Does a fast 800m = sub four for a mile?

I would be pretty confident that everyone in the 800 final at the olympics has run sub 4 or a 1500 equivalent sub 4

They all COULD, but for the speed-based runners the training it would take would work against them being their best at 800.

Rudisha could do it tomorrow.

sorry but wrote:

They all COULD, but for the speed-based runners the training it would take would work against them being their best at 800.

Rudisha wouldn't need to change his training. My guess is that he is closer to 3:30 than 3:42. A 1:40 guy isn't going to be bothered by 4 more laps at 60 second pace.

right. 60 per lap is slightly faster than threshold pace for DR?

Juanto tried the 1500 but only got to 3:45 before injuries did him in. It is really hard for a big guy to run far.

Not necessarily! A 400/800 runner cannot simply be assumed to have a good 1500 in him. After all, how many top class 400 runners could churn out a good 800?

As well as the male 800 guys who struggled, relatively, to run a good 1500, didn't Maria Mutola also struggle when she tried her hand at 1500?

I don't think there is any top 800 guy that couldn't run 3:40 right now.

I think it's funny that this website debates whether a fast 400m runner could break 5 in the mile, but a fast 800m will have no problem breaking 4

shouldn't Rudisha's world's best 500 cut against his ability to run the mile according to everyone here?

qqa wrote:

sorry but wrote:

They all COULD, but for the speed-based runners the training it would take would work against them being their best at 800.

Rudisha wouldn't need to change his training. My guess is that he is closer to 3:30 than 3:42. A 1:40 guy isn't going to be bothered by 4 more laps at 60 second pace.

You know very little about speed-based 800 runners and training, then. Rudisha, Solomon, Juantarena, Gray types can't just go and smash a 1500 any more than Merritt can just go smash an 800.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Juanto tried the 1500 but only got to 3:45 before injuries did him in. It is really hard for a big guy to run far.

Yup

[quote]mark b wrote:

Not necessarily! A 400/800 runner cannot simply be assumed to have a good 1500 in him. After all, how many top class 400 runners could churn out a good 800?

/quote]

I would happily take the bet that Rudisha could break 4 any day of the week.

your drills are my stretching wrote:

I think it's funny that this website debates whether a fast 400m runner could break 5 in the mile, but a fast 800m will have no problem breaking 4

shouldn't Rudisha's world's best 500 cut against his ability to run the mile according to everyone here?

Downhill 500m. Mark English in 2nd also ran sub 58 and his best 500m indoors was set this year with 60.9. The course is about 1.5 seconds fast.

The 500m race also proved that endurance is key in the 500m. Rudisha smoked Rooney. Pretty sure Martyn ran a sub 44s relay leg in Rio also.

500m is the fair midpoint between 400m and 800m athletes.

To your second comment a mile race is an 80% aerobic exercise. The 100m is less than 10% aerobic. The 800m is about 50-60% aerobic. Any idiot can see that a sub 4 mile for an elite 800m guy is easier than a sub 5 mile for a pure sprinter.

Also your use of language is deliberately misleading.

Bolt might be a "good" 400m guy (low 46 now based on his past performances), but Rudisha is The GREATEST 800M GUY THAT EVER LIVED. Not "good". If Kipketer didn't get in Rudisha's way at 450m then Rudy would have broken 1:42 in Rio for the 8th time in his career.

* "fast", not "good".

Apologies

Metric Miler wrote:

Also your use of language is deliberately misleading.

yes

Metric Miler wrote:

I don't think there is any top 800 guy that couldn't run 3:40 right now.

Depends what you consider "top." It's harder for 4/8 guys than people think. Brandon Johnson, a 1:43 guy, has run a few 15s and I don't think he's gone under 3:50. Were he to train for 15 exclusively, yeah, I have no doubts he'd break 3:40, but a 4/8 guy focuses on having the speed to put down a 49s first lap without gassing himself, and the endurance to hold on for a sub-55 second lap is secondary.

kimani wrote:

Metric Miler wrote:

I don't think there is any top 800 guy that couldn't run 3:40 right now.

Depends what you consider "top." It's harder for 4/8 guys than people think. Brandon Johnson, a 1:43 guy, has run a few 15s and I don't think he's gone under 3:50. Were he to train for 15 exclusively, yeah, I have no doubts he'd break 3:40, but a 4/8 guy focuses on having the speed to put down a 49s first lap without gassing himself, and the endurance to hold on for a sub-55 second lap is secondary.

Brandon Johnson's actually run 3:45 in the 1500

Bad Wigins wrote:

Juanto tried the 1500 but only got to 3:45 before injuries did him in. It is really hard for a big guy to run far.

He was injured BEFORE that 3:45 if I recall correctly. He was also MORE speed based than Rudisha. So that is evidence that Rudisha could do it.

yyy wrote:

right. 60 per lap is slightly faster than threshold pace for DR?

I didn't say anything about it being slightly faster than threshold pace. Why did you respond to me?