400 meters – The Numbers Game

Ever notice airline magazines and USA Today have those short articles with interesting stats and numbers?

I thought to give it a try with the 400 meters. 

Here goes…

The 400 meters

5800 – Number of subscribers to SpeedEndurance.com

3635 – Age of the current world record (in days)

2010 -  ? Year of the first sub 43 by Usain Bolt?  (We’ll see if he’s serious)

1968 – Year of the first sub 44 (43.86, Lee Evans)

1960 – Year of the first sub 45 (44.9, Otis Davis & Carl Kaufmann at the Rome Olympics)

1948 – Year of the first sub 46 (45.9, Herb McKenley)

1932 – Year of the first sub 47 (46.4 for 440 yards by Ben Eastman)

1900 – Year of the first sub 48 (47.8 for 440 yards by Maxie Long)

437.2 – Number of yards in a 400 meter dash

402.336 – Number of meters in a 440 yard dash

161 – Number of men that have broken 45 seconds (as of 2001)  Reference: http://hem.bredband.net/athletics/atb-m03.htm

44.5 – Current 440 yard dash World Record set by John Smith in 1971

44.10 – Fastest Non-American 400 meter time (Gary Kikaya of Congo.  Roberto Hernandez of Cuba ran 44.14)

43.18 – Current World Record for 400 meters by Michael Johnson, Seville 1999

22 – Number of sub 44 – 400 meter performances by Michael Johnson (that is an unbelievable record!)

19 – Age of the youngest 400m Gold Medalist and fastest under 44 – Steve Lewis, Seoul 1988

10 – Age of the current world record (in years)

9 – Number of men that have broken 44 seconds

0.24 – Time to convert a hand time to FAT for 100m and 200m (the starter’s pistol is 100-130m away from the finish line)

0.14 – Time to convert a hand time to FAT for 400m (the starter’s pistol is at the finish line)

0 – Number of non-Americans to run sub 44

Any other honourable mentions?