Fastest Downhill Mile?

Casey Batey from Marshall ran a 3:38 in West Virginia a few years ago....I'm not sure that that's the fastest downhill mile, but it's pretty fast none the less

this topic's come up a few times before

Steve Scott or somebody ran like 3:29 or so. Don't think anyone's mentioned anyone having gone faster.

Mike Boit ran some crazy time years ago, too- sub 3:30?

I thought Eddy H. ran like 3:15 leading off the Hood to Coast....yes, no?

I'm not sure thats physically possible even elevation and EPO aided.

in the queens street mile mike boit ran 3:28, a new record beating steve scott who ran 3:29. Its in his book on page 131. Unless someone has run faster since I would say that is the record

32 feet/second squared. it gets no faster.

wartfoot wrote:

I thought Eddy H. ran like 3:15 leading off the Hood to Coast....yes, no?

I think Eddy ran something like 24:00 for 6 miles down Mt. Hood leading off for his team in '95 or '96. The amazing thing is it didn't trash him for his other two legs to follow.

not sure wrote:I'm not sure thats physically possible...

Yeah, the 4 x 400 WR is 2:54 so it stands to reason that the current mark represents the maximum possible turnover.

The relay is 4 x 43.5, Boit's splits are 4 x :52!

Dan Cooper (often mistakenly called D.B.), is tied with numerous others. He averaged 9.8meters per second.

fransksill wrote:

32 feet/second squared. it gets no faster.

Sorry, but 32 f/s/s, or 9.8m/s/s, is an accelerating due to gravity, not a velocity (speed in a given direction, a vector). In a vacuum, the first integral with respect to time of 9.8mss (a constant) would be 9.8t. So at one second, instantaneous velocity is 9.8 meters times t per second. Take the second integral and get 4.9 meters times t-squared. So you have fallen 4.9 meters in one second. After 10 seconds, the constant acceleration (9.8) brings you to a velocity of 98 meters per second; you have now fallen 4.9 times 10 times 10, or 490 meters.

Of course, in the real world, drag (friction with air molecules) gives you a maximun speed of 200-300 km/hr, depending on your body position, shape, density, clothing, etc. Slower with a parachute. By the way, the coefficient of drag is squared as the velocity doubles, which is why drafting is more imporant on a bike than running.

I would expect an 800m runner to have an advantage in an extreme downhill mile, because local muscular endurance might be the limiting factor more than aerobic power. Perhaps Seb Coe would have been the best all-time downhill runner, but I'd put my money on a more massive and taller athlete, perhaps Peter Snell. To run as he did at his size on the flats, imagine him on a downhill. Ryun would have been tough as well -- long legs.