I am 57 - any chance of me running sub-15?

I can still do 2 miles in 15 minutes without too much effort and I am 52. Just keep working hard.

Clean or with PEDs? 🤔

Hell no!

masters record at 57 is 15 mins ,at 50 is 14:52.

At 60 it is 16:12

15 to 16 mins at the age of 50 is impressive and would get victories in lot of mid profile races, and age group victories hands down.

But you would have to be on Pete Mcgills level.

at the age of 60 I just want to be in 18 min shape.

Screwball Jackson wrote:

I am pretty fit but know it's a big challenge. I am running a lot of doubles now but tell me how I might improve my training to break 15 minutes. Thanks!

Its easy if you can do it: VO2max pace intervals at 4:47 mile pace,

lactate threshold intervals at 5:12 mile pace and at last normal distance

pace at 6:40 mile pace. Looks easy? Not so easy to do when 57. And my advice is to cut off most doubles, at least on workout days.

But good luck with a try :)

Screwball Jackson wrote:

I am pretty fit but know it's a big challenge. I am running a lot of doubles now but tell me how I might improve my training to break 15 minutes. Thanks!

What is your 55+ pb? Fyi that the 55-59 record is 15:42.

Not easy to do?

It's never been done. No 57 year old has ever run sub 15 mins!

Maybe a person who is 30 now might do it when he turns 57, but a 57 year old is not going to do it now.

Notlikely wrote:

Screwball Jackson wrote:

I am pretty fit but know it's a big challenge. I am running a lot of doubles now but tell me how I might improve my training to break 15 minutes. Thanks!

What is your 55+ pb? Fyi that the 55-59 record is 15:42.

My last race was in 1991. To be honest I am shooting for sub16 - not 15.

New magic wrote:

Its easy if you can do it: VO2max pace intervals at 4:47 mile pace,

lactate threshold intervals at 5:12 mile pace and at last normal distance

pace at 6:40 mile pace. Looks easy? Not so easy to do when 57. And my advice is to cut off most doubles, at least on workout days.

But good luck with a try :)

What? C'mon man!...to do that kind of stuff at age *57* you either have to be a genetically gifted ageless-wonder who very seldom gets injured or the use of PEDs.

Voice of Reason wrote:

New magic wrote:

Its easy if you can do it: VO2max pace intervals at 4:47 mile pace,

lactate threshold intervals at 5:12 mile pace and at last normal distance

pace at 6:40 mile pace. Looks easy? Not so easy to do when 57. And my advice is to cut off most doubles, at least on workout days.

But good luck with a try :)

What? C'mon man!...to do that kind of stuff at age *57* you either have to be a genetically gifted ageless-wonder who very seldom gets injured or the use of PEDs.

You are of course right. And the OP will find out the hard way. lol

If you want to run fast at 57, you have to do two things.

1. be a pretty good runner in college.

2. Take a 25 yr. break, then start training again and be patient.

From a broken down old racehorse running on barrowed time, here's my thoughts of the day on this subject:

Q. What do you call a very fast, highly competitive runner over 50?

A. LUCKY! 😄

Q. What do you call a highly competitive cyclist over 50?

A. A former runner! 😅

(I actually heard these from a sports medicine doctor 😉).

Records aside what are respectable times for that age group?

Maybe Bernard Lagat at 57 could get close, but not you.

get real dude wrote:

Maybe Bernard Lagat at 57 could get close, but not you.

The times he runs at his age are alien...what's up with that?

Screwball Jackson wrote:

I am pretty fit but know it's a big challenge. I am running a lot of doubles now but tell me how I might improve my training to break 15 minutes. Thanks!

Tell you what, proof, when and if you break 17:00, and I'll pull a Rojo, making a $250.00 donation to charity of your choice. Break 16:00 and make it $2500 and $25000 for breaking 15:00.

None. Zero.Zilch.Nada.

Unfortunately your ability to recover will greatly reduce your chances. Running volume is good but the quality will have to be very good as well. Sample week :

Sunday Long run 75-100 minutes of running

Monday AM OFF

PM Recovery 40-45 minutes

Tuesday AM easy 30-35 minutes

PM wup then 2 mile tempo at 5:10 per mile 3 minutes rest 5x800m at 3k pace with 2 minutes recovery warm down

Wednesday running how you feel 60-70 minutes

Thursday AM easy 30-35 minutes

PM warm up then 8x400m with 200 float 400's in 70-72 with 200m in 40-42 should be 3 miles on track aim for 15 minutes total time. You will find this much harder than it looks

Friday Rest or easy 30-35 minutes

Saturday Hilly progressive run 45-60 minutes surging hills

Good luck but yes it will be very difficult!

coahc wrote:

Unfortunately your ability to recover will greatly reduce your chances. Running volume is good but the quality will have to be very good as well. Sample week :

Sunday Long run 75-100 minutes of running

Monday AM OFF

PM Recovery 40-45 minutes

Tuesday AM easy 30-35 minutes

PM wup then 2 mile tempo at 5:10 per mile 3 minutes rest 5x800m at 3k pace with 2 minutes recovery warm down

Wednesday running how you feel 60-70 minutes

Thursday AM easy 30-35 minutes

PM warm up then 8x400m with 200 float 400's in 70-72 with 200m in 40-42 should be 3 miles on track aim for 15 minutes total time. You will find this much harder than it looks

Friday Rest or easy 30-35 minutes

Saturday Hilly progressive run 45-60 minutes surging hills

Good luck but yes it will be very difficult!

This is being done without injury for a 57 yr old? I'm mid-50s and would blow apart by the Thursday PM track workout just within the first week of trying this workout 😁 This is simply Alien for any 57 yr old to complete this type of volume, intensity & speed week after week without injury (5:10 tempo pace?, 8x400 in 70 secs?, over 400 mins of running per week? Holy Crapola!

If you can't do this you can't run under 15 minutes. Get the point! I could make it easier but we all know that it isn't what it seems! There is a false believe that running fast is easy. It's not! Ok the Tuesday session is a little hard and yes would probably change the 5x800 at 3k to 5k pace. Might even go with 2 hard sessions and leave out the progressive run on Saturday. The facts are that U15 is not achievable by 95-97% of the population much less a 57 year old who thinks that doubles will help you achieve your goal.