High Schools should classify distance records by AGE rather than Year in school.

no, the age of the runner doesnt have a major impact on how well they run. However, how long the runner has been training does have an impact on how well they run.

So, knowing that, and knowing that rules are made for the average person (not the individual), the current system is 'bout as good as it'll get.

the average Freshmen are runners that have been running for a year. avg Sophomores - 2 years, avg juniors - 3 years, avg seniors - 4 years.

the only other legit way that i can think of for classification is to classify runners by how many years they have been running or have been doing stamina/endurance sports period (because basketball and especially soccer carry over to running ability).

They should classify the records by maturity. For example, those who don't have pubes yet should be grouped together. Then there should be a group for runners with some pubes, and then a group for the ones with fully grown pubes.

woo buddy wrote:

no, the age of the runner doesnt have a major impact on how well they run.

Bull.

older kids are naturally much stronger than younger kids especially during puberty

your balls havent dropped yet

Bear of Bad News wrote:

[quote]woo buddy wrote:

no, the age of the runner doesnt have a major impact on how well they run.

Wrong...maturity is the major component in how well a youngster performs...I'll take a 25 yr old after training him for a half a year or so any day over a 16 yr old that has run a few years...and who said the 25 yr old may have not been running for a few years as well?...in any case - training or not - he's setting records so that fact right there tells you that maturity wins!

I could be wrong, but I think in California you cannot run a high school race if you are over 19.

There are class records and age records. For example when I was in high school Craig Virgin held the HS record at 8:40.9. He ran that time as 17-year-old. He was the HS record holder, but PRE was the 18-year-old record holder with his 8:41.5. Just as the the new kid Luke is the Frosh new record holder, but Eric Hulst still holds the age 16 record, 8:50.5, Luke ran 8:53.? as a 16-year-old frosh.

you cant turn 19 before September or something of that nature and still retain eligibility. But like others have noted, maturity plays a huge role. As a matter of fact, I was a standout in several teamsports as a youngster, but I was a late bloomer and eventually I was overtaken in 7th 8th and 9th grade by many kids I was far superior to a few years prior based soley on their new found physical strength and muscular physique which I lacked. Its a major reason I eventually gave up all those sporting endeavors and began concentrating soley on distance running.