This is generated by four primary factors coming together. Training, footwear, surfaces, meet structure.
the training has improved to an effect that any college coach that is worth their salt can research what other programs have done to achieve these top results, and just plug in the training, eventually someone with the right physiology will come along.
the footwear is bumping at lot of guys who would have topped out at 4:03-4:02 and getting them to 3:59.9
Meets like bu are also a huge part, I live in allston and jogged over to watch with a friend. The whole country was in allston this week. Id go out running and see everyone from everywhere. With this type of appeal and getting all these competitive athletes in one area it drives the times down.
lastly surfaces like BU and NB are designed to make people run that extra little bit faster.
This is the result of optimal athlete meets optimal training meets optimal footwear meets optimal meet and surface. Of course everyone will run fast.
Totally agree. Shoes play a role but they're taking the low 4:0x guys to 3:59. How many sub-4's happened outside of BU this weekend? You have runners traveling to this meet from every part of the country. Local race calendars are a thing of the past. People are traveling to fast meets on fast tracks. So many heats set up to go sub-4.
Yes guys travel there to get in a heat with 12 guys running the same time. But other tracks are just as fast. Chicago, Notre Dame, Arkansas, Washington, Iowa State, Michigan. Just need a few good teams to attend.
In other words, today's runners have the wind to their backs vs. top runners of the past. If the track surface and super shoes only improve performance by half second to a full second per lap on a 200 meter track that's 4 to 8 seconds per mile. Big difference.
Not a physics guy. but is there any thought that maybe the shoes provide even a better edge on an indoor track like BU than an outdoor track.
i know BU has always been fast —but perhaps the shoes also work especially well on a track of that construction
Was just saying this the other day, with banked track like bu I believe you get more energy return. Most people also don't realize the effect on training super spikes/shoes have. You don't get beat up as much doing intervals, meaning you can recover faster or do more or faster intervals.
Breaking 4:00 mile used to mean something. No more. 43 broke 4:00 at BU Valentine. What's going on? Better tracks, shoes, training, competition???
Better training
dumbest excuse that keeps getting thrown around.
The "better training" is the result of the new footwear they can wear in practice that allows for harder reps, faster recovery, and fewer injuries. The TRAINING itself has not changed much if at all. Do you really think in 2021-2022 almost every tenured NCAA coach decided to change their training to the same thing, simultaneously, and their athletes all responded similarly? What is the common denominator in elevated performances since 2021? Oh, it's the shoes. Stop lying to yourself you look silly. It's not the tracks, they were all around before COVD. It's not 6th year seniors. It's not the training. It's the shoes, get over it.
Fantasy; let's bring back Nurmi, Zatopek, Bannister, Elliott, Snell, Ryun, Keino at their respective peaks. How would they do against today's competition?
This is generated by four primary factors coming together. Training, footwear, surfaces, meet structure.
I think you're missing the most glaringly obvious factor. Insufficient testing and ever increasing financial incentives to gain an advantage. 1/4 inch of soft foam is not making the difference.
The "better training" is the result of the new footwear they can wear in practice that allows for harder reps, faster recovery, and fewer injuries. The TRAINING itself has not changed much if at all. Do you really think in 2021-2022 almost every tenured NCAA coach decided to change their training to the same thing, simultaneously, and their athletes all responded similarly? What is the common denominator in elevated performances since 2021? Oh, it's the shoes. Stop lying to yourself you look silly. It's not the tracks, they were all around before COVD. It's not 6th year seniors. It's not the training. It's the shoes, get over it.
The "better training" is the result of the new footwear they can wear in practice that allows for harder reps, faster recovery, and fewer injuries. The TRAINING itself has not changed much if at all. Do you really think in 2021-2022 almost every tenured NCAA coach decided to change their training to the same thing, simultaneously, and their athletes all responded similarly? What is the common denominator in elevated performances since 2021? Oh, it's the shoes. Stop lying to yourself you look silly. It's not the tracks, they were all around before COVD. It's not 6th year seniors. It's not the training. It's the shoes, get over it.
Okay, do you want the real truth. It is not the "better training." It is the lack of overtraining.
The "better training" is the result of the new footwear they can wear in practice that allows for harder reps, faster recovery, and fewer injuries. The TRAINING itself has not changed much if at all. Do you really think in 2021-2022 almost every tenured NCAA coach decided to change their training to the same thing, simultaneously, and their athletes all responded similarly? What is the common denominator in elevated performances since 2021? Oh, it's the shoes. Stop lying to yourself you look silly. It's not the tracks, they were all around before COVD. It's not 6th year seniors. It's not the training. It's the shoes, get over it.
Correct. The data is clear. Shoes were introduced, times got 2sec faster in the mile and closer to 5sec/mi in longer events. Tracks were not resurfaced or replaced on a mass scale and fast times wrte run on old tracks. Coaches did not have a sudden turnover, nor did existing coaches change their training. The 6th yr seniors account for a handful of fast times.
The "better training" is the result of the new footwear they can wear in practice that allows for harder reps, faster recovery, and fewer injuries. The TRAINING itself has not changed much if at all. Do you really think in 2021-2022 almost every tenured NCAA coach decided to change their training to the same thing, simultaneously, and their athletes all responded similarly? What is the common denominator in elevated performances since 2021? Oh, it's the shoes. Stop lying to yourself you look silly. It's not the tracks, they were all around before COVD. It's not 6th year seniors. It's not the training. It's the shoes, get over it.
Okay, do you want the real truth. It is not the "better training." It is the lack of overtraining.
Get it?
What is driver of this.... the shoes... weird huh?
For sure shoes yea...I thought it would be training and environmental factors like others have mentioned...but thinking about it now... definitely the shoes.
I mean its not just super spikes, we got vapor flys, alpha flys, and all of their competitor variants now for training...I almost don't like wearing them in training because of the handicap it poses in terms of pace...they feel way to fast!
More cushion or foam whatever = more shock absorption = less fatigue I guess.
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