Why can Nick Symmonds run such as fast 800-1500 when he is so heavy?

jamin wrote:

Using the same logic, you could ask why aren't 125-lb guys winning the 100m dash? After all, Usain Bolt is essentially carrying an extra 80-lb weighted vest over the distance.

You do not grasp physics at all. Usain Bolt is NOT essentially carrying an extra 80 lb weighted vest. There is no runner in the world who could even be in the top 10 in the world if they had to wear even a 10 lb weighted vest as they ran.

Emoemo wrote:

jamin wrote:

Using the same logic, you could ask why aren't 125-lb guys winning the 100m dash? After all, Usain Bolt is essentially carrying an extra 80-lb weighted vest over the distance.

You do not grasp physics at all. Usain Bolt is NOT essentially carrying an extra 80 lb weighted vest. There is no runner in the world who could even be in the top 10 in the world if they had to wear even a 10 lb weighted vest as they ran.

That's my point

I've always noticed that 800m runners tend to be slightly bulkier than 400m runners.

From 100m to the marathon,.the body type gets lighter, but the 800m seems to be the exception.

Maybe it's because unlike the 400m, 800m runners have to handle themselves in a pack (and more so than 1500 runners)?

Coevett wrote:

I've always noticed that 800m runners tend to be slightly bulkier than 400m runners.

From 100m to the marathon,.the body type gets lighter, but the 800m seems to be the exception.

Maybe it's because unlike the 400m, 800m runners have to handle themselves in a pack (and more so than 1500 runners)?

I have not seen that to be the case there are few bulky 800m runners and most are 4/8 guys

CopperRunner wrote:

Snell 6’0 179(!!!!)

Source? According to Wikipedia he was 5’10”, 176. I definitely don’t think he was 6’0”, and I honestly suspect that 176 or 179 figure came when he was out of shape and/or wearing some heavy clogs. Even as muscular as he was, he may have been more like 5’10”/168 when winning golds and setting WRs. That’s still a BMI of 24.1, compared to your 23.1 at 6’1”/175.

As for Coevett’s observation, unsurprisingly it doesn’t have much merit. Lashawn Merritt was 6’2” 185. Steven Gardiner is 6’4” and a surprising 207. Fred Kerley is 6’3” 205. Try finding world-class 800m runners who are that heavy. Michael Johnson was 6’1” 175, but you’d think he was heavier with as strong as he was. Even at 6’1” 171, Michael Norman would lean to the heavy side for a world class 800 runner.

The “quintessential” 400 guy is about 6’3”, 185, while the quintessential 800 guy is more like 6’2”, 165.

His red meat diet certainly helps.

Sounds like I messed up on that height, that’s my bad, but in all honesty I think that moreso drives my point home.

When I see pictures of him I definitely believe the weight figure, I think the least he could weigh was as you said around 170. Most sources I can see say somewhere between 175-180.

I do also think the trend of world class 800m runners looking bigger than some world class 400m runners is interesting. Do you think it could be a result of skinny fast twitch runners being best suited for the 400, while bulky slow twitch runners are best suited for the 800?

Amazing that in 2021 we STILL feel free to comment so judgmentally about women’s bodies.

Coevett wrote:

I've always noticed that 800m runners tend to be slightly bulkier than 400m runners.

From 100m to the marathon,.the body type gets lighter, but the 800m seems to be the exception.

Maybe it's because unlike the 400m, 800m runners have to handle themselves in a pack (and more so than 1500 runners)?

the 800 is such a unique event. it does seem that somebody who is strong can almost muscle their way through that second lap. my statistically insignificant anecdote:

last year, I had two kids who ran well from 400m up to cross.

kid a was a 50.xx in the 400, low 17s in the 5k. pathetically bad in the 800 @ 2:06

kid b was a 51.xx in the 400, mid 17s in the 5k. could run an 800 in around 1:58. Kid b was also JACKED and very mentally strong. They were within a 1/4 of a second of each other in the 600.

Hmmmm maybe if our society (especially men) stopped scrutinizing and judging women for their weight, body, and eating habits, this would actually be relevant.

Coevett wrote:

I've always noticed that 800m runners tend to be slightly bulkier than 400m runners.

There's no way that is true.

Coevett wrote:

I've always noticed that 800m runners tend to be slightly bulkier than 400m runners.

From 100m to the marathon,.the body type gets lighter, but the 800m seems to be the exception.

Maybe it's because unlike the 400m, 800m runners have to handle themselves in a pack (and more so than 1500 runners)?

Coevette is completely detached from reality.

Distance runners do not have a better power to weight ratio than sprinters. They have better aerobic engines.

Alberto Juantorena = 6' 3" and 185: 1:43.44

data hack wrote:

Coevett wrote:

I've always noticed that 800m runners tend to be slightly bulkier than 400m runners.

There's no way that is true.

What I meant was that if you took a graph of the average body types from 100m to marathon, then it would be a fairly smooth line aside from the 800m.

Also, the 400m body types are skewed by the fact that it's an event dominated by Afro-Americans, Jamaicans etc.

Plus 800/1500 is a more popular combo than 400/800.

Also John Wesley Harding is a smeeg heed.

There aren't much 800/1500 nowadays besides Makhoulfi Solueiman

One of his yotube videos talks about his fight weight back in the day. I believe he was substantially lighter than 165. He refers to himself as unhealthy. Now, if you want to talk about outliers...how about his form! He is on my list of guys that defy the conventional form/body type. Every time I see one of his videos it reminds me of wrestlers running around the track in HS. He has that weird build, sort of muscle bound but not, arms way out from his body, shortish punchy legs. Clearly he is just a machine and gits r done. If you saw him running at your local track, you would think he is a pretty fast but no way was that guy an olympian in the 8 hundo. He and Elle Purrier- just get it done with off form. Who else?

Many women.

How about Engels and Murphy?

Purrier is fine. Jorgensen is the worst and Schweizer is improving. Can't think of any guys.

Coevett wrote:

data hack wrote:

There's no way that is true.

What I meant was that if you took a graph of the average body types from 100m to marathon, then it would be a fairly smooth line aside from the 800m.

Also, the 400m body types are skewed by the fact that it's an event dominated by Afro-Americans, Jamaicans etc.

Plus 800/1500 is a more popular combo than 400/800.

Also John Wesley Harding is a smeeg heed.

Your first sentence remains bogus. The 800 runners, on average, would be an intermediary between the average 400 & 1500 guys.

Your second sentence, remaining consistent, is bogus, and hints at your racism. The short sprints are dominated by runners of West African descent even more so than the 400, and anyway I have no idea why that fact should lead to those statistics being thrown out or dismissed. Of course, even if you looked only at runners of European descent, the 400 specialists would still on average be heavier than 800 specialists.

As for your childish insult, how do you expect it to bother me when 90% of posters here know you’re an established POS?