That's because he is in the U.S. University level math in the U.S. is pretty much Grade 8 everywhere else.Good runners though!
Keen Observer wrote:
He's smarter than most of you guys too:
"A math prodigy, Benjamin began taking classes at Brigham Young University, 10 minutes from their Orem, Utah, home, when he was 14 years old. He has earned an academic scholarship to the school and is on schedule to finish his undergraduate degree in applied mathematics within a year."
Keen Observer wrote:
He's smarter than most of you guys too:
Until it comes to running
This could be your sub 2 hour guy.
Crocs are great running footwear, very lightweight, lots of air circulation and enough cushioning to soak up the miles. What more do you really need in a shoe?
I run a lot in minimalist sandals and it's far more enjoyable than normal shoes but the sole doesn't offer enough protection from long miles on the concrete so it's best to stick to soft trails. I'll buy a pair of crocs and try them out on the roads I think.
As for racing though, there's a certain amount of energy return from some of the foams like Adidas's Boost material etc., which undoubtedly allows for faster times. I feel it's like cheating a bit but certainly keep the crocs for training and the racing flats for race day.
I've spent a great deal of time with Sasha and some with his family, and let's clear up any confusion about the kids being forced to run. Like many kids with good dads, they want to be like him. That includes running. Sasha does many things differently than I ever would, but I have A LOT of respect for him all the same.
Crocs actually have a ton of support and really are just like running shoes in most aspects. Apart from handicapping yourself with heel slippage you might as well just wear running shoes that are similar.
the only good that will come from this is eventually the children will grow up and maybe sneak a chance to try something like a adizero adios boost and instantly set amazing PRs
then they will start to question everything else they've been taught
and finally their minds (and bodies) will be free
LDS is cult, for some reason a socially accepted one, but I guess even scientology given 200 years might become tolerated as well with all it's insanity
"Pachev says they last for about 2,000 miles of running."
2 THOUSAND MILES
wat
Suck it, Nike Vaporflys...
Crocs are the new cheater shoes.
Why is everyone forgetting the fact that an 18 year old kid ran a 1:11:53 half marathon regardless of the shoes?.....That's a pretty badass time for a US kid
I really want to see someone running fast in crocs. In my mind it just can't work.
No video?
almost 85% age-graded, it's nearly world-class level, imagine if he had used real shoes
WR for 18-yo is 59:15 Samuel Wanjiru Kamau (KEN) 11 Sep 2005 Rotterdam
you can't see him at speed but you can see him at the start run off in crocs in the video here
http://cf.c.ooyala.com/JmbXY0YjE64xwN49Z73gqOu7KVWO7y9A/DOcJ-FxaFrRg4gtDEwOmk2OjBrO6qGv_?_=266z8
in case that doesn't play, source:
http://fox59.com/2017/05/09/teen-finishes-16th-in-500-festival-mini-marathon-while-wearing-crocs/
cheater shoes wrote:
I really want to see someone running fast in crocs. In my mind it just can't work.
No video?
Benjamin ran 8:53 3000 in the USATF Junior Olympics last year in Sacramento in Crocs as usual, here is the official video, you might have to get a subscription, though:
http://www.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?do=videos&event_id=463&video_id=185022&utm_source=athleticdotnet&utm_medium=videothumb&utm_campaign=athleticdotnetbiosBenjamin Pachev 17 M Orem UT 21 2/67 21/3318
33:08 5:21 28 1:09:34 5:19
What exactly is the point of crocs though? They are shoes. Why not just get proper shoes that satisfy whatever point is being made by wearing crocs?
zxvxzcv wrote:
Okay, don't belabor us with the notion that BYU is a serious academic school.
In 2012, BYU's math olympiad team took 7th in the William Lowell Putnam competition (results for the December 2012 competition were available in Apr 2013).
http://universe.byu.edu/2013/04/08/byu-mathletes-driven-by-creativity-take-on-the-putnam/https://math.byu.edu/blog/record-breaking-putnam-results/Their undergraduate mathematics program is very good.
Ez_Mar wrote:
Sasha Pachev wrote:It is an interesting discussion, though, to see what happens over several generations if everybody down the line stays away from alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful substances, is physically active, eats meat in moderation, and consumes a lot of fruit and vegetables.
This would have no impact on genetics over multiple generations. End of discussion.
incorrect
TroLLminator wrote:
Would someone please get Renato in here...
Sasha Pachev wrote:Guys, I was not the original poster. I am actually a bit surprised this event got so much attention - Benjamin ran 1:09:34 in the Monumental Half in Crocs without too many people noticing.
To answer some questions - I am originally from Russia, been here since 1993. My wife is American, originally from Texas. I am an LDS convert, her parents converted not too long before she was born, so we do not have Mormon pioneer genes. Our genes are not that great - not completely terrible, but I've seen lots of kids in the US that have much better genes. It is an interesting discussion, though, to see what happens over several generations if everybody down the line stays away from alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful substances, is physically active, eats meat in moderation, and consumes a lot of fruit and vegetables. It would be hard to find a perfect sample over multiple generations even among those who have pioneer lineage - members of our faith are pretty good at abstaining from alcohol and tobacco, but not as good at eating healthy and exercising.
It will obviously depend on the runner, but if you grew up running in Crocs (like my kids) or various shoes without a whole lot of support (myself), there is no significant difference between a Croc and a racing flat in terms of speed. When I was 18 I specifically trained for the 800 for about 6 months and ran 2:12 in spikes. When I was 37, I specifically trained for the 800 for a month and was able to run 2:12 again in Crocs. When I was 31, after some sprint training I ran 2:14 wearing racing flats. At the age of 17 I ran 27.5 200 in spikes. At the age of 37 I was able to run 28 low in Crocs. I have not done precise experiments switching shoes between intervals so I would really compare apples to apples, but my feeling is that I would not see a whole lot of difference even at sprint speeds.
It is not so much the shoe as it is the runner. With some experience you can train yourself to adapt to a variety of shoes. Ultimately it is all about the power of your legs relative to your body weight and your aerobic capacity.
I have approached Crocs in the past about the sponsorship, but they did not want to pursue it. Maybe it will be different this time. But at this point we have not been paid by Crocs to do anything - we just have been using them for reasons stated in the articles above.
I think if Crocs wants some publicity, for the order of magnitude of around $100K or so, or possibly even less, they can find a young man in East Africa with the talent and work ethic to run sub-60:00 that grew up running barefoot or almost barefoot, then pay him to train in Crocs for a couple of months to get used to it, pick a good race, hire some pacers, and he will run sub-60:00 in Crocs. I'll make sure to try to sell them this idea if they ever talk to me with a listening ear.
Crocs don't have any effect on elite Africans.
Atras more or less wrote:
What exactly is the point of crocs though? They are shoes. Why not just get proper shoes that satisfy whatever point is being made by wearing crocs?
Sasha, weren't you all using Walmart's off-brand crocs for a long time? Something like $8 a pair, IIRC. 2000 miles for $8.
Is there a rule against attaching a helium balloon to yourself while running a road race?
Am I living in the twilight zone? The Boston Marathon weather was terrible!
How rare is it to run a sub 5 minute mile AND bench press 225?
Move over Mark Coogan, Rojo and John Kellogg share their 3 favorite mile workouts
Mark Coogan says that if you could only do 3 workouts as a 1500m runner you should do these
Red Bull (who sponsors Mondo) calls Mondo the pole vaulting Usain Bolt. Is that a fair comparison?