His high school training wasn’t anything crazy but it was incredibly structured and progressive. I think he was talented but no more than the top kid every few years.
I don’t think he could win anything in the NCAA right now. Maybe not even top 3
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quavos lyfe wrote:
FormerStopWatch wrote:
Drew was really really well coached for a high school athlete. 99% of High schoolers don’t train like this, plus he has huge talent.
In my opinion he never increased his training enough, that being said he’s still been injured a lot. Had he gone pro with Jerry, Alberto, etc I don’t think he would have lasted health wise.
I do think college or a different pro team would have been eye opening to him. Seeing how hard those guys train and what is required off the track is needed for any young runner. He instead was the leader of his own team at 18-19. It’s hard to know what the limit is when you have nothing to compare it to.
Training and professionalism
This is something I've started to question recently. Based on what we know about his training, it's mileage with longer repeats, tempos, long runs, some speed work as necessary. Are 99% of high schoolers really not training that hard? Surely a good number of runners with competent coaches are at least as technical in their training approach. Tinman himself has admitted that he didn't reinvent the wheel with his methodology.
I think Drew is a phenomenal talent who has always had an eye on the future- which is great when you're a high school athlete with that much clear potential, but there's less of a point to operating like that when you're 26 and entering the hypothetical prime years of your career. This year and the next Olympic cycle are what Drew has "keeping an eye on" for the last 10 years. When is the time to go chips all in, if not these next four years?
Much has been written about his cohorts who have made greater strides and surpassed him in the time that has passed since they were in high school. I still think he has the potential to be one of those guys on the world/Olympic stage. But he has to start training like he's hungry and needs to eat, instead of training like he's the most talented runner in the country.
WRONG - the time is now. Once he/Tingrifters quit T. Schwartz it’s been a slow slide into the athletic graveyard. The sport has moved on; after 2025 you’ll be posting “Remember D. Hunter, a Wasted Talent”.
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Hunter has the highest message board discussion to running performance ratio of any athlete still in the sport.
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my two pennies wrote:
flld98 wrote:
Who had a better career, Drew Hunter or Ryan Hill?
Hill ran 7:30 and a world medal (indoors but still). Hard to really make an argument for Drew against that.
Indeed. Can't believe you'd even ask that question.
Hill ran 7:30 when 7:30 was insanely good. And just about caught Kejelcha for gold at World Indoors.
He just got the injury bug after that and was never the same. And he was in that awkward position where the flat 3k was his best event.
Re: Hunter - this has been said already in this thread, but it's an obvious case of a talented kid doing perfect training in high school and looking like a potential world beater because of it.
Had he stayed healthy into the supershoe era, I could see him with 3:32/13:00 PR's.
Good man getting married young (to a gorgeous woman) and starting a family. I hope to see him turn things around and mix it up in the 5k final at the Trials this summer.
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Bigger question, is he sponsored through the 2028 games? Once the adidas contract is up can he get another one?
Probably retired before then right?
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Feel like Drew has always been a miler, whereas Nico has some more range. But maybe the comp is them being phenoms in HS. Drew turned pro. Nico went to Northern Arizona. No comment on who made the best/right decision. Can argue it a bunch of different ways.
Fwiw Drew raced a lot last season. Ran just off of his 1500/mile PBs multiple times. Finished 9th @ USA XC Champs earlier this year. Have no idea if he's healthy but it would be great if he could build off of what he was able to do last year. I think 9 times under 3:40. 3:35 2x. 3:36 + 3:37 1x.
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NOT wrote:
quavos lyfe wrote:
This is something I've started to question recently. Based on what we know about his training, it's mileage with longer repeats, tempos, long runs, some speed work as necessary. Are 99% of high schoolers really not training that hard? Surely a good number of runners with competent coaches are at least as technical in their training approach. Tinman himself has admitted that he didn't reinvent the wheel with his methodology.
I think Drew is a phenomenal talent who has always had an eye on the future- which is great when you're a high school athlete with that much clear potential, but there's less of a point to operating like that when you're 26 and entering the hypothetical prime years of your career. This year and the next Olympic cycle are what Drew has "keeping an eye on" for the last 10 years. When is the time to go chips all in, if not these next four years?
Much has been written about his cohorts who have made greater strides and surpassed him in the time that has passed since they were in high school. I still think he has the potential to be one of those guys on the world/Olympic stage. But he has to start training like he's hungry and needs to eat, instead of training like he's the most talented runner in the country.
WRONG - the time is now. Once he/Tingrifters quit T. Schwartz it’s been a slow slide into the athletic graveyard. The sport has moved on; after 2025 you’ll be posting “Remember D. Hunter, a Wasted Talent”.
He's been better since ditching schwartz
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quavos lyfe wrote:
FormerStopWatch wrote:
Drew was really really well coached for a high school athlete. 99% of High schoolers don’t train like this, plus he has huge talent.
In my opinion he never increased his training enough, that being said he’s still been injured a lot. Had he gone pro with Jerry, Alberto, etc I don’t think he would have lasted health wise.
I do think college or a different pro team would have been eye opening to him. Seeing how hard those guys train and what is required off the track is needed for any young runner. He instead was the leader of his own team at 18-19. It’s hard to know what the limit is when you have nothing to compare it to.
