Smoove wrote:
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Average: sub 1:20.
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Average letsrun poster math ability is very low.
Smoove wrote:
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Average: sub 1:20.
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Average letsrun poster math ability is very low.
central_park_laps wrote:
Same as the 800m thread...
59-62 = World’s best
63-65 = World Class
65-68 = Elite
1:09-1:14 = Good
1:15-1:19 = Average
1:20-1:24 = Beginner
1:25+ = Hack
I don't really understand "beginner" as a category, as it qualifies a different metric than all the other labels. Are we describing the quality of the performance, or the level of experience of the athlete? Pick one and stick with it.
Auto correct from some typo in "free entries."
Especially if you ignore that only a subset of the total population is being considered.
It depends on age.
I run 72' and I'm 59
82'
Honestly, guys, this is why these forums are dumpster fires. Because we give posts like these the time of day.
Sure. Don't take this the wrong way, because I'm like you - a high age group achiever - but we are "conditional" elites. We are "elite given our age" not elite in an absolute sense. Your times are absolutely impressive, but they are also not elite in an absolute sense.
Calculating by age group is too intensive an exercise.
Smoove wrote:
This is a goofy exercise because it's all about how you want to define these things, but what the hell.
Elite: sub 63:00. People who are running this time are going to get free and trees and elite status and any half marathon or marathon in the country and probably the world. They will also be likely to get a hotel room comped and probably airfare. Virtually all of these guys would have been all Americans in college, with a limited exception here or there for guys who either never realize the potential in college because they were injured, and for some guys who are just pure slow twitch guys really excelled at the longer distances after they got out of college.
Sub-elites sub 65:00. These guys will also get comped at most races in the country and many races around the world and will almost always be placed in the elite field . They may get comped hotel rooms but probably would not consistently get airfare. Guys between this time and the elite time are likely to have been at least i'll conference (even a good conferences) in college, and may even have been all Americans in some cases (including cross country).
Regional class/highly competitive: sub 69:00. These guys will be favorites at local races and in the mix to win most regional races. When they get to national class races, they will be outclassed, but will often make up part of the second pack. They will often get free entries into, and sub-elite status at, many national races.
Local class/competitive: sub 1:12. These guys will be the kinds of guys that you see winning most races around the country. Comped and sub-elite status at races for some on the faster end of this group, but not for many at the slower end.
Good local runner/above average: sub 1:16. These guys will not get comped at many races and will only win at smaller local races but will make up the chase pack at moderate regional races.
Average: sub 1:20.
All of the standards are based on the idea of looking at competitive runners, not just the masses you enter into races; people who take these races seriously only; people who train on a near daily basis and consistently do specific targeted workouts; people who are height and weight proportionate; people who ran competitively in at least high school.
As someone who worked down from regional class to the sub-elite categories (as defined here), I think this post is spot on with its descriptions of these groups.
What about for masters and seniors?
Take an age grade calculator and use whatever standard you've seen here that makes the most sense to you.
Sub 19:xis average. Damn. The girls always told me I was average but this quantifies it.
Thanks a lot Smoove.
Sub 1:19:x*
If you run slower than the women's world record in ANY event, you are NOT 'elite'. Very, very good, but NOT elite.
also ranned wrote:
Median rare wrote:
The median time in my nearest mass half was 2.00.40.
1.15-1.19 are decent club runner times, typical time range for someone who maybe doesn't have that much natural talent but put in a decent amount of preparation.
Or have loads of talent but have never put in much preparation.
True, I never did a serious one but ran 1.20 just for a laugh. Now I'm stuck with it and can't go that fast even if I did train for it. Otherwise I'd be medalling in my age group :-(
Half marathon is BS. Run a marathon or stay home.
When is a half of something in sport ever important? I won half of the world series...I won half of the NCAA tournament. I won half of the olympics,,,, I won half of World War 2, I won half of the rounds against Mohammed Ali.
Half is a code word for loser. A marathon is 26.2 miles. Anything less is embarrassing.
Men
Elite < 1:05
Top Club Runners < 1:15
Good Club Runners < 1:30
Average Club Runners < 1:45
Slower Club Runners < 2:00
Women add 10 minutes
Free and trees?
Auto-write program
It has long been agreed upon here at LRC that qualifying for the Olympic Trials is the minimum, but sufficient, standard to be called 'elite.' 1:04 for men and 1:13 for women.
Well defined wrote:
It has long been agreed upon here at LRC that qualifying for the Olympic Trials is the minimum, but sufficient, standard to be called 'elite.' 1:04 for men and 1:13 for women.
Anyone who does not qualify for OT is a hobby jogger.