Bill Rodgers vs Today - LetsRun.comOh, really?
Bill Rodgers vs Today - LetsRun.comOh, really?
But,but, but…..,,.,
Ryun would've had four guys that could push him in practice. I'm sure he would've loved that. I don't think he had any teammates in high school that could keep up with him. And the NP guys would have someone to chase.
Well he ran an 8:25 for 2 Mile as a Freshman, and his 2 Mile Time equates to a 7:47 for 3000 also the American Junior Record, a few tenths faster than German Fernandez's 2nd best time for an American Junior
You mean the guy who went to the Olympics in HS, ran 3:55mi on a dirt track in leather spikes? That Jim Ryun?
Nehemiah in the hurdles... jeez.
I wonder if the NBP guys would've been pushed by him in the 110s?
He had Mike Peterson, who if I remember correctly ran 4:10 mile. Peterson sacrificed his his race at the state meet. He paced Ryun for 2 1/2 laps or there abouts when Ryun ran his 3:58.3 in the first sub 4 in an only high school race.
A 4:10 in the 60s was an exceptional time, as well. More proof the 7 cheerleaders standing next to one-another look even better.
A guy who ran 3:39.0 for 1500, a few weeks past his 17th birthday, would be "noticed" even at NP. Put him in super shoes, running about a second/lap faster? Yeah. He'd get some attention.
Jimm Ryun ran on a cinder track. He ran to school. lifted weights before school. Ran in practice and often ran home after practice.
How many HS students would do this today?
Fast forward, he does this all, and gets to run on a modern day surface track?
Add to this his 800m time in HS is still tops.
After I posted, I paused and thought there was another Witchita East runner in that 1965 state meet mile.
Just because Ryun was beating gold medalists and WR holders doesn’t mean you get to bump him up to crazy times level and assume he’d beat Jakob or Tim or El H or whatever.
There are definitely physiological limits to athletes/humans.
You can’t simply assume Jesse Owens could have beaten Usain Bolt because of better shoes, and training and track surface because he beat a lot of people in the 30’s. Or that Bekele couldn’t have run 26:05 with super shoes and wave light.
it’s fun to speculate, but worthless in the end.
Hahahahahaah......Zinnngg!
Wait, Jim Ryun went to Tokyo and came in last in the semis? Why?
Not sure why….but he was 17 years old.
Time machine the NP folks to 60's Kansas, to those conditions, nutrition, shoes, training methods, etc, and I wonder if they would even be in the same stretch of track with Ryun or Archie San Romani.
Perhaps. But I do think it allows us to say he's good enough to travel with the 2021 NP varsity XC team.
Jim Ryun was a household name. He was frequently on the cover of many all-sports magazines such as Sports Illustrated and Sport. Today, hardly anyone outside of our track and field cult can name ANY current track athlete. Nobody. Some might remember that tall guy from Jamaica. Back in the day, people would say "that boy runs like Jim Ryun". He was like the Babe Ruth of track.
And of course he could never live up to the great expectations placed upon him. His failures were as famous as his successes. But he never went nuts and was a very humble and religious family man who ended up in the US Congress. He inspired a generation of young runners.
In the US, I don't believe we have any "household name" track and field athletes. Maybe SCR can achieve that fame if she keeps it together and does something Jim Ryun never did, wins a gold medal.
Great interview with Steve Cram - says Jakob has no chance of WRs this year
I’m a D2 female runner. Our coach explicitly told us not to visit LetsRun forums.
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