Is a sub 2:30 marathon considered elite?

Sub 2:30 would be considered a "regional elite".

These guys can win a lot of the races in their surrounding area (as long as there isn't a hefty race purse to attrach C-level Kenyans) but they aren't competitive at any national caliber competitions. They might win something like the the Fargo Marathon or some marathon in Maine as long as no Kenyans feel like slumming for a thousand bucks or less.

Below reigional elite is "local elite". Depending on the area, that is probably about 2:45 or so. You can win small marathons that offer a couple hundreds bucks at most, or maybe a gift certificate.

Sub 2:30 will get you into the elite field of almost every marathon in the USA.

But, most of this board will give you their own personal standards of "elite" which are much harder than that and get offended by a 2:29 marathoner being called "elite."

In my opinion

Anyone that runs 2:18 and under could be considered professional runner. In many countries you are # 1 with that time.

I think the worst stage to be as a runner is 2:19 to 2:25 range !! You are close to being real elite but sub elite is more of the term. It all depends on the races organizations . Some will consider 2:30 elite but there is a huge difference between sub. 2:20 elite and 2:30 !!!

If the prize purse is 1000$ guys under 2:20 won't run

If the prize pursue is. 2000$ dollars then as someone said C Kenyans will be there. They will go out with 1:10/1:15 to clean up. Go fast then rest and jog home and call it a day

Coachxc81 wrote:

It all depends on the races organizations . Some will consider 2:30 elite

VIRTUALLY ALL of them consider 2:30 elite, even the huge ones.

I have a 2:29 from my first marathon. I don't consider myself within 15, maybe 20 minutes of elite. Look at it this way. I could run a 10K PR and would still be way behind the leaders at NY.

I think for men NY considers 2:35 the cut-off for sub-elites.

In the US, it would be considered sub-elite. Not elite. In the US, elite should be sub 2:20 mainly because there is such a huge difference in what it takes to break 2:30 and what it take to break 2:20.

2:30 is about 15 minutes slower than the women's world record.

No, it is not elite for guys.

It sort of depends on how you define elite, but for the purposes of a website that follows professional running and has a US bias, I'll assume elite is a runner that is at least approaching national class (for USA).

2:30 is a very good amateur marathon time. It is a long, long way from elite.

However, since large marathons have relatively small elite fields, putting faster runners like 230 guys up near the professional/olympic hopeful type runners can work well as long as they don't try to get in the way of the real race or attempt to garner undue attention (like that guy claiming to have helped "paced" Meb to his boston win).

Precious Roy wrote:

In the US, it would be considered sub-elite. Not elite. In the US, elite should be sub 2:20 mainly because there is such a huge difference in what it takes to break 2:30 and what it take to break 2:20.

Complete non sequitur. There is a huge difference in what it takes to break 2:20 and what it takes to break 2:10 therefore only 2:10 is elite.

Look at the equivalent times. What's a 2:30 worth, maybe 15:30/32:00? I don't think many people would argue that a decent DIII team's 5th man is an elite runner.

15:30/32:00 = a fifth man on a DIII squad?

Jimmy Johnston wrote:

2:30 is about 15 minutes slower than the women's world record.

No, it is not elite for guys.

Obviously, elite is relative. If you can go sub 2:30 you are not just some casual runner. However, sub-elite is probably more descriptive.

I like the age-graded tables. If you can get within 90% of the WR that ought to be good enough to be considered world class ( sub 2:18), which ought to be good enough to satisfy this crowd as the elite level?

Ho Hum wrote:

Look at the equivalent times. What's a 2:30 worth, maybe 15:30/32:00? I don't think many people would argue that a decent DIII team's 5th man is an elite runner.

"Equivalent" times don't mean shit. Look up the number of people per year who actually accomplish each. Probably less than 500 for the 2:30 marathon and like 5,000 for the 5k.

Depends on how you define "elite". Depends on year. There's an old thread here listing a very deep US marathon performance list for 2005. So for example. ..2:32:45 was I think 330th best by a US citizen that year...also best by a KY resident that year.

So depends on context

Alan

know-it-all joe wrote:

Ho Hum wrote:

Look at the equivalent times. What's a 2:30 worth, maybe 15:30/32:00? I don't think many people would argue that a decent DIII team's 5th man is an elite runner.

"Equivalent" times don't mean shit. Look up the number of people per year who actually accomplish each. Probably less than 500 for the 2:30 marathon and like 5,000 for the 5k.

Most talented runners stop running after high school (1600, 3200, XC), or college (up to 10,000 on track, XC , excepting NAIA). Not a fair comparison. A 2:30 runner is 3.5 miles from the finish line when a 210 guy crosses the line.

The problem with this question is that the term "elite" is very vague and also very narrow.

U would call all NBA players elite. The are playing on professional teams. They have reached the elite level of their sport. How many players are there in the NBA? Something like 300-400

The problem with our sport is that the weekend pick up game players are on the same court as the elite

For our sport I would use a broad selection criteria to be considered elite at some level be it regionally, nationally, or world wide elite.

World wide elite: OG/WC medalists. Major marathon top 3. WR holder. Using this criteria not many US runners can call themselves elite.

Nationally elite: US trials medalists. US record holder.

Regionally elite: very broad selection. Have you gotten free gear from being on a local team? Have you won prize money?

Gear and prize money is elite at some level and so yes a sub 2:30 marathon. ..due partially to not many runners even attempting marathons...could be considered regionally elite.

Meanwhile the 300th best basketball player in the NBA is laughing at this argument. ..

Alan

Bring Back the 880 wrote:

know-it-all joe wrote:

"Equivalent" times don't mean shit. Look up the number of people per year who actually accomplish each. Probably less than 500 for the 2:30 marathon and like 5,000 for the 5k.

Most talented runners stop running after high school (1600, 3200, XC), or college (up to 10,000 on track, XC , excepting NAIA). Not a fair comparison. A 2:30 runner is 3.5 miles from the finish line when a 210 guy crosses the line.

You're preaching to the choir, but an "equivalency calculator" isn't a fair comparison either. They tell you would theoretically could/should happen, not what DOES happen. If you've reached XYZ competitive level in your event, you're elite, I don't give a damn what the calculator says.

I agree with Alan though, it's not really a well-defined question to bother answering.

Breathe in breathe out wrote:

Sub 2:30 will get you into the elite field of almost every marathon in the USA.

Breathe in breathe out wrote:

Coachxc81 wrote:

It all depends on the races organizations . Some will consider 2:30 elite

VIRTUALLY ALL of them consider 2:30 elite, even the huge ones.

This is so, so wrong. If you define being "in the elite field" as a seeded number and comped entry, then 2:30 is very rarely enough, and NEVER enough at a major race. You need 2:30 just to be in the sub-elite program at Twin Cities.

Now, 2:30 will win a lot of marathons, but they aren't marathons that even have elite fields. I once won a months' rent in a marathon, but I paid my entry fee, had a 4 digit bib and lined up early to make sure I was at the front.