Steve Spence continues his 37 year streak of sub 5:00 min. mile tonight with a 4:52.9 Story Inside!

Still not impressed and here's why. 37 years, but can do it at any time of year and only has to break a time that is mildly challenging for him given his ability even at that age. Now if you told me he has broken 5 once per week for the last 37 years, sure that would be impressive even for a guy of his ability for the consistency through potential injury, etc. reasons you mentioned. But to do it once per year where he can train up for it and still only have to do a time that probably isn't that hard for him to do, I'm mean cool and all but not spectacular or hard to believe he did it or anything.

45 and no problem running a 4:52. My streak though would have ended last year because of injury. Anticipate breaking 5:00 well into my 50's but doubt I'll even do it 5 in a row. Steve's accomplishment is quite impressive.

Bring Back the Mile Salutes Steve Spence!

Get your Mile on between Sept 3-16 for the Magic Mile Global Team Challenge. Show the Brits and the rest of the world that the Mile is America's distance; see:

http://bringbackthemile.com/news/detail/bring_back_the_mile_accepts_magic_mile_global_team_challenge

2012xxx wrote:

Still not impressed and here's why. 37 years, but can do it at any time of year and only has to break a time that is mildly challenging for him given his ability even at that age. Now if you told me he has broken 5 once per week for the last 37 years, sure that would be impressive even for a guy of his ability for the consistency through potential injury, etc. reasons you mentioned. But to do it once per year where he can train up for it and still only have to do a time that probably isn't that hard for him to do, I'm mean cool and all but not spectacular or hard to believe he did it or anything.

You obviously haven't hit 50 yet. Running is hard enough, but as you get older it is tough enough just to stay healthy for extended periods. To break 5 might seem fairly easy, the body doesn't always agree.

Glad to hear that Steve can still get it going after all these years. If I could get my hands on an Olympia right now I'd raise a toast to him. Cheers to 38 next summer.

Someone said 4:52 isn't impressive at any age. Really? not at four? Or 86?

In this instance 'someone' is a troll.

Critical evaluation of running performance is central to this forum.

With regards to Spence's 4:52.9 mile, I can understand the viewpoints of most of the posters. Certainly, the viewpoints are reflective of their own age and individual running talent.

Athletic performance decline with age might be 'the bigger they, are the harder they fall.'

I read Al Salazar runs 4 miles/day at 8 minute pace. Could he break 5 minute/mile?

Easy Depends wrote:

45 and no problem running a 4:52. My streak though would have ended last year because of injury. Anticipate breaking 5:00 well into my 50's but doubt I'll even do it 5 in a row. Steve's accomplishment is quite impressive.

4:54 at 48, felt easy

5:00 at 50 and 51, that was hard!

5:11 at 52, 5:07 53, 5:03 54; now those were very very hard (but liking the trend at least)

A lot are missing the bigger picture. Spence was a great runner in his day, DII blue collar and all, and he's still at it an among his goals is to keep breaking 5 for as long as he can. That is cool, and best of luck to his coaching and to his team.

Hp wrote:

You obviously haven't hit 50 yet. Running is hard enough, but as you get older it is tough enough just to stay healthy for extended periods. To break 5 might seem fairly easy, the body doesn't always agree.

Glad to hear that Steve can still get it going after all these years. If I could get my hands on an Olympia right now I'd raise a toast to him. Cheers to 38 next summer.

not everyone ages at the same rate.

eujy wrote:

Wasn't there an Irish guy who had a 20+ year streak of breaking 2:00 in the 800? Not THAT (to me) was an imopressive streak!

Noel Carroll, the old Villanova half miler who died at 54 or so.

eujy wrote:

Wasn't there an Irish guy who had a 20+ year streak of breaking 2:00 in the 800? Not THAT (to me) was an imopressive streak!

That would be an impressive streak, although I would bet that Johnny Gray could have a streak longer than that if wanted to do so.

