4:00 mile at altitude doesn't translate to anything at sea level.

How about a 4 minute mile at 394000 feet? That's gotta be worth at least a 3:55, right?

Maximus wrote:

You do understand that NCAA races are tactical races and who makes finals is not always the fastest runners? You do understand that right? Now whether Casey's altitude time should really have been converted all the way down to 3:54 or not is up for debate, but to use the NCAA mile prelims to confirm your position is pretty silly.

Actually the NCAA prelim wasn't a wait and kick walk, it was a time trial. Everyone knew that 4:01 would get them in, the pace was honest, Casey just wasn't in that league yet.

I think it is worth 1-2 seconds, but nothing more. If you were going up from sea level then it is more substantial 5-6 seconds, but come on 3;54?

You do realize he got third last year at indoor nats, right? He's already proven himself and his "bad race" of 4:01 just proves that he peaked at the wrong time in the season.

And that's why they run the races....

Yeah, remember that time Salazar was saying Dathan Ritzenhein's mile repeats at altitude were worth 4:22 at sea level? That was supposed to be an indicator of great fitness, and yet look how it worked out at NY. Altitude doesn't mean anything.

He had a bad race, and he is a sub 4 miler. He is not a 355 miler either. He should have made the final, but he had a bad race. happens to the best of us.