Did you even watch the race? She was out in lane 2 early because the pacesetter would not get out of the way.
What are you talking about? Pacesetters are not supposed to "get out of the way." The entire point of a pacesetter is to "be in the way" of all the other runners, so that the pacer can, you know, pace them.
If Katy Zang wanted to pass the pacesetter then she had the right to do that. But running in lane 2 for half of the race is not a good idea.
You’re clueless. If the pacesetter had actually run the 2:18 the announcer said she was going to run, then Zang could have gone around and been fine. But instead, the pacesetter kept speeding up to run with Zang, ending up crossing in 2:14.
What are you talking about? Pacesetters are not supposed to "get out of the way." The entire point of a pacesetter is to "be in the way" of all the other runners, so that the pacer can, you know, pace them.
If Katy Zang wanted to pass the pacesetter then she had the right to do that. But running in lane 2 for half of the race is not a good idea.
You’re clueless. If the pacesetter had actually run the 2:18 the announcer said she was going to run, then Zang could have gone around and been fine. But instead, the pacesetter kept speeding up to run with Zang, ending up crossing in 2:14.
You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Katy Zang was running the same pace at the pacer. Since Zang was running the same pace she should have done that BEHIND the pacer, not out in lane 2. Running in lane 2 served no purpose at all. All Zang accomplished by doing that was to run extra distance which is counterproductive.
You’re clueless. If the pacesetter had actually run the 2:18 the announcer said she was going to run, then Zang could have gone around and been fine. But instead, the pacesetter kept speeding up to run with Zang, ending up crossing in 2:14.
You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Katy Zang was running the same pace at the pacer. Since Zang was running the same pace she should have done that BEHIND the pacer, not out in lane 2. Running in lane 2 served no purpose at all. All Zang accomplished by doing that was to run extra distance which is counterproductive.
Watch the tape again, Francis. What was the assigned pace, and what was the pace that the pacesetter actually crossed in?
You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Katy Zang was running the same pace at the pacer. Since Zang was running the same pace she should have done that BEHIND the pacer, not out in lane 2. Running in lane 2 served no purpose at all. All Zang accomplished by doing that was to run extra distance which is counterproductive.
Watch the tape again, Francis. What was the assigned pace, and what was the pace that the pacesetter actually crossed in?
The pace that the pacer was running has literally has nothing at all to do with whether or not Zang should have running in lane 2. Hint - Zang shouldn't have been in lane 2. Period! You obviously know very little about racing.
Has anyone explained how she was 30th at her state meet and 13th at NXR Midwest in November to all time great in March?
No. The only information that reporters have been able to get out of Katy Zang is generic stuff like she is training harder, eating better, and sleeping more. Nothing that explains how she went from being pretty good to being faster than Mary Cain in just a few months.
She qualified NBIN and NBON (fell in 5000) in previous years, and won Runnin Lane nationals this past fall after a season riddled with injuries. As stated on here already, she's rarely been healthy. I watched her run a 3200 state meet final two years ago with a dramatic, visible limp (placing maybe 5th, 7thish?). She's obv driven and tough as hell, just never healthy for long stretches.
No. The only information that reporters have been able to get out of Katy Zang is generic stuff like she is training harder, eating better, and sleeping more. Nothing that explains how she went from being pretty good to being faster than Mary Cain in just a few months.
She qualified NBIN and NBON (fell in 5000) in previous years, and won Runnin Lane nationals this past fall after a season riddled with injuries. As stated on here already, she's rarely been healthy. I watched her run a 3200 state meet final two years ago with a dramatic, visible limp (placing maybe 5th, 7thish?). She's obv driven and tough as hell, just never healthy for long stretches.
You don't get it. Her injury history isn't the point. Thousands of girls over the years have had injuries or other health problems and then eventually got healthy again. Not one of them ever went from running 10:17 to running 9:37 in 6 weeks. Zang's unprecedented improvement is what people are asking about, not if she had health problems.
Is exceptionally heavy cross training sustainable over the long term? Based on recent history, it has produced exceptional results fairly quickly, particularly in a couple of notable high school female athletes (both of those athletes set 5k records), and one collegiate athlete highlight in particular. But…
She qualified NBIN and NBON (fell in 5000) in previous years, and won Runnin Lane nationals this past fall after a season riddled with injuries. As stated on here already, she's rarely been healthy. I watched her run a 3200 state meet final two years ago with a dramatic, visible limp (placing maybe 5th, 7thish?). She's obv driven and tough as hell, just never healthy for long stretches.