Training and professionalism
This is something I've started to question recently. Based on what we know about his training, it's mileage with longer repeats, tempos, long runs, some speed work as necessary. Are 99% of high schoolers really not training that hard? Surely a good number of runners with competent coaches are at least as technical in their training approach. Tinman himself has admitted that he didn't reinvent the wheel with his methodology.
I think Drew is a phenomenal talent who has always had an eye on the future- which is great when you're a high school athlete with that much clear potential, but there's less of a point to operating like that when you're 26 and entering the hypothetical prime years of your career. This year and the next Olympic cycle are what Drew has "keeping an eye on" for the last 10 years. When is the time to go chips all in, if not these next four years?
Much has been written about his cohorts who have made greater strides and surpassed him in the time that has passed since they were in high school. I still think he has the potential to be one of those guys on the world/Olympic stage. But he has to start training like he's hungry and needs to eat, instead of training like he's the most talented runner in the country.
I see what you are saying here... like if he was more talented he could get away with the HS-level training that is not totally cutting it at the pro level but I think he's training more from a place of caution or even outright fear of being injured again (especially immediately following that long plantar tear injury).
I think he's pushing it a little more now. But maybe that's what comes with being coached by Joan Hunter. She clearly cares a lot for her athletes as people and of course even more so in the case of her son so there's maybe a degree of holding him back from truly world class training... but that training would probably wreck him as others have said due to the wonky biomechanics so IDK maybe they've got the best approach ultimately
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Pppp wrote:
theRanMan wrote:
Yeah but in this case mommy and daddy not the same as Seb's.. Right? Do you understand that?
How do you know the problem isn’t that hunter isn’t seb? Do you understand that?
I have no clue on where to place the blame for the steady stream of injuries. But if you look back to when Tubman was bragging about drew being a slow dude (51s?) winning off CV strength, that suggests the mile future might be limited. But he also always had a jerky form. You can get away with all sorts of arm flailing and head rolling but I can’t think of a sub 3:50 guy whose lower body isn’t really smooth.
I don't... But I was just pointing out one area that might a disadvantage. Maybe with a world class coach he would have been better? Maybe not.
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FormerStopWatch wrote:
Bigger question, is he sponsored through the 2028 games? Once the adidas contract is up can he get another one?
Probably retired before then right?
I don't think. Retire and do what?
He doesn't know anything else. I don't think he ever graduated college? Keep running professionally as long as he can and doing his coaching business.10 -
Dude, he invented tinman elite.
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Well, yesterday (3/16) he ran at the Sound Running Tracktown 10000
"Drew Hunter - Adidas 27:38.87"
He clearly has some wheels left.
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Great passive aggressive take. Very mature.
Objectively, Drew made the better financial decision. It is so difficult for male distance runners to command a $500K/year, ten year contract.
If you would ever advise someone to turn that down, you are failing to use objective analysis.
Also, I’ll be shocked if Nico is guaranteed the equivalent of Drew’s $5M when factoring in inflation. When you include inflation, no way Nico gets the money Drew managed to pull off.
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Not Done Just Yet wrote:
Well, yesterday (3/16) he ran at the Sound Running Tracktown 10000
"Drew Hunter - Adidas 27:38.87"
He clearly has some wheels left.
I think he's gotta hone in on the 5,000. 10,000 is first for men, and we saw that took a lot out of some guys last year. Sure he's an underdog to make it, but his odds are far longer in the 1,500 where he just doesn't have the wheels.
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It was 2mil over 10 years
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Maybe drew hasnt and will never pan out. 27:38 isnt bad and he looked pretty good. Sure maybe its only worth a 28:15 10 years ago. I really dont think he's that much of a "bust" finacially. Tons of high school kids loved him and still do although a bit less. And its impossible not to associate adidas with drew hunter. Worser decisions have been made imho.
This post was edited 32 seconds after it was posted.21 -
CalicoCat wrote:
Maybe drew hasnt and will never pan out. 27:38 isnt bad and he looked pretty good.
I saw Drew Hunter run a 5k at that same track 2 years ago. He was carrying a lot of extra weight back then. He's probably 10 - 15 pounds lighter now. That's a big part of why he ran a pretty good 27:38 last night.
You might be able to get away with a carrying some extra weight in a 1500, but not in a 5k or 10k.
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Whatever happened to Drew Hunter?
He's a long-time professional that people are excited about when he performs marginally better than the sub-elite or d3 level. Running nearly a minute slower than top Americans in the same conditions is "actually a pretty good performance."
I get that people just want the best for an athlete and their success, but I haven't understood what the fuss has been all about ever since he was in High School.
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Slim Down Buddy wrote:
CalicoCat wrote:
Maybe drew hasnt and will never pan out. 27:38 isnt bad and he looked pretty good.
I saw Drew Hunter run a 5k at that same track 2 years ago. He was carrying a lot of extra weight back then. He's probably 10 - 15 pounds lighter now. That's a big part of why he ran a pretty good 27:38 last night.
You might be able to get away with a carrying some extra weight in a 1500, but not in a 5k or 10k.
Mom's feeding him again.
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