How fast were you at 14....?

As the story goes, Meb ran a 5:30 mile at age 12 shortly after arriving in the US, and one coach -rightly- saw Olympic material in him.

FWIW, at 13.5 years I ran a 4:40 1500m and a 10:06 3000m on training twice a week for 6 months (France, 1977). Coaches were calling my home to enrol me in an elite sport-study program but my father refused. I never ran again in the next 30 years or so.

Today, as a 50 year old and after 5 years of casual running, I am (unsuccessfully so far, but getting closer) trying to break 3 hours for the marathon!

Sammy Seems.... wrote:

Neighborhood kid has been running 5 days a week for the past month – usually 2 to 4 miles a day. He just began 9th grade and had previously played soccer and basketball, but no organized racing before now. This week he ran his first JV meet and ran 11:35 for 2 miles on a fairly hilly course. The kid's dad is asking me just how good was that first race, and as much experience as I have with college athletes I really don't know what skinny 14 year old kids should be running after one month of jogging 3 miles a day. I have seen lots of 14 year old kids run close to 10 minutes and even a few faster, but only with significant training and a couple years running under their belts.

What did you guys run after your first 4 weeks of running?

Man, this just all depends. That's not a lot of training, so 11:35 at age 14 on a hilly course isn't bad, but it's nothing to write home about. My 14-year-old son (a freshman) just went through 2 miles in 10:56 on a hilly course during a 5,000 CC race. He trains more than the kid in your story though.

Sammy Seems.... wrote:

Neighborhood kid has been running 5 days a week for the past month – usually 2 to 4 miles a day. He just began 9th grade and had previously played soccer and basketball, but no organized racing before now. This week he ran his first JV meet and ran 11:35 for 2 miles on a fairly hilly course. The kid's dad is asking me just how good was that first race, and as much experience as I have with college athletes I really don't know what skinny 14 year old kids should be running after one month of jogging 3 miles a day. I have seen lots of 14 year old kids run close to 10 minutes and even a few faster, but only with significant training and a couple years running under their belts.

What did you guys run after your first 4 weeks of running?

At this age, someone who is a previous soccer or basketball player, with four weeks of training, is similar to many 14 year olds who may have been training a little longer as he's starting from a place of good aerobic fitness. However, I think he shows promise! My son's team has a freshman baseball player who started running mid August, probably about 15 miles a week and he's dropped a ton of time. His first XC race was two miles in 11:55. So, a little slower than your neighborhood kid with similar background and running experience.

My son has some running experience from middle school (15-20 per week) and is now at 30 mpw. As a 14 year old freshman, he ran the same race as the aforementioned baseball teammate in 10:23. However, my son started training in the beginning of July and is now running about 30 miles per week and has participated since middle school. Even though middle school was low mileage and only six months a year, I think that probably gives him a little bit of an advantage right now that will probably even out over the next few years.

Sounds like the boy may have some talent. He just needs the dedication and desire. Only time will tell!

you ran a slower time after four weeks of training?

with a little bit of "resurce" my teammate ran 2 miles in 9:28.7 in the 8th grade which is a national record. He also ran a 9:01 for 3000 as a freshman. He aslo ran a 4:02 1500 as a freashman, I ran a 34:09 10k as a freashman, the record is 33: 51.

Your neighbor kid seems to have a solid amount of ability. Others have pointed out plenty of caveats (also, is he one of those shaves-every-day 14yo kids, or a more-typical peach fuzz guy?), but it certainly sounds like he could progress to being at least a valuable HS varsity guy...progressing beyond that depends on those ifs.

Since you asked: at 14 (soph in HS) I ran the 600y PE test. Ran the whole way (amazing!) and beat one guy, clocking two-flat. I was just as happy as if I were in my right mind.

I got better with training, but your neighbor is probably close to as good as I ever got.

I was a 22 min guy as a HS freshman. I'm 20 now and run ~15:40s.

Mile- 4:47.8

In retrospect spell check on my previous posts would have been nice. I drink a lot of dullamore dew......

4:26 1500m. Peaked at 4:01 :(

1500 - 4:35

3000 - 9:45

5K XC - 17:38

Because of soccer at 14 I ran a 4:20 mile, 9:28 2 mile, 1:57 800, and 15:59 cross country 5k(foot locker west). Only went on to run 4:14 mile, 15:10 5k, 9:16. 2 mile. Started to be plagued with injury once I stopped soccer.

I had probably run a few 5 and 10Ks without really training, but my first HS race when I was 14 was close to 12:00. I ran 4:00 1500 three years later.

I think at that age it all depends how developed you are, I ran 100m at 13/14 and ran it in 18 seconds all out (pretty embarressing).

I can run it in about 14 from blocks now at 32 with just distance training (still slow obviously, but much faster than when I was 13/14).

I was a late developer.

I started running at the beginning of freshman year, but I wasn't 14 until after XC season.

My first XC race, I ran around 19:00 for a 5k (2 weeks of running). I finished the season with a 5k best of 17:50 and a 3 mile best of 17:19.

I did end up getting a running scholarship in college.

RANin CA wrote:

I started running at the beginning of freshman year, but I wasn't 14 until after XC season.

My first XC race, I ran around 19:00 for a 5k (2 weeks of running). I finished the season with a 5k best of 17:50 and a 3 mile best of 17:19.

I did end up getting a running scholarship in college.

I did not do any sports until high school.

10:54 second race of the year. First 3 miler next week. Kid is looking like the real deal...