Usain Bolt could run sub 5 min mile

He could have run 5 minutes on his sprint training.

MilkyW wrote:

Obviously these are only assumptions but :

Based on his 2:07 800m.

I am pretty sure that if he slowed down to run 23 seconds slower, up to 2:30 for an 800m, he would still have enough tank to run an other 2:30 800m.

Nope. It's been posted before, but there are people who ran that fast or close to that fast for the 800 and still couldn't break 5.

2:11 800, 4:43 1500, 5:13 mile:

You guys are idiots if you think he couldn't break 5. The mile is not really an endurance event, it's considered a middle distance event. So a guy in remarkable condition (albeit sprint condition but still) could easily run 30 seconds slower than his 400m pr pace for 5 minutes. There were sprinters on my high school team that could break 5. Get over yourselves.

rerptjerpotj wrote:

You guys are idiots if you think he couldn't break 5. The mile is not really an endurance event, it's considered a middle distance event. So a guy in remarkable condition (albeit sprint condition but still) could easily run 30 seconds slower than his 400m pr pace for 5 minutes. There were sprinters on my high school team that could break 5. Get over yourselves.

The mile is an endurance event

rerptjerpotj wrote:

So a guy in remarkable condition (albeit sprint condition but still) could easily run 30 seconds slower than his 400m pr pace for 5 minutes.

I ran a 60 second 400 in middle school, and that was without spikes or serious competition.

At that time, I could not maintain a 90 second 400 pace for just three laps, let alone a 1600 or mile. I don't remember what my exact mile PR was at that time, but it was a lot closer to 7 than it was to 6.

rerptjerpotj wrote:

You guys are idiots if you think he couldn't break 5. The mile is not really an endurance event, it's considered a middle distance event. So a guy in remarkable condition (albeit sprint condition but still) could easily run 30 seconds slower than his 400m pr pace for 5 minutes. There were sprinters on my high school team that could break 5. Get over yourselves.

But the sprinters on your HS team could not break 11.5 for a 100.....lazy distance runners proclaiming to be sprinters

rerptjerpotj wrote:

You guys are idiots if you think he couldn't break 5. The mile is not really an endurance event, it's considered a middle distance event. So a guy in remarkable condition (albeit sprint condition but still) could easily run 30 seconds slower than his 400m pr pace for 5 minutes. There were sprinters on my high school team that could break 5. Get over yourselves.

No way he breaks 5:00 minutes of a guy with his other worldly sprint speed can only run a 2:07 800 meters.

Some people here claim to run 16 minutes 5k after just two months of starting running off 20mpw

It's not out of reach to think that the best sprinter ever, who was a good 400 runner could run sub 5 mil. He is probably more talented than any LRC wannabe great.

Boris Yelstin wrote:

It's not out of reach to think that the best sprinter ever, who was a good 400 runner could run sub 5 mil. He is probably more talented than any LRC wannabe great.

His talent works against him here. Bolt is 90% fast-twitch fibers, many explosive ones. They can generate a LOT of power and force, but it comes at a cost - they fatigue quickly.

In a mile, 90% of Bolt's muscle fibers are almost useless. His legs would literally break apart after 2 laps.

Think of Bolt as a cheetah - cheetah's can sprint REALLY fast for 5-8s, then they are toast. Many animals can survive cheetahs because if they can run away from them for 8s (which they often can due to the difference in distance when the cheetah starts chasing), the cheetah can't follow anymore.

I like to bring the example of Farah, who did a 100m FAT race. 12.9x if I remember correctly, losing to a boxer and jumper. Is that a good sprint time? Farah has done endless sprint/speed training under Salazar, and yet all he can manage with his skinny body and legs is a 12.9. There is just no explosiveness or stride length compared to a FT sprinter like Bolt. Farah has a LOT of slow-twitch fibers and very few fast-twitch.

To an out of shape person a 400 meter is an endurance event...

Boris Yelstin wrote:

It's not out of reach to think that the best sprinter ever, who was a good 400 runner could run sub 5 mil.

With distance training? Definitely.

With no distance training and just 100/200 training? No way. My HS had 3 guys who ran an 11.98 FAT or better (25% slower than the WR), and none of them had ever run a sub 6:15 mile (25% slower than a sub 5 mile).

Our best sprinter a few years ago ran 10.8-22-48. He did XC just to stay in shape and usually jogged a 20 minute 5k. The assistant coach was a former D3 16 minute 5k guy who thought he was good. He challenged the sprinter to a mile race. Sprinter ran 4:50 and coach ran 4:55.

sprinters rule wrote:

Our best sprinter a few years ago ran 10.8-22-48. He did XC just to stay in shape

That was the key. If he only did pure sprint training and never ran more than a 400 without stopping, he'd struggle to break 6.

Ran the 4x4 a few times wrote:

sprinters rule wrote:

Our best sprinter a few years ago ran 10.8-22-48. He did XC just to stay in shape

That was the key. If he only did pure sprint training and never ran more than a 400 without stopping, he'd struggle to break 6.

If some LRCer claim to be able to run a 16 min 5k with two months of training, then bolt should be able to do it with less than one month...

I don't buy the "fast twitch" theory. Bolt legs wouldn't explode for a mile, lets be serious. He would just need to work aerobically to reach the goal.

He can run 45 400. You don't think he can go 4 laps 30 secs slower per lap. Just because you can't break 5 doesn't mean it's that hard for others.

sprinters rule wrote:

Our best sprinter a few years ago ran 10.8-22-48. He did XC just to stay in shape and usually jogged a 20 minute 5k. The assistant coach was a former D3 16 minute 5k guy who thought he was good. He challenged the sprinter to a mile race. Sprinter ran 4:50 and coach ran 4:55.

I saw a SJU basketball player jogging around second lane of the track at around 6:10/mile for like 2 miles. He wasn't even sweating it. It look like he was warming up to go inside for more practice. And he was wearing one of the gym shoes. LRC is full of people that thinks running 17 min 5K is really big deal.

Yes. Usain Bolt can run under 5 minutes for the mile. I don’t understand how this is even a debate.

Enough on the slow twitch and fast twitch, good word

Because this is Letsrun where 3/4 of the people are dumb and stubborn. We are aware of junior high children who can show up in gym class and break 5 minutes but people don't believe that the fastest man in the world can do it. Great Oak high school has 50 kids who can do it but the fastest man in the world can't. And we have 100 high school girls who can do it but the fastest man in the world can't do it.