| Final | time |   | L | React. | bib |  | 1. K. Spencer |  JAM | 54.10s |   | 3 | 0.174s | 1700 |  | 2. E. Child |  SCO | 55.02s |   | 6 | 0.191s | 2150 |  | 3. J. Russell |  JAM | 55.64s |   | 4 | 0.147s | 1696 |  | 4. L. Wells |  AUS | 56.09s |   | 5 | 0.180s | 1127 |  | 5. N. Montcalm |  CAN | 56.74s |   | 2 | 0.182s | 1257 |  | -. C. Chase |  CAN | DNF |   | 8 |   | 1236 |  | -. A. Ogoegbunam |  NGR | DQ |   | 1 |   | 1975 |  | -. W. Theron |  RSA | DQ |   | 7 |   | 2108 |   
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|   |  | First 2 and Best 2 progressed to Final. |   
| Heat 1 | time |   | L | React. | bib |  | 1. E. Child |  SCO | 55.56s |   | 5 | 0.168s | 2150 |  | 2. C. Chase |  CAN | 57.23s |   | 7 | 0.205s | 1236 |  | 3. N. Tracey |  JAM | 57.63s |   | 2 | 0.264s | 1706 |  | 4. L. Pekin |  AUS | 57.92s |   | 6 | 0.218s | 1099 |  | 5. E. Okoro |  ENG | 57.99s |   | 1 | 0.177s | 1438 |  | 6. K. Seymour |  BAH | 1:01.34 |   | 4 | 0.170s | 1166 |  | -. J. Lucas |  TTO |   |   | 3 |   | 2369 |   
| Heat 2 | time |   | L | React. | bib |  | 1. J. Russell |  JAM | 56.18s |   | 4 | 0.172s | 1696 |  | 2. W. Theron |  RSA | 56.38s |   | 7 | 0.187s | 2108 |  | 3. N. Montcalm |  CAN | 56.72s |   | 2 | 0.180s | 1257 |  | 4. C. Mcmahon |  NIR | 58.67s |   | 8 | 0.212s | 2003 |  | 5. A. Akkunji |  IND | 58.75s |   | 6 | 0.217s | 1588 |  | 6. R. Abubakar |  GHA | 1:00.94 | PB | 3 | 0.174s | 1517 |  | 7. S. Kwarula |  PNG | 1:02.52 |   | 1 | 0.176s | 2077 |  | -. H. Mclean |  ENG | DQ |   | 5 |   | 1427 |   
| Heat 3 | time |   | L | React. | bib |  | 1. K. Spencer |  JAM | 55.45s |   | 1 | 0.187s | 1700 |  | 2. L. Wells |  AUS | 55.79s |   | 3 | 0.166s | 1127 |  | 3. A. Ogoegbunam |  NGR | 56.85s |   | 2 | 0.163s | 1975 |  | 4. J. Bellille |  TTO | 57.51s |   | 4 | 0.212s | 2346 |  | 5. L. Wake |  ENG | 58.29s |   | 5 | 0.193s | 1478 |  | 6. C. Merrill |  SRI | 58.65s |   | 7 | 0.221s | 2281 |  | 7. F. Wasike |  KEN | 59.29s |   | 6 | 0.201s | 1796 |   
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| Lane Heat 1 | PB | SB | bib |  | 1. E. Okoro |  ENG | 56.67s | 56.67s | 1438 |  | 2. N. Tracey |  JAM | 55.18s | 55.18s | 1706 |  | 3. J. Lucas |  TTO | 57.84s | 53.20s | 2369 |  | 4. K. Seymour |  BAH | 59.05s | 57.24s | 1166 |  | 5. E. Child |  SCO | 54.39s | 54.22s | 2150 |  | 6. L. Pekin |  AUS | 57.11s | 57.11s | 1099 |  | 7. C. Chase |  CAN | 56.27s | 56.27s | 1236 |   
| Lane Heat 2 | PB | SB | bib |  | 1. S. Kwarula |  PNG | 59.77s | 59.77s | 2077 |  | 2. N. Montcalm |  CAN | 56.47s | 55.96s | 1257 |  | 3. R. Abubakar |  GHA | 1:01.37 | 1:01.37 | 1517 |  | 4. J. Russell |  JAM | 54.75s | 54.75s | 1696 |  | 5. H. Mclean |  ENG | 56.43s | 56.43s | 1427 |  | 6. A. Akkunji |  IND | 57.43s | 56.15s | 1588 |  | 7. W. Theron |  RSA | 54.82s | 54.82s | 2108 |  | 8. C. Mcmahon |  NIR | 56.97s | 56.97s | 2003 |   
| Lane Heat 3 | PB | SB | bib |  | 1. K. Spencer |  JAM | 53.41s | 52.79s | 1700 |  | 2. A. Ogoegbunam |  NGR | 56.77s | 56.46s | 1975 |  | 3. L. Wells |  AUS | 55.69s | 55.08s | 1127 |  | 4. J. Bellille |  TTO | 55.41s | 55.41s | 2346 |  | 5. L. Wake |  ENG | 57.17s | 57.17s | 1478 |  | 6. F. Wasike |  KEN | 58.53s | 56.86s | 1796 |  | 7. C. Merrill |  SRI | 58.25s | 56.45s | 2281 |   
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