Would guys like Bill Rogers and Frank Shorter vs top women runners now both in their prime who wins

It is the WR as recognized by World Athletics. I noted that the record is tainted as well.

Maybe you should "keep up with the sport".

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I am a numbers guy myself and although I know longer race/run anymore I am still a fanatic of the sport. I am 43 years old, which means Frank Shorter and Bill Rogers, are closer to double my age. I looked over NCAA Results from the 1960’s and 1970’s my original thought is that I would have just been obliterated by my running heroes in my racing prime. I often take my all-time PR’s and not only compare them to the athletes of today which is a complete embarrassment, I also compare them to the runners of yesterday
meaning the Shorter’s, Rodgers, people like Prefontaine just to see if I would be able to be within contention during a dual meet or something. I also will see if I would have been a track All American during that period solely based on my best performances. My 5,000m 14:17.05 no I would make a championship just more than likely not make AA. My 10,000m 29:05.07 yes that even would typically be amongst the top 8 during that period. My 1500m 3:45.09, and Mile 4:04.35 would typically make Nationals and some years the finals. They also ran the 1,000yd at NCAA’s back then which would typically be the event in which I would do the best 2:24.35 for 1,000m converts to roughly a 2:11.99 1,000yd which would have been AA almost every year the event was held.

Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers would typically place in the top 15 at the Olympic Trials in this era. Up until 2016 they would still make the Olympic Team. In 2020 and 2024 I would give them top 10 still. However, super shoes versus the skin protectors they ran with back in that era in the 1960’s and 1970’s they both could very well be 2:03-2:06 marathoners today especially in this era of technology. Steve Prefontaine, I would give him 12:55 to more realistically 13:05 with today’s technology. Dave Wottle would probably be a 1:43 800m type today, but he would be a very strong miler, probably 3:49-3:50 range.

Gerry Lindgren would have no chance against today’s runners. Jim Ryun would be a 3:45 miler with today’s technology. Back to Lindgren, the reason I say he would not stand a chance was that he was not a speed-based runner and made it to his level because on work ethic meaning an insanely high amount of volume. High volume does not work with today’s runners we are talking about 10,000m runners today that can run 1:43-1:45 in the 800m I would have been shocked if Lindgren could run 1:56 in the 800m. A runner like Grant Fisher, or Cole Hocker, even Cooper Teare would make a meal out of a runner like Lindgren they would push him all over the track. Fisher would run the guts right out of Lindgren. Not to mention the new distance runners Ethan Strand and Parker Wolfe, Neguse, Young. The runners today are just too developed.

Lastly, the old joke when you look at clothing or products that had been utilized in the 1890’s-1920’s and people ask why they are so small, the classic joke which refers to the people were much smaller back then. That classic joke can be utilized to describe that generation of runners versus the generation of today. Bob Kennedy would be mid-pack with this generation, Todd Williams, Rod DeHaven, and the other big 1990’s names would never have made it pro against these monsters.

The 1972 Olympic trials marathon was held on July 9, only two months before the Olympic marathon. Imagine today's runners if they were told they had the trials only two months before the Olympics.

Please, stop kidding yourself. You would have never made nationals in any event indoors or outdoors. Well, maybe the 10000, but you would have had to do that in 95 degree heat. You have no idea how bad the tracks were,, especially indoor tracks. Not gonna happen. You would never have even qualified in any other event. Not gonna happen.

But there is another recent thread here that maybe you could help. They are looking for an unknown 3:45 1500 guy. Are you him?

While Shorter was one of the favorites in the marathon base on his Fukuoka win, I think that his main focus was the 10,000 where he ran ARs twice in Munich the week before the marathon. He certainly performed at his best in Munich.

Audience member: Tell us about your first marathon.

Bill Rodgers: Oh, it was terrible. I was still smoking at the time. I worked an overnight shift at the hospital the night before. My motorcycle broke down on the way to the start. My longest run was 7 miles. I died badly and walked the last 7 miles.

Audience member: What was your time?

Bill Rodgers: 2:36

Then three months after the Olympics Shorter ran his PR of 2:10:30 at Fukuoka. 1972 was definitely a great year for him.

Perhaps. But I think you’re a kind soul for what you’re assuming about OP’s brain at the outset of writing the title.

So Fook to Fook it was a great year, for Fooksakes!

Year Trials Closing Date (since the marathon was often the last event)

1968 Aug 17 October 27

1972 July 9 September 11

1976 May 22 Aug 1

1984 May 26 Aug 12

1988 April 24 Oct 2

1992 April 11 Aug 9

1996 Feb 17 Aug 4

2000 May 7 Oct 1

2004 Feb 7 Aug 29

And since then it has been early in the year. Someone wised up starting in 1988.

I don't know, that just increases the likeliness that fitness or injury can alter the Olympics performance.

Wrong. Think about it this way. Shorter's PRs on the track were 13:26 and 27:45. Now compare that to the top women marathoners.

Lindgren ran a 4:01.5 mile without any real focus on the mile. I imagine he could have run under four if that was his actually his goal. His leg speed wasn't THAT bad.

And if Gerry were running today... I'm sure he'd be doing things way differently than he did then. Along with all the new tech... I imagine he would be way faster. I mean the guy WAS running 13:30s on cinder and dirt tracks in the 1960s.

If someone improves 5% in the marathon, then a 2:20 mara Becomes a 2:12:48 marathon. A 2:12 marathon becomes a 2:05:24 marathon.

Todd Williams would have never made pro? Bob Kennedy?

Are you on freaky mushrooms right now?

USA! USA! USA!

and on courses 3 minutes or so slower, boston and ny. last years womans winner was 219 high, and possibly clean with the shoes.

Obvious troll.

The better question would be how much slower would todays men be if they only had access to shoes of the 1980's. Answer, about what runners in the 1980's did.