Why are there so many good HS distance runners in Oregon right now?

Oregon's relatively mild climate, abuncance of tracks combined with many active track communities, and abundant nature combined with a relatively well-off population is all conducive to bringing up kids who are well practiced and can excel at track/XC

Breakfast In Bed wrote:

Oregon's relatively mild climate, abuncance of tracks combined with many active track communities, and abundant nature combined with a relatively well-off population is all conducive to bringing up kids who are well practiced and can excel at track/XC

Accounting for that, they just seem to have way more fast boys than Oregon usually has.

Agree with breakfast in bed. I lived my first 45 or so years in Oregon and it is perfect for running, at least the western half of the state is. Always had good coaches there due to the influence of UO, Lane CC, and in the 70's OSU. When you have good college programs close by, the effect trickles down to the high schools. Running has been long ingrained into the mentality much like football is in Texas.

oregon kids wrote:

In track last spring, Oregon had 7 different HS kids run a sub 9 3200 or equivalent 3000 time.

Why not state their 3000 m times, instead of the asinine sub 9 3200?

Short “5k” courses in pancake flat courses. Oregon is always hyped until you put them on a real course like Eagle Island in Boise, ID where they never perform well.

cherry.picker wrote:

oregon kids wrote:

In track last spring, Oregon had 7 different HS kids run a sub 9 3200 or equivalent 3000 time.

Why not state their 3000 m times, instead of the asinine sub 9 3200?

Most of the country runs a 3200 and knows intuitively how 3200 and 5k times relate. Only the disadvantaged in states that run the 3000m or 3 mile track races know what to do with those times.

Would we be better off if everyone just ran 3000m in HS track? Probably. But we don’t.

Ostritch wrote:

Short “5k” courses in pancake flat courses. Oregon is always hyped until you put them on a real course like Eagle Island in Boise, ID where they never perform well.

In addition, Im guessimg its the extra time spent running instead of attending schools in a state ranked 49th in graduation rates.

Theres plenty of potential everywhere with a variety of environmemts conducive to training year round. I can tell you that there are pockets of communities that do well in OR but the rest of the state is uninterested or too impoverished to function as a running community let alone just attend school regularly. Covid idiot governor did her best to ruin kids lives for sure.

Im actually somewhat surprised at the performances but might attribute it to a spring CC season followed by track, summer training and right back into fall CC. Meaning consistent training = better performances.

Or maybe theres something about wearing masks that help runners that dont croak, afterall?

Overlooked is the impact of Oregon’s running culture. Being home to UO, Hayward Field, UPortland, US Olympic Trials, Nike, Rupp, Pre’s Rock, Portland Track Festival, etc. all adds up to making distance running cool.

There other great locations around the US but Oregon has an above average concentration of track heritage.