Aurora Scott (from LetsRun front page)

I hate when people compare training in the US to training in Africa because we have such different lifestyles it is impossible to compare only one aspect (running) and make generalizations that say they are doing okay. People run so much in places like Kenya because it is consistent with their culture and lifestyle. It is not in America! Therefore the implications and results will be very different.

not racist but... wrote:

...look at the facts here. Both Dwight Porter and Aurora Scott are black. Saying she will be better than Alan Webb is absolutely ridiculous, but black people often over-hype their own. That being said, what she is doing is outstanding for her agegroup. If you look at history, most young runners who do so well at that age, peak or burn out early and are never seen on the national or international scene later in life. If her goal is to win age-group championships and set some age-group records, she is doing the right thing. However, if she has Olympic dreams, she should drop the marathon for a while and find a coach who will develop her for the long-term.

I understand what I say may be politically incorrect, but you can't tell me it's not true.

I'm glad someone else noticed this. A black man hyping up a black girl. I can't believe he said "she would probably be better than Alan Webb." Does he even have a clue what he is saying? USATF really needs to get some more credible leadership in it's local positions.

I get concerned when a kid this young is getting up at 5:00 AM to run before school everyday. You can do that for a while, but if you drive any car too much, the engine will break down, or the wheels will fall off.

If I were her high school coach, she wouldn't run in the meets if she didn't run in the team's practices. I thought that was one of the golden rules of high school sports. You're supposed to be learning good citizenship as well as how to run.

Hypo wrote:

2000 - age 10, 3:24

2001 - age 11, 3:13

2002 - age 12, 3:11

2003 - age 13, 3:03

2004 - age 14, 2:50

2005 - age 15, burns out

2006 - age 16, divorces parents

2007 - age 17, selling drugs

2008 - age 18, busted for selling drugs

2009 - 2014 - age 19-24, in jail (starts running again in prison)

2015 - age 25, returns to Marathon after life in prison runs 2:21

2016 - age 26, Wins Olympic Silver Medal and American Record Holder with a 2:18.04

Try Mary Decker, ever hear of the name?

Yes I agree very few make it but isn't that why records are so hard to achieve? I live near Aurora and have seen her race I saw her in her first Hs invitational 5k she won it going away by over a minute and later saw her running past me at the nearby state park with her brother doing a 5 mile aerobic run!

I don't agree with the marathoning choice and at least one local PHD head of a university human performance lab said that dispite the wide spread talk of how bad marathoning is to the young body there is NO scientific studies to back it up. Like one poster said, and this is key, she is running them at a pace that is aerobic for her ability.

I personally hope she will prove the neesayers here wrong, but if she doesn't she will ALWAYS have my support, for what that's worth.

Give her a chance!

So does this mean she should roll over a play dead? A lot of you are of the opinion since it is a long shot she should not even try to reach for her dreams, this is just too bad that you do not believe in America someone can have aspirations for a higher level just because they might fail.

UltraJohn

PS I'm the state road record keeper for Virginia so I have seen most of her times.

I know her and I believe it's that she is very shy. She is starting to come out of it somewhat, I don't believe she meant ill toward your daughter.

I just came across this thread tonight. The link is no longer on the front page. Does anyone have the link to the article available? Thanks

Carrie and Heather Garritson could have run circles around Aurora Scott at that age without even breaking a sweat. Carrie ran a 2:49:19 in the LA Marathon in 1988 at age 11, qualifying for the Olympic Trials. This is 24 minutes faster than Aurora at age 11, nearly a full minute per mile faster. I don’t know all of her times (maybe someone from California can provide more results) but she ran a 35:21 for 10K at age 10 and a 16:08 for 5K at age 13. She also ran an 8-mile race in 1988 in 1:15:32 that involved a 4000-ft net elevation gain from start to finish. Try running 9:26 pace for 8-miles while climbing greater than the equivalent of 3 Empire State Buildings … at age 11. This is a course record that has stood for 16 years I believe, unless Heather broke it.I have less information on Heather but she did run 40:59 for 10K at age 6. Yes, 6:35 pace for 10K in first grade. I was doing speedwork at a local high school about a week ago and a gym class was running the mile. I think only 3or 4 boys in the class ran faster than 6:30 for one mile. She ran this for 6.2 miles in first grade.Add to this their brothers James and Jarrod. James ran 35:51 for 10K at age 10 and 33:03 at age 11 and set a national record for 3000m (9:40.8) at age 11. Jarrod ran 37:58 for 10K at age 8.Jump ahead a couple years to high school. At Footlocker, Carrie was 11th as a freshman, 6th as a sophomore, 19th as a junior, and 17th as a senior. Heather was 23rd as a freshman and never qualified again. Neither James nor Jarrod ever did go to Footlocker finals if I recall correctly.How about college? Heather ran 4:59 for 1500 meters at CS Fullerton and a 19:47 for 5K cross country and Carrie ran 18:58 for 5K cross country.And where are they now? Carrie is 27, Heather is 23, James is 28, and Jarrod is 25. As you all know, they are now tearing up the world’s running scene, dominating the Athens Olympics and smashing world records. The Kenyans and Ethiopians have nothing on the Garritsons. Carrie will surely be the first woman to run sub-2:00 for the marathon – after all, if she could run 2:49 at age 11, 1:59 is clearly within reach during her amazing post-high school career. I heard a rumor that Jarrod gained a lot of weight and then started eating at Subway and lost like 100 pounds. He donated his old pants to the Boy Scouts who now use them as tents when they go camping.

look again wrote:

You can fret about burn out, but the potential is there and we should keep our eyes open because this girl is playing her cards right to dominate hs cross country, hs outdoor 2mile, collegiate cross country and outdoor 5k/10k and then onto international marathoning.

