BrianE wrote:
Could anyone run a 5 minute mile? No.
Could most non-disabled men in their 20s run a 5 minute mile if they trained enough for it? Yes. Even then, the percentage of them that could do it wouldn't be anywhere near 100%, it would be around 60% or so.
I know this is an old thread that has been resurrected, but you've GOT to be kidding.
You think 60% of non-disabled men could run a 5 minute mile? Good Lord I hope you're in a legal state smoking what you're smoking.
Have you never run with athletes from other sports? Many of them run a TON (wrestlers for example) and have low body fat (wrestlers for example) and couldn't run a 6:00 minute mile let alone a 5:00 minute mile to save their lives. I'm sure you'll say it's different training. How is it that the non-fat kid who runs HS track for 4 years and he runs a PR of 5:58? I guess he's just in the 40% who can't?
Good grief, you can go find professional athletes and look at their teams, and even THEY can't get down to a 5:00 minute mile (not 60% of them!)...and THEY are professional athletes!
a 5 minute mile is VERY fast for average people. Most of them couldn't do TWO LAPS at that pace let alone a while mile.
1-2% MAX is what could do it, and that's if they are properly trained. NO amount of training could get Louie Anderson to run a 5-minute mile, even if he were 30 years old.
Even for those who go out for track in high school, are fit, thin, have some sense that they are 'fast', even in THAT group, not 60% of them break 5 minutes.
I can't believe so many of you think this is just done with some training. Gotta have the physical talent to be trained to get to 5. That is only evident in 1-2% of MALES. For females, it's WAY less than that even.