Exactly! I was a freshman this year and run the 800 (female) and trained solely sprint. I pr'd at 2:16.74 with zero distance (keep in mind last year I ran a 2:30). Most 800 runners run some distance, but on a rare week my coach told me to go do a 2 mile easy run. So it depends on the person. Now the 1600 or the 3200 is a different story but not everyone needs that much distance.