Yep, Aurora Scott 3:13 at age 11, Carrie Garritson 2:49 at age 11. Aurora Scott is CERTAINLY going to dominate HS cross country, HS outdoor track, collegiate cross country and outdoor 5K/10K, and international marathoning. There is simply NO doubt about it. She is a sure thing!

Virginia State Meet

1 #753 Dewey, Melissa 12 Hayfield High Sc 5:51.1 18:10.70

2 #912 Scott, Aurora 9 Western Branch H 6:14.0 19:21.90

3 #799 Killough, Brittany 10 Franklin County 6:14.9 19:24.69

4 #771 Hawkins, Molly 10 Colonial Forge H 6:19.3 19:38.32

5 #794 Reinwald, Kelly 9 North Stafford H 6:21.7 19:45.91

6 #730 Snowden, Kelsey 12 Lake Braddock Hi 6:23.8 19:52.19

7 #779 Slekis, Stephanie 11 Forest Park High 6:25.1 19:56.18

8 #984 Wolfe, Kristin 09 James River High 6:25.2 19:56.67

9 #769 Comer, Kaylan 9 Colonial Forge H 6:25.4 19:57.14

10 #714 Byrne, Kayley 11 Oakton High School 6:25.5 19:57.48

What I find interesting is not that she was beaten by 1:11 but that so many other freshmen and sophomores finished so close to her. She’s gonna be in a dogfight to win her state meet in future years. I bet the Killough girl who finished less than 3 seconds back does not wake up at 4:50 AM to run at the YMCA with her parents watching over her shoulder, and I’m sure she’s never done a marathon. She’s only a year older – I bet she beats Scott next year since her legs won’t be destroyed by 26.2 miles of pounding on the streets of Virginia Beach. There’s a possibility that this so-called “national record holder” will NEVER win her own state meet.

By the way, where’s Briana Jackucewicz been lately? Last race was April at Penn Relays, then

an injury. I remember her father predicting she would run between 15:50 and 16:20 in Spring, 2005. You have to wonder whether or not that 35:53 at Penn Relays was her swan song.2004 – The Briana Jackucewicz Farewell Tour2005 – The Aurora Scott Farewell Tour

You said:

They're all from Kenya and Ethiopia, not America. She's smart because she is running the African way, not the American way.

Are you f***ing crazy?...running multiple marathons on asphalt is "running the African way"? You may want to research the training that takes place in Eastern Africa.

Her running career is already in serious jeopardy and it hasn't even started.

Someone should feel ashamed as Aurora (Farewell Tour) is off and flying in 2007. Aurora Scott debuts in 2007 running in her first indoor meet EVER and slaughters the competition in fastest High School girl's 3200m of the year:

http://www.milesplit.com/article/12122

I think a lot of you have missed the point of the girl being consistent in her development. I've read of the young phenoms listed in earlier posts but what I have gathered is that Aurora has been developing at a nice pace.

Capital bump!

Thus far, this thread is a great example of the negative and incorrect 'predictions' from so many 'students of the sport'.

Good call 'Luke' from the first page. Looks like those early marathons really hurt her!

look again wrote:

What's amazing in this article is Aurora Scott's own drive. She doesn't have running emphatic parents like some of these girls who later burn out. The other issue is the weight gain that occurs later on. The comparison with other girls of this age targets white girls who put on weight. From the photo, Scott has an East African-TYPE build and they don't tend to face the weight gain issue as much as white girls.

Black women in the US actually gain more fat, and are heavier, more muscle and fat by their mid and late teens. She isn't E. African, and looks undeveloped/immature, so there is no way you can tell what she will be like when she gets older.

Truth in broadcasting wrote:

Black women in the US actually gain more fat, and are heavier, more muscle and fat by their mid and late teens. She isn't E. African, and looks undeveloped/immature, so there is no way you can tell what she will be like when she gets older.

So do white people--or any female for that matter-- so you can make the same argument for practically any female distance runner. Your point is absolutely useless.

Truth is no one--not you, not her coach, not so called "letsrun experts"-- can predict her trajectory as a distance runner. Your comments only serve to highlight your own jealousy at this young woman's success.

Vipam wrote:

Someone should feel ashamed as Aurora (Farewell Tour) is off and flying in 2007. Aurora Scott debuts in 2007 running in her first indoor meet EVER and slaughters the competition in fastest High School girl's 3200m of the year:

http://www.milesplit.com/article/12122

the girl that got second goes to my school, has been running for about a year. she is now US #3

I've seen her family. They are all small framed people.... at least her mom is. Scott will not be getting much thicer than she already is. Apparently it doesn't matter her body type because the kid is still rolling.

You people can't seem to make up your minds....develop or don't develop our kids. From what I can tell Scott has been developing nicely and I like the fact she is starting to smile more and be more friendly.