Hobbs Kessler TAKES DOWN Teare and all the Americans!! 3:32.61

It's an editing hack to avoid copyright strikes.

Scott’s career was outstanding for length and quality. He did have a tough time in WC and OG. However so did Webb. I rate Scott #1 All-Time US👍

The critical factor for Hobbs was getting his hair sorted. The Bowl Cut wasn't going 332.

~ 55 years ago : Jim Ryun @ 20y 70d ; 3,31.1 on what dirt ? and zero spring loaded spikes on 7/8/1967; winning the race, with the last ~ 1,200 m in 2:47,4. Give me a break…
Ryun > Kessler all day long

Could Ryun climb 5:14c though??

3:33.1 … where’s the edit button.. ?!

I do not know how to edit either lol

I ask everyday lol

I swear this site has some of the least tech-literate people on the Internet. You really think the camera man did that?! Or are you trolling? If so you got me, so good one.

On a side note, f**k NBC Sports for posting all the races besides the 1500s

Hobbs ran his best times past and present in hoover races. in between he was running regular races, which overstated his times and then understated them and now they are a bit overstated.

the 332 hover race is worth 335 solo or regular unregulated race pace.

with that said, hobbs is on the upward trajectory obviously, and is only 15 meters off the world's best, or at least the podium.

and at 20 years, there without injury, and it looks like he's not over training, the trajectory is 328, in the hoover race,

which isn't anything like ryun's 333.1 1500 in the heat, with 46 second first 300m, on a chewed up dirt track, in the heat, with and uneven pace and lousy drafting....

arthur lydiard chimed in and said he could train ryun to a 346 mile on dirt....

be curious to see what hobbs can do a flat 400 in, if it's 48 low then he can do what cram did. physically that is.

I agree with the assessment of Ryun's talent here, but there are a few mistakes in the chronology -- the correct chronology is even more impressive! Ryun made the Olympic team as a high school junior and then beat that year's Olympic 800 and 1500 champion in an American record mile time the following year as a high school senior. And he broke the world record in both the mile and a half mile as a college freshman, not a sophomore. He was untouchable globally in 1966 and 1967. He won no world championships because there were none to win during that era. He finished second in the 1968 Olympics to one of the most amazing performances in Olympic history after being sick with mononucleosis earlier in the year.

Ryun’s “world class” in high school was also aided by much of the world not participating in the sport.

In any case, Ryun is clearly immensely talented. But my definition of talent is a function of a person’s baseline at a young age.

How much training has someone done to reach a given set of times? Ryun was running 100 miles first year of running (I believe).

Hobbs ran 45 miles per week for his senior only and ran 3:34 after less than 3 years of running and only 1 year of serious running. I don’t know if there has been anyone else in the history so lightly trained to run ~ 3:51 mile, let alone as a high school student.

Scott was silver medalist at the 1983 World Championships - beaten by Steve Cram. He was the reason Coe ran 3:32 at the 84 Olympics (Scott went to the lead early and made it fast) and finished 5th at the Olympics in 1988. In 1982 he was the best miler/1500 meter runner in the world (beating Ovett and running 3:47). I put him at 3rd all time behind Centrowitz and Ryun (and ahead of Spivey and Webb). Spivey was a bronze medalist at the 87 World Championships and had a best 1500 of 3:31.01. Hopefully Kessler, Nuguse, Teare, and Hocker take them all down. You have to go back to the first part of the 80s to find this type of talent (and these guys might be, hopefully are, better).

It says this post was edited..how does that happen..PLEASE LOL

What are the measures we need to look for to take you seriously?

Is there an elite fan / spectator / non-competitor category?

Some stuff here is surprising to me. Not LongJack's post but many other posts.

1. Kessler is not a secret, nor has he been since indoors senior year in HS. 3:57pt mile says it all. The 3:34.4, which was an outlier, puts an exclamation point on his talent and determination. If you are a Kessler fan, join the club. There are lots of us. If not, then why not? He's got all you could reasonably ask for.

2. With 2:16pt and 7:39flat marks around the 3:32.6, Kessler has serious range. He may not quite be the 5k guy that Teare is or will be, but Kessler is 20 and that 3 years is absolutely huge. When all is said and done, I would expect Kessler to be faster than Teare in every event 2 miles and down. Teare is more of a 3k/5k type while Kessler is a true miler. Stock in Kessler appears to be more promising.

3. It's not easy to remain competitive in a fast race. While Robby Andrews struggled significantly with fast fractions, Kessler seems not to. In fact, he copes well. The ability to hang in and bite down in fast races in invaluable. Guys like Robby, whom I know and like very much, are lethal in slower races. Hocker too. Kessler is a guy who can be in any race. Not saying Hocker cannot handle pace, but it remains to be seen how well he progresses from here. Again, age considered, Kessler compares well.

4. The fact that Kessler ran 3:34.4 at 18 in no way diminishes the 3:32.6 at 20. Ryun went 3:39 and 3:55 in HS, then finishes at 3:33 and 3:51. I don't see anyone taking shots at him, nor should they. Yes, Ryun was closer to the best in the world at age 20, but Kessler is not far behind. Not making any predictions here, but Kessler could well reach marks like 1:44pt, 3:29pt, 3:46pt and 7:30. Can't imagine any disagreeing that those numbers indicate true greatness. Would be best we have ever produced. Will see how it plays out.

Nobody has ran 3:28 for almost 2 years.

Or Tom Byers?

There's a youtube version of the 1500m that is watchable, in comparison to the jump cut, frame-in and out guy who avoids copyright strikes but gives us unwatchable races sometimes. For instance, they often miss the splits. Now, watching this better version, it is clear, even though their times are very close to each other, that Kessler is a miler, while Teare is a 5000m runner. Just look at their strides. Kessler looked like he had a lot left. He'll have to start taking more risks to really compete against talent like Timothy Cheruiyot, but he belongs there and can be as good as Nuguse. Sometimes it takes belief that you can mix it up with the best. From what I saw, Kessler can very much do that this year but he has to leave it all out on the track.

Well stated. Completely agree. Teare, as good as he is, is not a 15/miler. Kessler is. Who knows what the futute holds for Kessler, but it looks bright right now. At 20, he should improve for the next 5 years.