So Sick: Casey Clinger just ran 8:54 at 4,500 feet of altitude!! Crushed field and won by 25+ seconds.

First of all here is NO less Oxygen at altitude than at sea level:

Air at altitude is commonly mistaken for being lower in oxygen but this is incorrect. Air, at any level, contains 20.93% oxygen, 0.03% carbon dioxide and 79.04% nitrogen. Instead, as elevation increases, oxygen has a progressively lower partial pressure (1)

To the last poster.

Either you believe in the conversions or you do not, you do not get to pick and choose.

The NCAA mile conversion for Colorado guys was 6 seconds, and that is at almost 2K feet lower than Mexico City.

If the conversion is to be believed , Keino logically would get less as he was at altitude his whole life essentially, but Ryun who was barely ever at Alt. certainly would get closer to the full. He ran the event a multitude of times and never ran 3:31.9 or even an equivalent mile.

So, the point being, it will always hold up for some, it is more a function of the day., the comp etc like a Soratos.

Let me know when Zach Perrin or Klecker run 3:55 or 356 when they drop to seal level. Even Saarel who has run 3:38 once could only manage a 7:53 for 3K , which is a better event for him, a week or so later.

The conversions are what they are, but to me way too aggressive especially for guys who have been at altitude for long periods of time.

just because percentage is the same means nothing--- there is less pressure BECAUSE there is less oxygen (not relative to other things- oxygen per unit cubed)

By the way, do you really think Clinger who won by almost 27 seconds and easily negative split that race was running an 845 like effort IN February and with zero comp or help?

Look at the other guys: Webb had broken 4 minutes before he ran his 845 pressed by Brannen for quite some time in Landover, Md.

Lindgren was in a pro race and was a 4:01 HS miler later on

LV broke 4 minutes in HS, he was that type of guy and an 8:29 two mile guy at 18

Cheserek? Well are we really comparing Clinger to Cheserek, who had also already run 4:02

It is a sensational run... but to give it the 11 second conversion? It just doesn't add up.

And the Soratos example is the only one that has been brought up. It IS the one off where the conversion worked as documented by a near date equal or better performance.

Hey it is just my opinion and a continuing one that most of the NCAA conversions are too liberal, many have already disagreed, I get it.

Why is the 3200m in metric, but the 4500ft (altitude) in imperial?

I know that, YOU used less and more oxygen as the terms, not me.

Trialswatcher wrote:

First of all here is NO less Oxygen at altitude than at sea level:

Air at altitude is commonly mistaken for being lower in oxygen but this is incorrect. Air, at any level, contains 20.93% oxygen, 0.03% carbon dioxide and 79.04% nitrogen. Instead, as elevation increases, oxygen has a progressively lower partial pressure (1)

.

No it is absolutely right that there is less oxygen at altitude.

And man I hope you are a troll because I hate to think there are people that dumb out there.

Bunch of high school kids acting like experts on physiology and its relation to altitude/times. The next generation of Letsrun blowhards are developing nicely!

Hunter coulda gone 8:35 last year

According to multiple sources:

At low elevations, the pressure is greater, since the molecules of air are compressed from the weight of the air above them. However, at higher elevations, there's less pressure and the molecules are more dispersed. The percentage of oxygen in the air at sea level is the same at high altitudes -- roughly 21 percent

I did not make that up

and...

The O2 % remains the same up to about 100Km, it is the pO2 that decreases.

Atmospheric pressure decreases exponentially with altitude while the O2 fraction remains constant to about 100 km, but pO2(partial pressure of O2) decreases exponentially with altitude as well.

again from docs, not an opinion

Nsnsnsns wrote:

If he's really sick, why not take him to a doctor? He will race a ton better when he's healthy. Even I know that and I'm not a doctor

If he's sick, where did he get the energy to crush the field? And is crushing the field some sort of farming process? You really need to explain your post.

Jon Orange says if you run faster you use less Oxygen, so less oxygen must be a help...

Fantastic run!

However, I'm not throwing shade, but I think the negative effect of altitude over 3200m is way overstated.

Craig Virgin 8:45.7

Dave Merrick 8:43.2

At U of I in the 1970s

Trialswatcher wrote:

According to multiple sources:

At low elevations, the pressure is greater, since the molecules of air are compressed from the weight of the air above them. However, at higher elevations, there's less pressure and the molecules are more dispersed. The percentage of oxygen in the air at sea level is the same at high altitudes -- roughly 21 percent

I did not make that up

and...

The O2 % remains the same up to about 100Km, it is the pO2 that decreases.

Atmospheric pressure decreases exponentially with altitude while the O2 fraction remains constant to about 100 km, but pO2(partial pressure of O2) decreases exponentially with altitude as well.

again from docs, not an opinion

That is all true. It also means that there is less oxygen in the air. Here is a hint: You breath molecules/cm^3 not percentages.

Let's not forget about Talon Hull. 4:08.xx meet record closing with in 25 seconds, he flew right by McKay Johns and Patrick Parker for the win.

or the 3 girls going 10:44, 8th grader and 2 11th graders

Trialswatcher wrote:

According to multiple sources:

At low elevations, the pressure is greater, since the molecules of air are compressed from the weight of the air above them. However, at higher elevations, there's less pressure and the molecules are more dispersed. The percentage of oxygen in the air at sea level is the same at high altitudes -- roughly 21 percent

I did not make that up

and...

The O2 % remains the same up to about 100Km, it is the pO2 that decreases.

Atmospheric pressure decreases exponentially with altitude while the O2 fraction remains constant to about 100 km, but pO2(partial pressure of O2) decreases exponentially with altitude as well.

again from docs, not an opinion

And the decreased partial pressure of oxygen means less oxygen gets transported by your hemoglobin to your muscles. So in effect, yes there is less oxygen. It is OK to say there is less oxygen. We all know what that means and have experienced it. Stop trying to be a know it all.

great vid...TY for sharing

Trialswatcher wrote:

I know that, YOU used less and more oxygen as the terms, not me.

You're making it worse. Stop. Come back after googling it.