What times make a high school athlete ELITE

Yeah...and how kids go out for track & CC every year? Tens of thousands? If those are the kind of times you need to be considered elite and get offers for Div-1 & Div-1, then I can see why so many kids are frustrated who want to move on to the next level and just aren't fast enough. It's a sport that is becoming only for the genetically gifted.

Are you sure? wrote:

nope not it wrote:

everything 800 and up is too slow

Yeah...sure, how many HS kids can run those times in the 800 on up? ? I bet on a percentage basis around 10% - 15% of all 1600 meter runners can muster a 4:39 or better. Similar percentages for the other times. This ain't Kenya where fast HS-age kids come a dime a dozen. Give the kids some credit - 4:39 is fast and not easy to do. Those times posted are very fast for the average HS dude.

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My 2 cents...

:49

1:54

4:19

9:18

To be elite means to be able to compete against the best in the world. So there's no such thing as "high school elite" really, but if a HS athlete is fast enough they may be considered elite (eg Jim Ryun in his day).

Any thoughts for girls?

Women please wrote:

Any thoughts for girls?

55

2:08

4:48

10:20

Another way to look at it would be how high of a national ranking does it take to be elite? Top 10, 50, 100, 1000? This is the conversation I have with high schoolers that want to compete in college every year. Once you see that your current PR doesn't even put you in the top 500 or 1,000 high schoolers in the US, you understand why college coaches aren't banging down your door. For example, for the 2018 outdoor track season the US rankings according to the Milesplit look like this:

Top 50:

400: 47.44

800: 1:52.51

1600: 4:11.54

3200: 9:03.79

Top 100:

400: 47.79

800: 1:53.30

1600: 4:13.27

3200: 9:08.41

Top 500:

400: 48.99

800: 1:55.69

1600: 4:19.65

3200: 9:24.42

Top 100 seems a pretty decent definition of elite, maybe even top 50. I don't see how you can argue that a time that wouldn't even put a kid in the top 500 nationally is "elite"? It also means that there are states that don't have any elite kids, that's the breaks, you can be the best in your state and still not elite. Most D1 coaches aren't going to look much further down the list than top 50 or 100 kids in a given event to find recruits. If you are not qualifying for events like New Balance Nationals then your are probably not elite.

I agree, even in my day. 1975 to 1980, just hard work wouldn t cut it.

200m-21.5

400m-48.0

800m- 1:52

1600m-4:20

3200m-9:15

Xc- 15:45 average of top 5 times

*No I didn't run any of those times in hs. But I came close to my xc requirements

In hs I made it to state once with a 4:33

Again with a 9:58

Again with a 9:49

In the second largest classification.

I've also seen kirubel erassa not make it to state with a 9:18

Didn't place a single time in track. I think partly due to allergies in the spring. Because in xc I would beat almost all of those same guys from track.

Supertramp wrote:

I would consider a high schooler with any of these times "Elite" at the (typical) State Level:

400m: 47.95

800m: 1:51.25

1600m: 4:13.25

3200m: 9:08.75

I would consider a high schooler with any of these times "Elite" at the National Level:

400m: 46.50

800m: 1:49.95

1600m: 4:05.25

3200m: 8:55.95

Now, there are plenty of "very, very, very good" high schoolers with times slower than those, but that's where I would draw the line as truly "Elite".

Elite at the (typical) High School level should give you several D1 Scholarship opportunities.

Elite at the National Level should give you D1 Scholarship opportunities almost anywhere.

Oh, and if you have to ask if a time is Elite at the International Level, it's not.

1600 at like 4:10-11 is equivalent to 8:55

I’d say we have our answer here. My opinion would’ve that top 50 in the nation is elite / semi elite.

Top 50:

400: 47.44

800: 1:52.51

1600: 4:11.54

3200: 9:03.7

I am agreeing with you. A lot of people are posting times that are solid college times.

High school state elite:

400m: 49.99

800m: 1:55.99

1600m: 4:19.99

3200m: 9:19.99

5k XC: 15:39.99

High school National elite:

400m: 46.99

800m: 1:52.99

1600m: 4:09.99

3200m: 8:59.99

5K XC: 14:59.99

College Elite:

400m: 45.99

800m: 1:47.99

1500m: 3:45.99

Mile: 4:04.99

3000m: 7:59.99

5000m: 13:59.99

10000m: 29:29.99

8K XC: 24:29.99

10K XC: 30:59.99

Lets be real you don't have to be in the top 1% to be considered elite. I would go with top 10% and the to.d's I listed more then satisfies that.

400: 48

800: 1:51

1600: 4:11

3200: 8:59

The definition of Elite is tough in this scenario. I don’t think you need to qualify for Jr Worlds, but I think you should at least qualify for Outdoor Nationals and have a shot at the finals. If you can run in the finals at at national meet , you’re pretty elite.

Without actually looking up recent Outdoor results, I think something around would make a HS athlete elite.

400- 47

800- 1:53

1600- 4:16

3200- 9:10

For girls I’ll say:

400- 55

800- 2:10

1600- 4:56

3200- 10:40

Idgowiththis wrote:

High school state elite:

400m: 49.99

800m: 1:55.99

1600m: 4:19.99

3200m: 9:19.99

5k XC: 15:39.99

Depending on the year, the majority of those wouldn't have made it out of my HS league, let alone CIF / State.

Like Really Bro wrote:

Idgowiththis wrote:

High school state elite:

400m: 49.99

800m: 1:55.99

1600m: 4:19.99

3200m: 9:19.99

5k XC: 15:39.99

Depending on the year, the majority of those wouldn't have made it out of my HS league, let alone CIF / State.

I agree. While I never came close to those times in high school, 4:20 for 1600 isn't super noteworthy. To the general populace sure, but not nationally.

For me, I think

400m: 48.2

800m: 1:52

1600m: 4:05

3200m: 8:55

5k XC: 15:05

Elitist wrote:

Depends if you are talking about elite in your city, your state, or your nation. But I think most people think nationally when they think about being elite. Generally I would say if you can run at a D1 school, you are elite. If I really have to be tied down to numbers, I guess :49, 1:52, 4:15, 9:15. Those are just the times that came quickly to mind with no serious thought.

Well there are some weak D1 schools...some that even a D2 national champs could beat!

He meant real d1 schools that are fully funded not the nonscholarship schools that take anyone. Many schools post their walk-on standards. 4:18 and 9:18 seem to be average amongst the published standards to walk-on. 4:05 and 8:58 are target times for significant scholarships.

What are you on about? 4:39 as a freshman should mean that if you improve steadily, you should be under 4:10 as a senior at the slowest, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it means a sub-4:00. Even in the best leagues out there, 4:39 as a freshman will have you as one of if not the best in your league. 4:39 as a freshman is no joke, and is pretty solid for a senior as well. I think you’re forgetting that there are plenty of schools with no talent and have 1600M records which might be barely under 4:30 or even slower. 4:39 as a freshman will be the beat freshman on a team pretty much every single time.