The Welsh Athletics 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games A/B standards

for men are listed below:

100m: 10.20/10.30
200m: 20.50/20.85
400m: 45.50/46.00
The number of Welsh athletes born from 1980 onwards who have ever
achieved a level of performance at the 2014 A/B standards in each event
is as follows:
100m A (0)
100m B (1) Tim Abeyie (b.1982) 10.22 [5 B standards total].
200m A (0)
200m B (2) Tim Abeyie (b.1982) 20.57 [14 B standards total]; Tim
Benjamin (b. 1982) 20.67 [5 B standards total].
400m A (1) Tim Benjamin (b. 1982) 44.56 [16 A standards total plus 15
B standards].
400m B (1) Dai Greene (b. 1986) 45.82 [2 B standards total].
From this brief list we could conclude that Wales doesnt produce a great
deal of top-class athletes in the sprint events. Nevertheless, I would like to
show that Wales could have a few more athletes achieving the A/B
standards in the 400m if the best of the athletes currently focusing on the
200m were willing to train for the 400m instead.
Based upon my own research into top-class British and European 400m
athletes born from 1980 onwards I have devised a model in terms of
speed and endurance requirements for the 400m event.

Men
400m
A
400m
B

60
m
6.9
1
6.9
9

200
m
21.2
5
21.5
0

300
m
33.3
8
33.7
5

400
m
45.5
0
46.0
0

500
m
61.8
8
62.5
0

600m

800m

1:17.2
5
1:18.0
0

1:51.0
0
1:52.0
0

5km
road
17:21
17:30

Basic 400m speed support

Special 400m speed support (~107% of 400m speed)
Specific 400m speed support (~102% of 400m speed)
Basic 400m endurance support 1 (~55% of 400m speed)
Basic 400m endurance support 2 (~82% of 400m speed)
Basic 400m endurance support 3 (~88% of 400m speed)
Special 400m endurance support (~92% of 400m speed)

The model is simple but accurate and is presented here to support the
point that a few athletes in Wales have the basic speed necessary to
attain the 400m A/B standards but are focusing on the shorter sprint
events.
Given that only two Welsh athletes born from 1980 onwards have ever
achieved a level of performance at the 2014 A/B standards in the shorter
sprint events (and none has reached A standard) it seems reasonable to
argue that the best option for the majority of good 200m specialists
hoping to reach an A/B standard would be to switch their focus to
training for the 400m. Their first aim could be to work towards the 5km
road (i.e. parkrun) times listed in the table above as basic 400m
endurance support.
Conclusion
It is a fact1 that many Welsh athletes who have competed in the 400m
event over the past decade have lacked the speed and endurance
necessary to reach an A/B standard. One way to have more Welsh
athletes qualify for future Commonwealth Games is to move good 200m
specialists to the 400m event.

1 See table on page 3.

Welsh athletes born from 1980 onwards who ran faster than 95%
(48.42) of the 2014 B standard (46.00) without actually achieving a B
standard performance level, with PBs by event

Athlete
Gareth Warburton
Rhys Williams
Joe Thomas
Owen Smith
Rhys Smith
Adebowale
Ademuyewo
Dwayne Lewis
Glyn Hawkes
David Guest
Bruce Tasker
Jonathan Hornblow
Tom Miller
Paul Bennett
Ryan Lee
James Nasrat

Bor
n
198
3
198
4
198
8
199
4
198
8
198
3
198
7
198
8
199
1
198
7
198
7
198
9
199
2
199
6
198
3

6.9
9

21.5
0

33.7
5

46.0
0

62.5
0

1:18.0
0

1:52.0
0

60
m

200
m

300
m

400
m

500
m

600m

800m

1:44.9
8

1:17.2

1:46.2
0

16:5
7

1:49.8
7

1:59.6
0

1:25.9
8

2:05.1

2:06.6

1:46.9
5

7.1
4

21.8
1
21.5
4
23.8
1
22.3
0

34.8
0
35.1
9

22.4

6.8
7
7.1
4
7.1
4
7.0
5
7.1
3
7.1
0
7.2
8
7.1
9
7.1
2

21.1
8
21.5
8
22.3
1
22.1
2
21.3
9
21.7
3
22.4
9
21.9
7
22.2
3

23.4

35.1
35.2
0
37.0
4
38.9
34.2
1
34.2
9
34.8
1
34.1
5
-

46.4
5
46.6
9
47.2
5
47.3
6
47.4
1
47.4
9
47.5
2
47.6
7
47.6
8
47.6
9
47.7
8
47.9
0
47.9
2
48.1
1
48.3
1