You don't get it. Her injury history isn't the point. Thousands of girls over the years have had injuries or other health problems and then eventually got healthy again. Not one of them ever went from running 10:17 to running 9:37 in 6 weeks. Zang's unprecedented improvement is what people are asking about, not if she had health problems.
At the time, maybe the 10:17 was not truly reflective of where she was at? She said in her runninglane interview she almost bailed on that crosscountry race due to lack of confidence and uncertainty.
You don't get it. Her injury history isn't the point. Thousands of girls over the years have had injuries or other health problems and then eventually got healthy again. Not one of them ever went from running 10:17 to running 9:37 in 6 weeks. Zang's unprecedented improvement is what people are asking about, not if she had health problems.
Actually her injury history does explain it. In a June 7, 2025 interview on her instagram account, she stated she had been only been able to cross train (elliptical, no running) for 10 months.
This limited training was because of a stress fracture in XC in August 2024, and then IT band issues in Spring 2025 track. So she never got fully into shape in Spring 2025. She ran a 10:37 3200 time at the state meet June 7, 2025, close to her 10:35 PR, but said she could not run full speed due to IT band problems. Then in Fall 2025 XC, she was getting into good shape, but was still limited by some bronchitis mid-season. Then in the NXR qualifier she had anxiety and no sleep, and did not qualify to NXN. But she did win NB Running Lane XC. For the winter 2025/2026 season, there was no reason to go faster than 10:17 to win early races. This is why the 9:42 3200 might appear to be a big improvement over 10:17, but she was not running for a PR when that 10:17 was recorded.
When all together, those things will make a difference. But there have certainly been other athletes in very similar situations who have not absolutely exploded like this. So what’s missing?
There were two high school athletes that got exceptional results. Natalie Cook was the first of note, even with ‘genu valgum’, she set a high school record. The other, Elizabeth Leachman, even with scoliosis, burst onto the scene within a year of incorporating heavy cross-training, and set high school records and won footlocker multiple times, and her running form was not nearly as smooth as Zang’s.
When all together, those things will make a difference. But there have certainly been other athletes in very similar situations who have not absolutely exploded like this. So what’s missing?
There were two high school athletes that got exceptional results. Natalie Cook was the first of note, even with ‘genu valgum’, she set a high school record. The other, Elizabeth Leachman, even with scoliosis, burst onto the scene within a year of incorporating heavy cross-training, and set high school records and won footlocker multiple times, and her running form was not nearly as smooth as Zang’s.
Look at this article on Natalie Cook. She went from a 10:26 3200m her junior season, to a 9:44 at New Balance Nationals Indoor. Sound familiar? With past injury history, sleep and anxiety issues, what does she credit her transformation to?
Look at this article on Natalie Cook. She went from a 10:26 3200m her junior season, to a 9:44 at New Balance Nationals Indoor. Sound familiar? With past injury history, sleep and anxiety issues, what does she credit her transformation to?
She qualified NBIN and NBON (fell in 5000) in previous years, and won Runnin Lane nationals this past fall after a season riddled with injuries. As stated on here already, she's rarely been healthy. I watched her run a 3200 state meet final two years ago with a dramatic, visible limp (placing maybe 5th, 7thish?). She's obv driven and tough as hell, just never healthy for long stretches.
You don't get it. Her injury history isn't the point. Thousands of girls over the years have had injuries or other health problems and then eventually got healthy again. Not one of them ever went from running 10:17 to running 9:37 in 6 weeks. Zang's unprecedented improvement is what people are asking about, not if she had health problems.
No see, you dont get it. When healthy, she's been incredible. Sub 17, low 10s. Two years ago. The potential has always been there.
Did you criticize Hobbs Kessler's meteoric rise in 2020-21 in the same way, or do you reserve such criticism just for the women?
Where is she going next year? Florida? It seems like the natural choice. They have figured out how to fit in the elliptical in their program. In addition, she is already wearing the PV spikes, so…
Where is she going next year? Florida? It seems like the natural choice. They have figured out how to fit in the elliptical in their program. In addition, she is already wearing the PV spikes, so…
She is committed to Indiana. She committed before her breakout. It seems some coaches may have shied away due to her injury history. If she keeps her injuries at bay she is going to be a good one.
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