Ben Blankenship 28:08 10,000m

Leo was a 3:35+ guy by the team Ben started being a contender for teams. He wasn't a 3:31 guy anymore. Webb was retired. Wheating was a 3:39 runner. Lopez Lomong was struggling to break 3:41. And so on. Feel free to make a list of all the guys that run sub 3:35 after 2015 who weren't name Centro. Make it a list of sub 3:34 guys and it is a really short list.

And yes compare that 2016 team of the previous decades Scott, Leo, Spivey, Webb, Lagat, and the rest and tell me that my evaluation of it being pretty weak after Centro isn't spot on.....

runnER/DR wrote:

Age is hugely overrated by runners. There is no advantage to age beyond late teens, early 20s. Examples:

-Rhonex Kipruto set the 10K road world record at age 20.

-Kipchoge won gold at worlds in the 5,000 at age 19. This is something he never accomplished again at older ages despite numerous chances.

-Jakob Ingebrigtsen set the European record in the 1500 at age 19.

-Joshua Cheptegei set the 5,000 world record at age 23.

It is really about when you have 7-10 years of good training under your belt and you have finished maturing. For most people that is in the early 20s. Some people don't really train much in their teens (i.e. the guys running 35mpw in HS) and it takes them a few more years to max out. 24 is pretty much the prime age for 5k/10k guys.

guccislides wrote:

first 10k he finished on the track. i’m sure it was slightly conservative to make sure he wouldn’t blow up. i could see his potential in the 10k to be low 27min. he runs actual mileage unlike lots of other USA 1500m runners. it’ll pay dividends.

OK so you’ve got an aging middle distance runner who was slower than Galen Rupp at 1500m, who is barely faster now than Galen was in HS at 5000m, who would have to run his 5000m pb and then do it again with no recovery to run low 27, and you somehow decide that you can see this happening. What else do you see happening?

dadsfadsfdasfdsafdas wrote:

runnER/DR wrote:

Age is hugely overrated by runners. There is no advantage to age beyond late teens, early 20s. Examples:

-Rhonex Kipruto set the 10K road world record at age 20.

-Kipchoge won gold at worlds in the 5,000 at age 19. This is something he never accomplished again at older ages despite numerous chances.

-Jakob Ingebrigtsen set the European record in the 1500 at age 19.

-Joshua Cheptegei set the 5,000 world record at age 23.

It is really about when you have 7-10 years of good training under your belt and you have finished maturing. For most people that is in the early 20s. Some people don't really train much in their teens (i.e. the guys running 35mpw in HS) and it takes them a few more years to max out. 24 is pretty much the prime age for 5k/10k guys.

You do realize Mantz took 2 years COMPLETELY off running right?

You infer Mantz isn't really a Junior because he's 24. You say the advantage of age is because of extra training. But Mantz didn't have extra training for a Junior. He has the same amount of training...and he massively deconditoned for 2 years. So there's no advantage by virtue of his age by your reasoning.

It would be different if he trained in Kenya for 2 years prior to starting college. But that would ALSO be completely legal. Anyone can do that. He's playing by the same rules as everyone else.

GreatFirstAttemptBB wrote:

Heres Jonny wrote:

To me it is actually slow. For a 31 year old to run 28:08 it is just a bit slow. Ben is a good national class runner but 28:08 is just too slow for a runner at the tail end of his prime. That is Ben’s problem now. There is no distance now where he is a factor. Nice career though.

Wow, did you mention you thought it was slow? Great grammar. I hope for your sake you're still in 3rd grade.

Side note: I've bet you've never had a bad day when trying out a new distance.... idiot.

As someone who is significantly smarter than you, I am guessing that you have no notion of what grammar even encompasses. I did use the word slow multiple times, and this has nothing to do with grammar. I used the word for effect, and clearly it worked as it triggered a dullard to assume a sense of superiority as he remained inferior. As for your second comment, there is no sense that Ben had a bad day. Not at all. Ben ran OK actually, and if the OP had not said WOW as if Ben had an amazing performance, I likely would not have made the effort to educate some of you at all. Ben ran an OK time, but it is on the slow side for a national class runner these days, especially one who is nearing the end of his prime. If Ben had done this at age 20, I too would have said WOW.

runnER/DR wrote:

jeo wrote:

Shows how much you know. Mantz is almost 24 years old. 10k is his best event. Blankenship is a 1500m runner.

Age is hugely overrated by runners. There is no advantage to age beyond late teens, early 20s. Examples:

-Rhonex Kipruto set the 10K road world record at age 20.

-Kipchoge won gold at worlds in the 5,000 at age 19. This is something he never accomplished again at older ages despite numerous chances.

-Jakob Ingebrigtsen set the European record in the 1500 at age 19.

-Joshua Cheptegei set the 5,000 world record at age 23.

Cherry picking. At 1500, the 12 all time best: 8 of them over 25, Youngest Jakob I 19 and still improving, oldest Mo Farah 30, Iguider and Cacho 28, Lagat 26. There is no universal standard.

You do realize I didn't say one thing about Mantz or are you illiterate? I simple explained why most people peak at around 24/25 in distance running. It is when the combination of total time training and physical maturity coincide. Maybe Mantz's life choices mean he will peak at 26 instead. I would be shocked if a guy like Jacob Ingrebrestein peaks at like 21. He started hard training at a young age.

The guy is not training to be a 10k runner. A bit more training and just over 1 second per lap puts him around 27:30. Get him in a championship race that goes 28:30 and his chances are great.

Good to see him getting out and trying an off event. Even if it isn't close to a world-beating performance, it's still worth celebrating, at least in my book. Ben still has some PR's in his legs by the look of things.

Mantz and Blankenship : True ages unknown

Mantz is only 23.

Ben was 8th in those 2016 Olympics - well better than Webb ever managed at the Games.

Gentleman Savage wrote:

guccislides wrote:

i could see his potential in the 10k to be low 27min.

Right, and 2:04 marathon. STFU, you're on crack.

I don't think it's ridiculous to think he could go sub-27:30 with a few more tries at the distance & in a fast race.

As others have said, Ben is easy to root for. He grinds & he isn't satisfied not contending. He said as much after the 10k.

If he can put things together, he could be a threat at the distance. It's unclear who will declare for the 10k & who won't. Rupp probably won't be running right? Not many others in the field will have his leg speed. If it becomes slow/tactical I would not be surprised to see him make another team.

*cringe*

Buddy, after wading through that word salad, rest assured that you’re certainly not as intelligent as you think you are.

This isn’t the 70s or 80s. 27:2x is not competitive at all on the world stage.

The USA is not competitive at 10k right now. Nor has it been in a long time besides Rupp.

That is why he can make the team.

25 is too old wrote:

That is why he can make the team.

Right now it looks like if you can run the sub 27:30 that you will need to run in the olympics, you will have a very good chance of being on the team. I think that time is a bit of a stretch given what we have seen.

25 is too old wrote:

That is why he can make the team.

He can go to the olympics and be one of the guys that gets lapped in the 10k. Congrats. Big step down.