Kip Keino's 3:34.9 in Mex-City maybe best 1500 Ever

we can estimate Keino's time for exact same run at 0 altitude if you combine the NCAA app here :

http://windows.podnova.com/software/5472845.htm

which gives exuberant clocking in the 3'25s

it appears to me that is only hypoxia calculator & you need to temper it down with faster running thru thinner air, combining it with wind/altitude calculator :

http://myweb.lmu.edu/jmureika/track/wind/index.html

i'm not digging up exact estimate now but it got Keino's same run at sea-level as

~ 3'27+

( that doesn't include any of the slowing factors of

- run ~ 1 mile to stadium carrying bag when bus stuck in traffic

- suicidal sprint when dead f***ckin last 13s into race, to get near lead

- wide running on 1st bend

- solo from 800 out missing out on 1 lap of drafting worth ~ 0.7s

- uneven splits, especially initial 100 & last 1400

- numerous 10k/5k/1500 races beforehand

- ill with collapse on track near end of 10k

plenty to suggest his 3'27+ conversion had helluva lot more to come off if fully healthy in smoothly paced to bell 1-off in zurich )

the method works

i predicted vivian cheruyiots 31+ time in kenyan trials was worth ~ 29'30 at sea-level

go see what she clocked in rio...

anyhows, we can know now get some "stat" evidence of what 7,000'+ will do for 1500 ( & 800 etc ) as before '15 only place that high for track was mexicoapart from '68, only 1 other serious meet ever held that high again, which was '79 world student games ( mennea ran his infamous 19.72 cutting the curve )https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1979_Summer_Universiadewon by williamson in 3'45.3 beating deleze, both of whom were quality guyssince '15, at the Keino stadium in eldoret/iten at ~ 7,000' ( still below mexico at 7,300' ), top kenyans racein '15, Asbel won with 3'36.09 ( listed on all-time site as 3'36.9 ) & it hurthttp://www.nation.co.ke/sports/athletics/Kiprop-sets-new-stadium-record/-/1100/2726648/-/10mambq/-/index.html

“The 3.36 by Asbel at high altitude could easily be a 3:28 on lower ground.” Kiprop praised the new Mondo surface, but added the he struggled quite a bit at altitude.

“It was a bit hard here but I am glad for the win. The change in altitude slowed me down.."

few weeks later he ran 3'26.6 !!!

last year, an unknown called tim cheruyiot won there in 3'36.8 walloping 2nd guy who ran 3'38.3

the poor tim finished an unlucky 4th in trials behind Asbel, mandingo & kwemoi who all had their disasters in rio

if you hadn't heard of him, he had some consolation in winning brussels walloping Asbel, maloofi & iguana, where if not wide running on bends, ridiculous opening lap, slow 3rd lap, he wouda run 3'29

he certainly is maybe next big 1500 talent & couda won a medal if in rio :

anyhows, both with their 1500 times at 7,000' & sea-level in same year suggest 6 or 7s is solid difference between 7,000' ( mexico at 7,300' ) & sea-level

only way to argue against 6 or 7s is if Keino was genetic "freak" amongst kenyans who wasn't affected by altitude unlike other kenyans such as Asbel a 3'26 & many time champ, & timmy, brussels winner & maybe next big thing...

Or likely doped out of his brains in a Mexico hospital hours before the race.

Yep. The story is that John Velzian himself was behind loading the entire Kenyan squad up with d-bol and some other drugs. Charlie Francis even mentioned in “Speed Trap” the official IAAF report that showed 100% of the Kenyans and Jamaicans in Mexico ‘69 were on drugs. Given Keino’s well known rep as an incredible liar (made up death threats, claims of little training, his criminal activities later in life - look it up) you’re likley right.

Stories are a lot of fun, aren't they?

Regardless of the rumor, doping makes the most sense. Calculo’s 3:27 sea-level conversion is correct. Many people have never raced at altitude to know the difference and it’s easy to just slough it off as “conversion calculators are notoriously inaccurate,” which some are no doubt (3:18 is silly).

A high school kid running 9:30 at 6,000’+ isn’t going to drop down to a meet in California and still just run a 9:30, even if growing up at altitude. I used to coach and observe a lot of these kids who grew up and raced at altitude. They would routinely drop anywhere from 15-20 seconds off their 3200 PRs racing at sea level, to a person.

So, if the 3:27 conversion is legit as I believe it to be, then you have to ask how he got there, especially in that era and with no other matching performances. I guarantee you could put Jakob up ~ 7,500’ and guess what? He ain’t breaking 3:35, or maybe just barely. I would love to see that actually.

Sea level 800m runners are aided by altitude, look at what happened Mexico City. No doubt Kenyan 1500 runners may enjoy similar benefits. In no way was Keino’s run the equivalent of 3:27. That claim is as fake as Keino’s claims of receiving death threats at the Commonwealth Games.

The 800 is a different beast altogether, no argument there.

This conversion calculator is about the most accurate you’re going to find from the 1600 on up. Listen to Calculo.

finalsurge.com

Final Surge | Running Altitude Adjustment Calculator

Convert your distance race times run at altitude to the sea level equivalent time.

Open link