The exception that proves the rule. World class 6'5" sprinters appear incredibly rare. So far there isn't a comparable exception - 5'11" - amongst world record breaking women distance runners.
Do you like anyone? Do you even like this sport in theory? Why are you here?
This thread is a discussion that poses height can be a limiting factor for a female distance runner. You have nothing to offer on that?
Yeah cuz there's never been an American female runner who is great while she was young and then completely flamed out
And most of those didn't have physical attributes which are clearly problematic for distance running
You aren’t very bright. Jane is unlikely to become a world beater. Her height is not the reason. Why is her height a problem? Please explain it. She is within normal range for height.
If 5'11" is normal for a female distance runner can you name some other top female distance runners of that height?
NO her height is a rare for women distance running but not a deciding factor for success: Vo2 max, talent, running efficiency, determination, and blocks of uninterrupted training ARE ALL more important than height and that's a fact.
They are all important but they don't appear to rule out height as a factor when we see no top female distance runners anywhere near 6'.
Why, biomechanically, would a 5'11" woman be different than a 5'11" man? I don't get the premise of adjusting by the 6 inch average by gender.
I think the only difference being an advantage in leg length to body mass ratio lmao
The biomechanics are very different, based on bone structure, musculature and aerobic and cardiovascular capacity. That's why no top woman distance runner of 5'11" can get anywhere near performance-wise of a male of the same height.
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I remember how astonished people were when Usain Bolt started breaking records. He is MUCH taller than the prototypical sprinter, but he was unique. Perhaps Jane is able to overcome the height too. Speaking of sprinters, Femke Bol is 6 ft tall. She runs pretty well.
Sprinters and distance runners aren't the same. What male distance runners of 6'5" have shattered the stereotypes? What female distance runners are Bol's height?
We always though the ideal height for distance runners was small.
Bekele 5ft 5.
Kipchoge 5ft 7.
Then Kiptum shatters the WR being 5ft 11. How is that possible ? He was too tall !
Big difference between 5 foot 11 for a man and five foot eleven for a woman so 5'11 for a woman is more like a man being six foot six or taller.
Hedengren is tall but she carries her height and weight well. Anyway, she's as skinny as a rake with very low body fat and I watched her race yesterday (YouTube recap) and she has impressive form so I don't think there's anything stopping her from reaching a very high level. I'm thinking ultimately she might reach 3:55/8:25/14:30/30:00 type standard, similar to Radcliffe, allowing her to participate in world championship type races for the USA but I don't think she's going to win anything significant on a world class level but if I'm wrong I'll be very happy to be wrong. She seems like a nice lady.
For those who think she put too much effort into yesterday's race think again because it only took her 19 minutes and she has time to recover eight days later. For guys running 10k that's a different matter and the recovery process is going to be longer and there's going to be some damage.
This sums it up quite nicely. Also, if she doesn't become the best runner of all time, or whatever the made-up bar is as her career progresses, how, exactly, can anyone determine that it was her height that was the limiting factor? There are multiple factors that can hold someone back.
Big difference between 5 foot 11 for a man and five foot eleven for a woman so 5'11 for a woman is more like a man being six foot six or taller.
Hedengren is tall but she carries her height and weight well. Anyway, she's as skinny as a rake with very low body fat and I watched her race yesterday (YouTube recap) and she has impressive form so I don't think there's anything stopping her from reaching a very high level. I'm thinking ultimately she might reach 3:55/8:25/14:30/30:00 type standard, similar to Radcliffe, allowing her to participate in world championship type races for the USA but I don't think she's going to win anything significant on a world class level but if I'm wrong I'll be very happy to be wrong. She seems like a nice lady.
For those who think she put too much effort into yesterday's race think again because it only took her 19 minutes and she has time to recover eight days later. For guys running 10k that's a different matter and the recovery process is going to be longer and there's going to be some damage.
This sums it up quite nicely. Also, if she doesn't become the best runner of all time, or whatever the made-up bar is as her career progresses, how, exactly, can anyone determine that it was her height that was the limiting factor? There are multiple factors that can hold someone back.
That's true but if there are no female distance runners who become successful Olympians and she doesn't reach that level we can also infer her height also likely prevented her.
The answer to the question posed by the thread is quite simple: provide a list of female distance Olympians 5'11" or taller. That will tell us what her chances may be.
5'11" isn't exceptionally tall for a female distance runner? How many female Olympic distance medallists are that height?
Grete Weitz and Paula Radcliffe were 5'8", both built a lot like Hedengren, and both redefined the expectations of how fast a woman could run a marathon. I don't think an extra 3 inches is that crazy to expect world-class performances, especially as a middle-distance runner.
Craig Mottram says hi. He is probably the perfect comparison. Above average height but not exceptionally tall but still towers over other competitors. Both white, both race similar distances. Mottram had a good career.
Her height is rare for a distance athlete but not totally unheard of and it clearly hasn’t affected her yet.
Jane is obviously a talent but she is also clearly an early developer. Will she progress to become elite on the world stage or stagnant and just be a top American but never really push for global medals? No one knows yet. History says the latter, especially as I don’t think she’ll have the kick to win global medals and won’t be able to burn the fields off like she does now.
Either way, I think she’ll have a decent career.
Craig Mottram is 6'2". As you say, that isn't especially tall for a bloke but it is a giant for a distance runner. Height is a rarity in these events. Kiprop was another exception and is 6'1". But 5'11" for a woman is like 6'4 or taller for a man.
I think the only difference being an advantage in leg length to body mass ratio lmao
The biomechanics are very different, based on bone structure, musculature and aerobic and cardiovascular capacity. That's why no top woman distance runner of 5'11" can get anywhere near performance-wise of a male of the same height.
Nor can any woman distance runner of any height, so I'm not sure what your point is. That being said, Jane's bone structure, biomechanics, musculature, and probably aerobic capacity are as good as is it gets for a female, and much better than the vast majority of males.
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5'11" isn't exceptionally tall for a female distance runner? How many female Olympic distance medallists are that height?
Grete Weitz and Paula Radcliffe were 5'8", both built a lot like Hedengren, and both redefined the expectations of how fast a woman could run a marathon. I don't think an extra 3 inches is that crazy to expect world-class performances, especially as a middle-distance runner.
3" is a lot of difference. If it wasn't it would be just as common. It isn't.
The biomechanics are very different, based on bone structure, musculature and aerobic and cardiovascular capacity. That's why no top woman distance runner of 5'11" can get anywhere near performance-wise of a male of the same height.
Nor can any woman distance runner of any height, so I'm not sure what your point is. That being said, Jane's bone structure, biomechanics, musculature, and probably aerobic capacity are as good as is it gets for a female, and much better than the vast majority of males.
My point is that there is no comparability between top female and male athletes of the same height, so a 5'11" woman can't be likened to a 5'11" man as an athlete. Men aren't examples of what women can achieve.