German Fernandez - how fast could he have run if he stayed healthy?

Probably a 3:55 miler if he stayed healthy.

3:24

3:41

7:21

7:57

12:34

Faster than Rupp, that's for sure.

I think he had potential to run American records from 3000 to marathon. Not all of them at once, just what he chose to focus on.

Quote Post wrote:

Probably a 3:55 miler if he stayed healthy.

Not sure if that was sarcasm, but I’ll bite. He ran a 3:55 indoor his freshman year at OSU.

You’re saying he wouldn’t have gone faster if he didn’t have years of training interruptions?

Honestly that could be an interesting discussion....do some people simply reach their ultimate potential faster than others?

No idea. How fast could have Frank Shorter run with a VO2 max of 80?

You can ask often injured 4:59 one milers: How many often injured 4:59 milers would have been 4:29 one milers if not often injured.

You can ask often injured 4:29 one milers: How many often injured 4:29 milers would have been 4:14 one milers if not often injured.

You can ask often injured 4:14 one milers: How many often injured 4:14 one milers would have been 3:59 one milers if not often injured.

You can ask often injured 3:59 one milers: How many often injured 3:59 one milers would have been 3:44 one milers if not often injured.

CoachB wrote:

Quote Post wrote:

Probably a 3:55 miler if he stayed healthy.

Not sure if that was sarcasm, but I’ll bite. He ran a 3:55 indoor his freshman year at OSU.

You’re saying he wouldn’t have gone faster if he didn’t have years of training interruptions?

Honestly that could be an interesting discussion....do some people simply reach their ultimate potential faster than others?

He ran a mid 3:34 1500m. That is down around 3:53 or so for the mile. I don't know if he had a ton more left in the 1500m (i.e. He never struck me as a guy who had like 48s 400m speed). Maybe a 3:32 type guy. But in the 5000m you can speculate away. Down around 13:00 seems pretty reasonable and being a 12:50 type guy doesn't seem totally insane (felt he was a bit faster than rupp over the short stuff) but obviously making some very rosey assumptions.

How fast could Slagowski have run had he not had a career ending injury? Sorry, he didn't have one but never ran faster than 1:48 and 3:59 from HS. Not everyone gets faster. Maton should be running 12:59 by now also but he does not run any more. How about Krahn who ran 4:09 and 8:59 as a frosh? He is 22 and no faster than at 14.

optimal splits wrote:

3:24

3:41

7:21

7:57

12:34

Gimme a break. He was good but he was no Jim Ryun.

ncaa money wrote:

How fast could Slagowski have run had he not had a career ending injury? Sorry, he didn't have one but never ran faster than 1:48 and 3:59 from HS. .

Going to Penn State has been career ending for a lot of runners.... But yeah tons of guys struggle with the HS to college transition. The thing about German was that the dude handled it well for a like 9 months and then he fell apart.

Maton transitioned to college well but still disappeared.

ncaa money wrote:

Maton transitioned to college well but still disappeared.

Injuries happen. Why exactly he (and all the other guys it happen to) could never climb back is always hard to say.

330 and 13 flat seem pretty reasonable for a guy with his talent.

What happened to Maton btw? I remember him running pretty fast in college

With whatever new "methods" American training groups have started using since 2009, had he stayed healthy, there's no doubt he'd be a sub 13 guy.

I think he was a similar athlete to Evan Jager, and I have a feeling Jager will be the AR holder in the 5000 by the end of next summer.

German was one of the most exciting young talents we'd had in generations, and was a star as the US was just emerging from the dark ages. Its a career I really wish would have unfolded differently.

Run more slowly stay healthy, run fast and get hurt.

Its a narrow line between pleasure and pain

No body is perfect. There are lots of potential world champions who are sitting on the side lines.

Mark Winzenreid was another. There are thousands.

bigtool05 wrote:

330 and 13 flat seem pretty reasonable for a guy with his talent.

What happened to Maton btw? I remember him running pretty fast in college

After running that 3:39 he has been constantly injured. I am not sure if he has given up or just between injuries.

His high school coaches told me a number of times they thought he’d be a 5k 10k guy eventually. From what I gathered, developing in the 1500 as a frosh at OSU was part of the long term strategy to build a fast 5k over his college career.

I could be off on that last part, though. That was more, heard it from a guy that heard it from a guy.

German's on the COMEBACK, BABY!!!! 2021 LETS GOOOOOOOOOO

https://imgur.com/a/660cegd