ALL RUNNERS IN AMERICA WITH AVERAGE SPEED ARE CAPABLE OF........

Based on the cited numbers, you can apparently blow by Geb at the end of a 5k? If not, do you think aerobic conditioning might have a bit more to do with it than your natural speed (which you probably didn't work very hard to develop)?

yea Im a 30.20 guy and can run 50.5 all the time without training. I guess some of us have it.

Another Face in the Crowd wrote:

The Shwab Stumber wrote:

2:05

4:30

9:50

16:48

34:37

1:20

2:48

Are you Crazy? average guy at 2:48? or 4:30 for a mile, have you ever been to a high school meet? way to fast.

I don't think anyone can really run a 2:05 half if they can only crank out 57 or 58 second auarter too.

"I don't think anyone can really run a 2:05 half if they can only crank out 57 or 58 second auarter too"

I can

Gee, Al Salazar was ridiculously slow for the quarter compared to other elite men, probably could not hit 55 seconds, but he ran 13:11 for 5km, 27:25 for 10km, and 2:08 for the marathon. Lopes was another without much speed, about the same as Salazar, but won an Olympic gold in the marathon, set a world best in the marathon, won three world xc championships, and ran 13:18 and 27:18 for 5k and 10k. If have no speed by nature, then you probably have a lot of room for growth on the endurance end of the spectrum. Tinman

Assuming a gaussian distribution of times and the given stipulations:

2:10

4:51

10:15

17:00 ish

35:10

dunno

dunno

My main problem with this is the "willingness to train" condition. This is not a yes or no thing, it is more of a variable by degrees. Oh well.

I never said that aerobic conditioning did'nt have alot to do with it but raw speed is a must to be sucessful in colliegte and national levels. O and by the way my first quater was done in 1:36 seconds on a indoor track and my first 200 was 27.9. I worked very hard for 4 years to run 49.

analyst wrote:

sure it does.

if u want to close 5k in 1:58 and win u should be able to do close to 1:50 with some speedwork. now to run 1:50 u need to be able to do 400 in 50.

if u dont have the speed, u'll finish a straightaway behind, though u might have been in the thick of things with 2 laps to go.

This may be the most full-of-shit post ever put on these boards, and that's saying something.

Good work on developing the 49.

I'm mid-30s and having been running distance on and off as a hobby for about 20 years. My 5km PR is still only a paltry 18:30ish. My sprinting leg speed is very slow. I've never tested it formally but back in the day when I hung around a track a bit more, I found running 16.5s for 100m with a jogging start hard. That was when I was in my teens. I may have a bit more speed now since I've matured and have more muscle mass. I'm guessing a 64s quarter is where I would stand.

HOWEVER, it is a funny thing. I now play soccer and ball hockey with a group of non-runners. It is interesting to me because a lot of these guys have some serious wheels! And they've never trained at track or running or anything. But of course, they all admit they'd get hammered in a 5km race because of their poor wind. It is somewhat embarassing being the runner of the group but always getting beaten to the ball by the non-runners. However, they all think I'm crazy because I think a 10 mile run is no big deal and this garners a certain amount of respect, which is my consolation prize I guess.

That's amazing.

jman say:

>Hypothetical American male runner:

-average leg speed of 57-59 sec. 400m

-healthy and no biomechanical problems

-has time and willingness to train

This runner could potentially run:<

ASSUMING THEY ARE AGE 13-19 here is my CONSERVATIVE estimate:

800:1:55-1:59

mile:3:59

2mile:8:20

5K:13:30

10K:27:50

1/2 Mar:1:03

Mar:2:09

i'd probably say im average. i could never run below a 17 for a 5k in any race, but i could run 52s consistently for 400m and i ran in the 2:00-2:05 range for the 800m in HS. my mile PR in a meet is 5:06

So how can we "slow-ass" runners work to become faster?

Any good tips on sprint-work?

You did do some work on that quarter. The first time I ever ran one it was under 90, but I've never gone under 30 for a 200 (correct, no talent). After going out in 27.9, that wasn't a bear or gorilla that jumped on your back in route to a 1:36--it was a whole freaking herd of overfed elephants.

I am sure that it is accurate that the average runner (properly developed) would have 57-59 speed. I am assuming the guy meant that's what they would be capable of AFTER training, not that the average guy could run that right out of the box...

I remember high school and if you included the sprinters and long distances guys, throwing out the guys who really sucked ass (who would not be considered average I think), then the average dude was right around 60-63. Now assuming that these people were developed to their (average guy) maximum potential, then I would say 57-59 is totally reasonable. I doubt the AVERAGE guy is faster than that.

A guy who can run 57-59 in the 400 should be able to run the following times ASSUMING that the guy trained to his maximum ability (i.e. he put in lots and lots of miles for a long time, years). We are not going to ASSUME that the average guy would improve his 400m past 57-59 since that was our previous ASSUMPTION, that he would peak out at 57-59...

800m: 2:02 - 2:06

1600m: 4:20 - 4:30

3200m: 9:20 - 9:40

5000m: 15:00 - 15:40

10000m: 31:20 - 32:40

10 mi: 53:00 - 55:00

Half Marathon: 1:10:30 - 1:13:00

Marathon: 2:29:00 - 2:34:00

In summary, if you could get every average guy in America to train hard for the long distances for a long time, then the average guy would be a 15:20 5k guy. Using statistics, several standard deviations away would be a whole shitpile of guys who would be above average and running sub 13:30 for 5k. Too bad every average guy ain't out their training, huh

My PR's, for the sake of comparison:

400 (HS Senior 1985): 56.7

800 (about 24 years old) 2:07

1600 track (about 29 years old) 4:36

road mile (29 years old) 4:30.7

3200 9:44 (29 years old)

5000 road 15:35 (29 years old)

10 miles 53:54 (29 years old)

half marathon (28 years old) 1:12:57

marathon 2:36:57 (29 years old)

Currently 37 years old, could possibly break 60 for 400 and am running 16:30-17:00 for 5K.

Well first of all I lifted alot. My senior year I was 151 pounds and deadlifted 400lbs and squated 265lbs. I also just worked at running mostly. I would run cross country in the fall (p.r. of 19:32, yea i sucked at distance), then run winter track and then run for the school in the spring. I never really had an off season. To work on speed just lift and run sprinting workouts. At least thats what I did. Alot of it could have been age too I was 14 my freshmen year.

Guys, the thread is not about bragging how fast your times are relative to your shitty 400m.

P.R.'s for an average guy running a quarter in 57-58 sec.

800- 1:44

1500- 3:31

mile- 3:50

3000- 7:40

5k- 13:00

10k- 26:50

Half- 1:03:00

Marathon- 2:07:30