Why don't you see many Asians running in college in the US?

What occurs in U.S. is not evidence of genetics.

Physiologists prefer to measure sprint ability by observing 200 metre dash. China record, 200m dash, 19.88

Japan record, Marathon, 2:05:29.

Race results for events 400m to 10000m for Japanese & Chinese men are not as competitive, I would not state genes necessarily. Training for middle distance races is difficult.

Both China and Japan can produce many sub-21 200m dash athletes. Japan can produce many sub-2:10 Marathoners. Without true hard science evidence, I would not want to state Asians are inferior runners. Listing running times produced by Chinese & Japanese athletes is social science.

Plenty of European-Oriental mixes from Scandinavian, Eastern Bloc dictatorships, and US Occupied Palestine/Israel run in the US NCAA system.

I don’t know if this is PC, but I think a lot of Asian Americans do it as a “participation sport” for college admissions/social reasons. On the men’s side, Chinese and Japanese have been very strong in the short sprints the past few years; the Japanese could pound the US in the marathon or half marathon if scored like an XC meet for the better part of the past few decades; there have been some good Korean runners (Lee Bong-ju won Olympic silver and the Boston Marathon); as well as other strong individuals (Liu Xiang I think is still the only 110m hurdler to have the WR and win gold at Worlds and the Olympics). And Japanese/Koreans/Chinese are similar genetically, if you know about the countries’ history you’d know that parts of China still have “ethnic Koreans” (although the Korean Peninsula was initially populated by Chinese/what are now considered Mongolians) and Japan occupied both China and Korea for a long time last century which led to a lot more mixing. So more cultural than lack of talent.

600yd/600m man wrote:

What occurs in U.S. is not evidence of genetics.

Physiologists prefer to measure sprint ability by observing 200 metre dash. China record, 200m dash, 19.88

Japan record, Marathon, 2:05:29.

Race results for events 400m to 10000m for Japanese & Chinese men are not as competitive, I would not state genes necessarily. Training for middle distance races is difficult.

Both China and Japan can produce many sub-21 200m dash athletes. Japan can produce many sub-2:10 Marathoners. Without true hard science evidence, I would not want to state Asians are inferior runners. Listing running times produced by Chinese & Japanese athletes is social science.

The Chinese men mid-d/distance runners are terrible: 800 (1:46.42), 1500 (3:36.49), 5000 (13:25), 10,000 (28:08), Marathon (2:08:15).

No talent or no emphasis placed on these events for the Chinese men?

OTOH, the Chinese women mid-d/distance runners have produced spectacular times! ?

800 (1:55.54) - 16th all-time.

1500 (3:50.46) - 2nd all-time!

3000 (8:06.11) WR!!!

5000 (14:38.09) 16th all-time.

10,000 (29:31.78) 2nd all-time!

So, what is it here? Incredible talent with an emphasis placed on these events or one of most prolific doping programs ever seen back in the 90's when all these times were set?

They focus on more important things in life, like gaining knowledge instead of dicking around each day pouring majority amounts of thought, time and energy into a stupid endorphin junky activity.

As an Asian, I have to admit I opened this thread with great trepidation, but I don’t disagree with a lot of the stuff said here, especially by the other Asian posters. Decades ago, I went to a mid-sized high school (2500 students) with a very substantial Asian population. I was one of two Asians on the track team, and we both ran distance. I personally ran because I loved sports, and there was no chance I was going to make the football, basketball, or baseball teams being the size of an average white 10 year old.

My guess as to why there were so few of us: (1) we’re only a small fraction of the total population; (2) sports was emphasized - if at all - more as a form of recreation and fitness, not a form of competition and definitely not as something you pour equal amounts of time into as academics; and (3) when I was a kid a long time ago, there was simply no cultural tradition of running so the few of us who existed and took sports seriously didn’t choose running as a sport - we chose tennis and (ironically) basketball. I think if all of the above were exactly the opposite, you’d see faster Asian runners in the United States. I think Japan is some empirical proof of that in marathoning.

