How fast can your 1600m be if your 800m pr is 2:00?

My 800 PR is 2:01 and my full mile is 4:13. I was fit and ready for the 800, and it was a good race. I'm sure there are even more extreme examples than that.

SDSU Aztec wrote: Distance runners do not compete in the 400. It's not called a "dash" for nothing.

Middle distance runners certainly do at the HS level at least. Usually in the 4x400 when 1 of the fast guys is injured or already maxed out on events. I also dipped into a few open 400s and 300IHs and was the better for it. The 1600 is a speed-based event.

Aztec will attack you. Just wait. He hates strength guys.

My 800 pr was 1:52.05

Other Bests:

1000m: 2:24

1500m: 3:45

Mile: 4:04

The conversion from 800 to 1500 (or mile) obviously depends on the individual characteristics of the runner. A rule of thumb that I've always found to be useful is that an endurance-oriented middle-distance runner's 1500 will be close to double his 800 time. That would mean that a 2:00 800 predicts a 4:00 1500, so somewhere around 4:17-4:18 for 1600.

Most high-school runners haven't yet developed their endurance to that degree, so if I had to make a bet on your next 1600, it would be ~4:20 at best. But given that you've already run 4:25, your endurance may be better than that.

Personally, my conversions were much worse than that rule of thumb (e.g. 2:01/4:08 1500 as a high school junior, 1:57/4:01 as a college freshman) until my last few years of college. But as a more "mature" runner with more mileage in my legs, the rule was dead on for several years (e.g. 1:52/3:44 as a college junior, 1:51/3:42 as a senior, 1:54/3:48 coming back from injury a few years later).

I ran 4:14 my sophomore year in high school with a 2:01 800 PR.

For full transparency, that's mostly because I never really ran it. My 400 split in the relay was 52.1 (this was right after a 3200), so you'd think 52 400 speed and 4:14 1600 would be considerably faster than 2:01 in the 800.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Sub-9 guy wrote:

This. But, per the original question you asked, “How fast can you go in the 1600 w a 2:00 800 PR?,” the answer is generally in the 4:22-4:24 neighborhood, unless you have just a massive aerobic base. I personally think you need to be at least 1:58 in the 800 to go 4:15 in the 1600, but that’s very doable still. I would also encourage your coach to put you in some 3200s, & then maybe have you double back in the 400. Good luck. I think it’s achievable.

Distance runners do not compete in the 400. It's not called a "dash" for nothing.

C’mon man. Do better. A “speed-oriented” 800/1600 guy can certainly run a decent 400. The idea here is to train multiple events to help maximize potential in the main event.

I think minimum if you are an anaerobic athlete doing less mileage, 1:55-56 for an 800 would be needed to run 4:15.

I ran 4:15 my senior year of high school and had a 1:52 PR in the 800. 2:00 for an 800 would be 4:22-25 in my book speed wise. Unless you can run 2:30-32 for a K and have a large aerobic motor to power through consistent 200's.

My PRs are 2:00 and 4:10. I was probably in around 1:55 shape when I ran 4:10, though, and just never focused on it.

Feel like the 2:00 x 2 shows slightly faster ability. Plenty of 2:00ish women run 4:15-4:20 range. You seem to have decent strength if you can run the same time twice in 2 hours. Some younger runners go 2:00 & might struggle to run 4:40 but the potential is there.

Some women have gone 2 minutes and 4:12.

When I ran 2:01 I ran a mile few weeks later at 4:26. For reference, I ran 1:58 the next year and ran 4:17 for 1600m. I never trained specifically for the 800m, but making comparisons with similar runners like me (primarily mile and 2 mile, but better at 2 mile) I think for a 4:15 1600m, you need at least 1:58. Even a heavier endurance type I knew (wonderful at XC, but could not break 2), he went 2:00 and 4:16 1600m, and for reference he ran 8:50 in the 3200m.

Sub-9 guy wrote:

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Distance runners do not compete in the 400. It's not called a "dash" for nothing.

C’mon man. Do better. A “speed-oriented” 800/1600 guy can certainly run a decent 400. The idea here is to train multiple events to help maximize potential in the main event.

They can, but they don't. Milers will often run repeat 400s in practice. Why would they want to run an open one in a meet? It makes no sense.

Our 4x4 this year has 3 milers on it who split 50.x.

coach wrote:

Horwill believed in a 4 second rule as you move up in distance. If you can average 60 seconds per 400 in your 800 race then you can run 64 seconds per 400 in the 1500 and 68 seconds per 400 in the 3000. Of course this assumes you're well trained aerobically but most HS kids aren't.

Yeah this does not work for high school. This means I would have been a 4:30 miler in HS. I was in fact mid-high 4:50's miler.

I find a great mile prediction formula based off an 800m time is to double your best 800m time and add 18 seconds. So based off a 2:00 800m you're looking at 4:18ish

Yes it does. I have seen many 2 minute high school guys run sub 4:20.