AlSal is running more than 4 miles a day at 8 minute pace regardless of what proof you can provide. Have you seen him with his shirt off recently?

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/248216-2012-London-Olympic-Games/video/653702-Interview-Galen-Rupp-Olympic-silver-medallist-at-the-10000m-in-London

AK-54 wrote:

Easy Depends wrote:

45 and no problem running a 4:52. My streak though would have ended last year because of injury. Anticipate breaking 5:00 well into my 50's but doubt I'll even do it 5 in a row. Steve's accomplishment is quite impressive.

4:54 at 48, felt easy

5:00 at 50 and 51, that was hard!

5:11 at 52, 5:07 53, 5:03 54; now those were very very hard (but liking the trend at least)

A lot are missing the bigger picture. Spence was a great runner in his day, DII blue collar and all, and he's still at it an among his goals is to keep breaking 5 for as long as he can. That is cool, and best of luck to his coaching and to his team.

What was your mile PR in your prime?

162430 wrote:

AlSal is running more than 4 miles a day at 8 minute pace regardless of what proof you can provide. Have you seen him with his shirt off recently?

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/248216-2012-London-Olympic-Games/video/653702-Interview-Galen-Rupp-Olympic-silver-medallist-at-the-10000m-in-London

He probably would never attempt an all out mile

In 2007 at the age of 48 AlSal went 14 minutes without a pulse. Before the heart attack he said he was running 4 to 5 miles a day 6 days a week at 7 to 7:30 pace.

2007 interview after the attack with Amby:

Video showing current running form of AlSal.Go to 38 seconds into the interview.

2012xxx wrote:

AK-54 wrote:

4:54 at 48, felt easy

5:00 at 50 and 51, that was hard!

5:11 at 52, 5:07 53, 5:03 54; now those were very very hard (but liking the trend at least)

A lot are missing the bigger picture. Spence was a great runner in his day, DII blue collar and all, and he's still at it an among his goals is to keep breaking 5 for as long as he can. That is cool, and best of luck to his coaching and to his team.

What was your mile PR in your prime?

4:26 mile, 4:05 1500

Sounds like you underperformed as a youngster and your body has never been over worked so now you are a competitive 54 year old. Was it your goal to always suck when you were younger so you can make fun of the Olympians as they get older and you never really slowed down. The balls on this guy.

The Billys are MUCH more impressive than all those Steves mentioned.

Billy Idol

Billy Squier

Billy Thorpe

Billy Joel

Billy Ocean

Billy Jean

Billy Gibbons

Billy Clinton

Billy Mills

2 cert wrote:

Sounds like you underperformed as a youngster and your body has never been over worked so now you are a competitive 54 year old. Was it your goal to always suck when you were younger so you can make fun of the Olympians as they get older and you never really slowed down. The balls on this guy.

You may want to do a little more training for your reading comprehension. Both Ak-54 and Easy Depends were COMPLIMENTARY of Steve's streak and his running.

You are the only one that looks like an idiot denigrating someone for something they didn't do.

2 cert wrote:

Sounds like you underperformed as a youngster and your body has never been over worked so now you are a competitive 54 year old. Was it your goal to always suck when you were younger so you can make fun of the Olympians as they get older and you never really slowed down. The balls on this guy.

2/10, not bad.

I started late (19) didn't have much coaching in college (basically self coached and over-trained) and the mile was never the focus although I gave it my best shot over 3-4 seasons in my 20s (if I recall correctly at ages 20, 22, 27, 28). Yes I was never that good, but actually overtrained in my early 20s, had it about right in my mid 20s (10K and marathon), but perhaps undertrained later (when I ran faster).

Have aged okay, relatively speaking, but I'm in awe of these guys who say they ran 15:20s as open runners and still running sub 16 in their 40s and 50s.

Re the former Olympians like Spence and Coogan. I have nothing but the deepest respect for them.