17:3
0
5km
Roa
d

British athletes born from 1980 onwards who achieved a 2014 B

standard (46.00) performance level, with PBs by event and ranked by
number of 46.00 or better performances

Athlete

Martyn Rooney

Rabah Yousif

Michael
Bingham

Robert Tobin

Conrad Williams

Tim Benjamin

Nigel Levine

Andrew Steele

Richard
Strachan

Richard Buck

1
1
1
2
1
3
1
4
1
4
1
6
1
7
1
7
1
7
1
7

Jarryd Dunn
Matthew HudsonSmith

Chris Clarke
Luke LennonFord
Daniel Awde
Dai Greene
Delano Williams
Louis Persent
George Caddick
Jack Green

Bor
n
198
7
198
6
198
6
198
3
198
2
198
2
198
9
198
4
198
6
198
6
199
2
199
4
199
0
198
9
198
8
198
6
199
3
199
0
199
4
199
1

N
o.
97
69
47
32
32
31
29
22
10
10
8
7
4
3
3
2
1
1
1
1

6.9
9

21.5
0

33.7
5

46.0
0

62.5
0

1:18.
00

1:52.
00

60
m

200
m

300
m

400
m

500
m

600
m

800
m

7.1
2
6.8
8
6.9
5

21.0
8
21.0
6
20.7
5

1:16.
9

1:50.
55

63.0
9

21.2

6.8
0
6.7
5
6.7
4
7.2
9
6.9
1
6.9
8

20.9
6
20.6
7
20.8
6
21.1
1
20.9
3
21.3
2

61.5
9

1:19.
17

1:58.
42
1:53.
6
1:56.
8

21.8

6.9
6
6.7
1
7.0
2
7.0
7
7.1
0

20.8
8
20.2
2
20.9
1
21.2
5

32.7
4
32.2
9
34.0
5

44.4
5
44.5
4
44.7
4
45.0
1
45.0
6
44.5
6
45.1
1
44.9
4
45.4
8
45.6
1
45.0
9
44.7
5
45.5
9
45.2
3
45.8
4
45.8
2
45.4
2
45.7
7
45.9
0
45.9
9

33.0
1
32.3
1
33.4
4
33.2
1
33.5
4
32.6
1
32.8
1
33.7
1
33.2
7
33.2
5

6.9
6
7.2
2
7.5

20.2
7

34.1
5
32.1
4

21.7

21.6

22.1
3
21.7
7

36.7

17:3
0
5k
m
Roa
d

1:19.
88
1:19.
28

1:57.
07
1:54.
57
1:54.
78
1:57.
2
1:52.
19

1:58.
97

1:54.
31

18:3
0

1:16.
22

1:56.
1

1:59.
90

17:2
8
-

60m
6.67
6.75
6.83
6.91
6.99
7.07
7.16
7.24
7.32
7.40
7.48
7.56
7.64

200m
20.50
20.75
21.00
21.25
21.50
21.75
22.00
22.25
22.50
22.75
23.00
23.25
23.50

300m
32.25
32.63
33.00
33.38
33.75
34.13
34.50
34.88
35.25
35.63
36.00
36.38
36.75

400m
44.00
44.50
45.00
45.50
46.00
46.50
47.00
47.50
48.00
48.50
49.00
49.50
50.00

500m
60.00
60.63
61.25
61.88
62.50
63.13
63.75
64.38
65.00
65.63
66.25
66.88
67.50

600m
1:15.00
1:15.75
1:16.50
1:17.25
1:18.00
1:18.75
1:19.50
1:20.25
1:21.00
1:21.75
1:22.50
1:23.25
1:24.00

Basic 400m speed support

Special 400m speed support (~107% of 400m speed)
Specific 400m speed support (~102% of 400m speed)
Basic 400m endurance support 1 (~55% of 400m speed)
Basic 400m endurance support 2 (~82% of 400m speed)
Basic 400m endurance support 3 (~88% of 400m speed)
Special 400m endurance support (~92% of 400m speed)

800m
1:48.00
1:49.00
1:50.00
1:51.00
1:52.00
1:53.00
1:54.00
1:55.00
1:56.00
1:57.00
1:58.00
1:59.00
2:00.00

5km road
16:52
17:02
17:11
17:21
17:30
17:39
17:49
17:58
18:08
18:17
18:26
18:36
18:45