Since Engels wants to run 3:29 I was curious about the 800 and 5000 times of others who had gone sub 3:30. It seems like there are 3 types: The 800/1500 guys like Coe and Makhloufi. The "distance" guys who have sub low/sub 13 times like El G and Mo. And the final group are the 1500/mile specialists, like Kiplagat, whose 800 and 5K times are not even that competitive for the NCAA. Willis sort of fits this mold as well, he doesn't have particularly fast times at either 800 or 5000.
Obviously, El G could have run an 800 much faster than his pr if that was the focus of his training and the same with Kiplagat in the 5K. So to some extent these prs reflect their focus and training, not necessarily their potential. But the point is there are different types of runners and different paths to a sub-3:30, and someone doesn't necessarily need to be really fast at the 800 or be an endurance guy going down to a shorter distance.
