17 Year Old Oliver Bear Don't Walk Runs 6:07 Pace for 50k to Break US Junior Record

A Bear ran 50k at 6:07 pace?

Why...thats incredible!

WOWZERS wrote:

A Bear ran 50k at 6:07 pace?

Why...thats incredible!

Why was our grandson running so slowly?

I don't as much issue with the distance as you do with a marathon at 17, but am curious about running this much of a distance this young. I am sure those that are working with him have his health as their concern. But now that he has the Jr. record maybe settle on something shorter?

If I am not mistaken, he does not run cross-country for his high school even with a sub 16:00 5K P.R. Maybe we can find out what Oliver's collegiate thoughts are, both educational and running.

Congrats to Oliver and his mentors for getting the record.

I remember when I was 16-17 and thought anything over 2:15 for a marathon was not worth my attention.

Then I ran a half marathon. I was 17 and it took everything I had to run 1:18 on a hilly course.

Saying a 3:10 sucks is missing the forest for the bark. Saying it and doing it are 2 very different proposals. Oliver did it....

It seems to me...

If he can handle 50K at that pace in a single race, he could most likely handle a 100K worth of weekly running at that pace no problem at all. That's roughly 60 mpw at 6:00 pace. He should be running close to 14:30 for 5K

Oli ran hs cross-country the past three years, as well as a year each of swimming and track. Now he's focusing on the longer distances so is not doing cross-country senior year. He's an excellent student and should have his choice of colleges. He's an enrolled member of the Crow tribe and spends time on the rez each year--not a "Cherokee great grandma" kind of Native American. A good guy all around.

Our great grandfather, Samuel Bear Don't Walk In The Sky While Picking Wild Flowers, once outran a tribe of Alaskan polar bear by running 50 kilometers through hard packed snow. According to the moon and the stars, his time was approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

IOPJNH wrote:

congrats to this kid. is he running in college? What are his times like for mile to 10k?

Not if he took the cash prize for his 2:37 at the Birch Bay Marathon. Cory Jenkins running in college?

hmmm? Did he take prize money?

thanks to OP for the post--I don't think I would have heard of it otherwise. It did not appear to make the Seattle Times. But the Times is actually more interested in development of public-private sports ventures than in selling newspapers.

The headline threw me too initially even though I live in the NW and should be accustomed to such names.

The distance at that age is amazing to me. Even though I am just more or less a hobby jogger, I did not like distance running as a teen & only learned to appreciate it in my 20's.

Amazing. Wejo are you yanking my chain? this is amazing. Boy is not of this earth. Crypton maybe. More animal bear than man!

Neither Cory nor Ollie took prize money at the birch bay marathon.

The Bear Tribe wrote:

Our great grandfather, Samuel Bear Don't Walk In The Sky While Picking Wild Flowers, once outran a tribe of Alaskan polar bear by running 50 kilometers through hard packed snow. According to the moon and the stars, his time was approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

really?

Is there like a conversion chart for 50k to see what it equates to in a 5k/10k? Mcmillan calc only goes up to the marathon.

I ran about a 16:00 5K at that age, but was more of an 800/miler in high school. Ran a 6:35 50 miler at age 17. (US high school record?) Went out way to fast, my last 25 miles was about an hour slower than my first 25 miles. ran a few 50's and even 100 miles, and a hilly 50K as well in those next couple of years.

Maybe I was lucky, but 25 years later 2:01 800 shape.

So I don't recommend for kids until after college, but it was an adventure.

Our great grandfather, Samuel Bear Don't Walk In The Sky While Picking Wild Flowers, says you must eat many wild flowers before running, and this will cure all your cancer.

skate wrote:

I ran about a 16:00 5K at that age, but was more of an 800/miler in high school. Ran a 6:35 50 miler at age 17. (US high school record?) Went out way to fast, my last 25 miles was about an hour slower than my first 25 miles. ran a few 50's and even 100 miles, and a hilly 50K as well in those next couple of years.

Maybe I was lucky, but 25 years later 2:01 800 shape.

So I don't recommend for kids until after college, but it was an adventure.

After all those ultras, you ran a 2:01 800 at age 42?

He just graduated last year & is attending Stanford this year.

Is he still running? Is he going to run at Stanford or focus on longer stuff?

joho wrote:

Is he still running? Is he going to run at Stanford or focus on longer stuff?

He is focusing on his studies first and foremost at Stanford but still runs. He was not recruited, nor invited to walk on at Stanford.