I am Sam wrote:

Basement dwellers are now giving us their deep knowledge of Asians

The internet rebuttal of 'basement expert' is now played out, please move onto your next set of observations.

never met an asian in reality that describe themselves as 'the size of an average 10 year old white kid'

Starting in the 1880s Japan brainwashed Asians to think education and science and to forget old ways. Japan wiped out the colonial infrastructure in Asia that the Dutch, British, Americans, Germans, and Russians forced upon Asia to enslave the people and steal their natural resources. Now the entire 3 billion strong Asian peoples are en joying unthinkable prosperity. The best is yes to come.

facts and reason wrote:

1. Asians are a minority, so there is a smaller population to draw talent from.

2. Asian culture places education over sports.

3. Possibly genetics plays a role.

For example, it's rare to see an Asian American in basketball like Jeremy Lin.

https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/sports/basketball/tight-knit-family-shares-lins-achievement.html

"Growing up, some of my mom's friends would tell her that she was wasting everyone's time by letting me play so much basketball."

This quote by Lin is BS. This is some quote that he probably made up in his head and thought to be true after a while. Practically, 99.9% of everyone’s time is a waste playing basketball in terms of making to pro or even to college.

johnfromSJ wrote:

Not trying to be racist, but as an Asian I have to say we have much less running talent compared than other races. A 17 min 5k for an Asian is probably equal to a 16 min 5k for a caucasian. It's apparent at my mostly Asian HS, where the top runner ran a 16 min 5k, whereas the top runner at a mostly white HS would run 15 min. While it's more PC to say that we're more focused on academics, the truth is that we can't keep up in races.

This is total BS. There are races in Japan that have more runners that make the 2:19:59 standard than total Americans for the entire year. The racing culture is different there, and there is likely a difference in families who stay vs those who immigrate.

Obviously there are other Asian countries as well, but to say they have a genetic inferiority to Caucasians and Latinos is baseless.

For me, I feel like it's in part because 99% of American shoes don't fit my feet so I've always had a ton of lower leg issues.

Well there is Kieran Tuntivate who ran for Harvard. He also represented Thailand at the SEA and Asian Games. Probably would have ran at the Olympics had they not been postponed. Was an NCAA indoor qualifier this year but the meet was cancelled. He was born in Delaware to a Thai father and an American mother.

https://www.gocrimson.com/sports/track/2018-19/bios/tuntivate_kieran_19as?view=bio

imconfused wrote:

So letsrun has shifted their racism from blacks to Asians now?

How the hell is his question racist?? Damn give him a break.

Khon Thai wrote:

Well there is Kieran Tuntivate who ran for Harvard. He also represented Thailand at the SEA and Asian Games. Probably would have ran at the Olympics had they not been postponed. Was an NCAA indoor qualifier this year but the meet was cancelled. He was born in Delaware to a Thai father and an American mother.

https://www.gocrimson.com/sports/track/2018-19/bios/tuntivate_kieran_19as?view=bio

I’ve heard of him, but I doubt he counts as an example. Especially because he’s an isolated example. If we’re to talk about how race or ethnicity plays a role in athleticism, which I know is controversial, then the fact that he’s mixed makes that metric obsolete. His Caucasian genes could be more substantial and emphasized in his athleticism.

But, overall I think culture and incentive play a much larger role in a community or country’s running success.

In most Asian countries, kids are taught from a young age that academic success will solve their financial predicaments and bring them wealth. In African countries, kids are exposed to athletics and encouraged to participate. Eventually, if they’ve taken their shot and are good enough, it might also bring them financial success.

Both are different examples of rigor and economic incentives. And it explains why some may be better than others at certain skills.

Cause mom and dad want us to forcus on our studies so we become doctors and lawyers. Running is a distraction

david45 wrote:

Bill guy wrote:

Track and Field don't pay bills.

That doesn't mean anything

It means everything.

Asians stereotype is studies. Not jogging ineffectually around a track, or though the woods.

They are way more pragmatic

Because it's the dork sport in HS. Especially cross country, that everyone tries to make cool by calling it XC.

Realistically tho they're too dang smart to run in college.

VroomVroom wrote:

Because it's the dork sport in HS. Especially cross country, that everyone tries to make cool by calling it XC.

Realistically tho they're too dang smart to run in college.

Running in college is dumb?