Classification of middle- and long-distance runners based upon their performance.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Athletics Performance Analysis

Background:

• Lack of consensus in classifying middle- and long-distance runners.
• Inconsistent classifications can lead to unrepresentative samples and misleading research conclusions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a data-driven classification system for middle- and long-distance runners.
• To establish unified criteria for assessing athletes' proficiency levels.

Main Methods:

• Collected annual best performance results for track runners from major and national championships (2012-2018).
• Analyzed 1920 men's and 1808 women's results using quadratic discriminant analysis.
• Grouped results to define performance category limits.

Main Results:

• Proposed three performance categories: world class, international, and national.
• The classification offers a realistic overview of performance standards across different athlete tiers.
• Provided data-driven, unified criteria for reporting athlete proficiency.

Conclusions:

• The developed classification system offers consistent and realistic performance standards for middle- and long-distance runners.
• This data-driven approach enhances the consistency of reporting target populations in research.
• The classification has potential applications in both scientific research and practical athletic contexts.