Jim Ryun reacts to Cooper Lutkenhaus's amazing run: “Like you, I was stunned and amazed at Cooper’s fantastic race."

Coevett wrote:

Regarding the potential of Luktenhaus to be a household name, I haven't noticed anything in the media (outside athletics media) about his performance, which is one of the most extraordinary in the history of the sport. Compare with the hype surrounding Gout Gout.

Here's an article just published at Sports Illustrated. It also mentions that Donovan Brazier only started training again in March?? It shows how much difference the bicarb gel and shoes are making, and whatever else they may be taking, that at the age of 27 he sets a pb after 3 years out and 5 months training.

Link:www.si.com/onsi/running/does-the-u-s-h...

Coevett wrote:

Regarding the potential of Luktenhaus to be a household name, I haven't noticed anything in the media (outside athletics media) about his performance, which is one of the most extraordinary in the history of the sport. Compare with the hype surrounding Gout Gout.

Here's an article just published at Sports Illustrated. It also mentions that Donovan Brazier only started training again in March?? It shows how much difference the bicarb gel and shoes are making, and whatever else they may be taking, that at the age of 27 he sets a pb after 3 years out and 5 months training.

Link:www.si.com/onsi/running/does-the-u-s-h...

daytripper wrote:

the greatest American 800/880y (also great in 400/440y) runner ever is Mal Whitfield, by far, no one else is even close; although there have been other great ones, eg Tom Courtney, Dave Wottle, Jim Ryun, Rick Wolhuter

Sub-9:00 guy wrote:

lease wrote:

Lots of commentary on JR's 880 record in this thread. Correct me if I'm wrong: I think it was at the USTFF meet? He ran the final a couple hours after the heat, and he negative split it: 53.3 for the first 440y, 51.6 for the second. That 51.6 would be worth 51.3, maybe 51.2, for 400m.

Imagine a 51.3 second lap in an 800. (YES, it happens, but not often.)

Now imagine it almost 60 years ago.

Yes, and imagine that he had today’s tracks, shoes, and bicarb! A 1:41 doesn’t seem like a ridiculous notion.

cfhosford wrote:

In comments about the 800m WR progression, someone mentioned Snell’s 1:44.3 in 1962 then went to Wottle who tied it in ’72. But don’t forget Ralph Doubell, tying Snell’s WR at the Tokyo OG.

Armstronglivs wrote:

cfhosford wrote:

In comments about the 800m WR progression, someone mentioned Snell’s 1:44.3 in 1962 then went to Wottle who tied it in ’72. But don’t forget Ralph Doubell, tying Snell’s WR at the Tokyo OG.

Doubell equalled the record at altitude, in Mexico City.

Grassrunner wrote:

Sub-9:00 guy wrote:

Yes, and imagine that he had today’s tracks, shoes, and bicarb! A 1:41 doesn’t seem like a ridiculous notion.

The amount harder Ryun trained to achieve his performances than Cooper has been training is insane.

backward-looking wrote:

Ryun never ran a step in training until XC season of his sophomore year.

Derby \'64 wrote:

backward-looking wrote:

Ryun never ran a step in training until XC season of his sophomore year.

That keeps getting repeated but is wrong. Ryun ran a 58 second 440 in 8th grade.

Wrong Again wrote:

Derby \'64 wrote:

That keeps getting repeated but is wrong. Ryun ran a 58 second 440 in 8th grade.

You’re wrong. The best reference is “The Sports Gene” which goes into some detail on Ryun and others who respond in unusual fashion to training. Ryun ran a time trial in the 9th grade and led the race for half a lap and then a herd of kids passed him and he finished with a 58, not outstanding by any means.

lmb wrote:

Untrained in the early sixties is not the same as being untrained today. Kids played a lot more sports without adult supervision, I rarely see kids playing spontaneously in my local park. Also, Jim Ryun had paper routes; he was biking several miles a day. Kids were much more active and ate far less processed food. He was in far better shape than today's youth.