How do you stop a faster varsity runner from running with a slower runner?

Send your varsity on one loop and your jv on another. Bascially split them up by putting them in two different groups. Or just tell them that you have individual paces that they should run based on their race performances. Therefore, have 1-3 run together, 4-5 together, and so on. If they don't like it than they can find some other sport or activity to do.

it will probably be good for him in the end. It probably means he is running 7:30-8:00 minute pace rather than sub 7.

Ask Tanya Harding, Jeff Gillooly, and Shawn Eckhardt to take care of said friend!

As long as he races well, why do you give a damn? It's attitudes like this that leave the depth of US running where it is - most College and HS group running is too fast for many runners. He'll find his own "rhythm" - don't assume that keeping up with people is better for his development. Some people like to train fast on runs, some don't. I trained with a HSer who ran rarely faster than 7min/mile on runs, but his specific work was much faster (he ran 8.00 for 3000m in HS). Whatever works for the athlete to race well.

Read the WEJO article on training, and realize that the athlete has to learn their own way - it's called patience. If they start racing poorly then that is the time to bring up issues like this - as for now it seems that it's YOUR lack of vision that is the problem, not his training habits.

Not the answer you might be looking for - but I think it's great that your runner cares about the other runner so much. If you had other runners like him/her, you'd have hoards of runners joining your team. Who knows.... that slow friend might get the right kind of motivation and encouragement and make huge improvements, thanks to their faster friend, which in the end helps you.

If not, eventually, the slower friend will make friends with some other slower runners and encourage the faster runner to go ahead and run faster.

Also, hs running is ALL about having fun. As a coach, if you don't stress this, you will not have any runners at all. Yes, winning is much more fun than losing and hard work is fun, too, but runners want to run and be with their friends, basically. TEACH them this. Running and winning are great, but friendship and helping others is more important.

Not the answer you might be looking for - but I think it's great that your runner cares about the other runner so much. If you had other runners like him/her, you'd have hoards of runners joining your team. Who knows.... that slow friend might get the right kind of motivation and encouragement and make huge improvements, thanks to their faster friend, which in the end helps you.

If not, eventually, the slower friend will make friends with some other slower runners and encourage the faster runner to go ahead and run faster.

Also, hs running is ALL about having fun. As a coach, if you don't stress this, you will not have any runners at all. Yes, winning is much more fun than losing and hard work is fun, too, but runners want to run and be with their friends, basically. TEACH them this. Running and winning are great, but friendship and helping others is more important.

Not the answer you might be looking for - but I think it's great that your runner cares about the other runner so much. If you had other runners like him/her, you'd have hoards of runners joining your team. Who knows.... that slow friend might get the right kind of motivation and encouragement and make huge improvements, thanks to their faster friend, which in the end helps you.

If not, eventually, the slower friend will make friends with some other slower runners and encourage the faster runner to go ahead and run faster.

Also, hs running is ALL about having fun. As a coach, if you don't stress this, you will not have any runners at all. Yes, winning is much more fun than losing and hard work is fun, too, but runners want to run and be with their friends, basically. TEACH them this. Running and winning are great, but friendship and helping others is more important.

there's a talented runner on my team who also runs with the slower guys. He says he does it in order to give the younger guys leadership. In reality, a big part of the reason is because he doesn't like hard workouts.

I know you said your runner does it to be kind to his slower friend, but I bet he also likes to because it's much easier. Maybe you should ask him to run with the faster guys, because he is a valuable part of the team and you want him to improve. Tell him there will be lots of time to talk talk to his friend before and after meets and practices

make him run faster, he's hurting the team by not doing his best

allow him to run however he wants, he'll have more fun and end up enjoying running more

...CONTROL......FREAK....