AshtonJane Colebrook1979Sebastian Coe1979Joslyn Hoyte-Smith 1979Steve ScuttJoslyn Hoyte-Smith1980 Rod Milne 1980Michelle Probert 1980 David Jenkins Linsey MacDonald1981Garry Cook 1981Joslyn Hoyte-Smith 1981Steve Scutt (2)Joslyn Hoyte-Smith 1982David Jenkins (9)1982Michelle Scutt1982Phil BrownMichelle Scutt1983Ainsley Bennett 1983Joslyn Hoyte-Smith (4)1983Alan SlackJoslyn Hoyte-Smith (3)1984Alan Slack1984Tracy Lawton1984Kriss AkabusiJane Parry1985Derek Redmond1985Linda Keough1985Phil Brown Linda Keough1986Roger Black 1986Kathy Cook 1986 Phil Brown (3)Angela Piggford1987 Derek Redmond 1987Linda Keough 1987Steve HeardCarol Finlay

AAA Championships & UK Athletics Championships dual championships era 1988-1997 Year Men AAA Women AAA Year Men UK Women UK1988 Kriss Akabusi Linda Keough 1988Brian WhittleLinda Keough 1989Phil BrownLinda Keough 1989Paul SandersLinda Keough (3)1990Lewis SamuelLinda Keough (5)1990Roger BlackDiane Edwards1991Derek RedmondLorraine Hanson 1991Paul Sanders (2)Sandra Leigh1992Derek Redmond (4)Phylis Smith 1992Roger Black (2)Sandra Douglas (née Leigh) (2)1993Ade Mafe Phylis Smith 1993Du'aine LadejoPhylis Smith1994Roger BlackMelanie Neefn/a1995Mark RichardsonMelanie Neef (2)n/a1996Roger Black (3)Phylis Smith (3)n/a1997 Kent Ulyatt Lorraine Hanson1997Iwan ThomasDonna Fraser

AAA Championships second era 1998-2006 Year Men's champion Women's champion1998Iwan ThomasAllison Curbishley 1999Jamie BaulchKatharine Merry2000Mark Richardson Donna Fraser2001Mark Richardson (3)Lesley Owusu2002Tim BenjaminLee McConnell2003Daniel CainesHelen Karagounis2004Tim Benjamin Christine Ohuruogu2005Tim Benjamin Donna Fraser (2)2006Tim Benjamin (4)Nicola Sanders British Athletics Championships 2007 to present Year Men's champion Women's champion2007Andrew SteeleNicola Sanders (2)2008Martyn RooneyLee McConnell 2009Robert TobinChristine Ohuruogu 2010Martyn Rooney Lee McConnell (3)2011Martyn Rooney Perri Shakes-Drayton2012Martyn Rooney Christine Ohuruogu 2013Nigel LevineChristine Ohuruogu (4)2014Martyn Rooney (5)Kelly Massey2015Rabah YousifAnyika Onuora2016Matthew Hudson-SmithEmily Diamond2017Matthew Hudson-Smith Zoey Clark2018Matthew Hudson-Smith Anyika Onuora (2)2019Matthew Hudson-Smith Laviai Nielsen2020Alex KnibbsLaviai Nielsen (2)2021Niclas BakerJodie Williams2022Matthew Hudson-Smith Victoria Ohuruogu2023Alex Haydock-WilsonVictoria Ohuruogu (2)2024Charlie DobsonAmber Anning2025Charlie Dobson (2)Amber Anning 2026Matthew Hudson-Smith (6)Amber Anning (3)

nc = not contested

Most titles ('AAA continuity' only; athletes in bold still active) +400 metres - most titlesTitlesMenWomen9David Jenkins (1971-78, 1982)6Matthew Hudson-Smith (2016-19, 2022, 2026)Valerie Ball (1948-53)5Martyn Rooney (2008, 2010-12, 2014)Linda Keough (1985, 1987-90)4Bill Roberts (1935, 1937, 1946, 1948)Derek Redmond (1985, 1987, 1991-92)Tim Benjamin (2002, 2004-06)Nellie Halstead (1931-33, 1937)Olive Hall (1935-36, 1938-39)Joslyn Hoyte-Smith (1978-79, 1981, 1983)Christine Ohuruogu (2004, 2009, 2012-13)310 athletes7 athletes (1 activeAmber Anning (2024-26))

References