Lowest mileage sub 2 800 runner

I was running 25mpw when I broke it

focused on getting really fast in the 400, 2 workouts per week which were

1) 4x200 @24/25

2) 4x300 @39/41

If you can run 2:02 off of 25 mpw you can likely break 2:00 off of 25 mpw. I first broke 2:00 off of 65-75 mpw, but it was a 60-57 split and I ran 1:54 at the end of that month.

The fastest 800m Ive ran came off of a 55-60 mpw summer/fall, 45 mpw winter, and 30-35 mpw spring.

I think most guys’ sweet spot lands between 25-50 MPW.

You should take a look at your strengths:

If you are running 53 or faster for 400m you should add mileage/more mile/Vo2 work, if you are running 54 or slow you should be dialing in on your shorter 90-100% top speed reps.

I know a college girl who ran 2:01 while only running 25 - 30 miles per week. She hated running distance so she went with a 400/800 coach who had her do mostly speed work.

When Athing Mu ran 1:55 right after her freshman year at Texas A&M, I don't think she was doing much more than 30 miles per week.

I've known guys who ran less than 5 miles a week who broke 2:00 in the 800m in high school.

They occasionally trained; maybe some fast intervals off barely any warm-up (definitely didn't cool down), but they just had incredible natural talent.

I can't think of a single one that still runs though.

Not exactly the same thing but i've heard of guys running 1:49 without running individual reps longer than 300m on the track

The ones I am aware of that did that had a decent level of fitness from other sports. Playing basketball after school for 2 hours isn’t exactly specific but it is a ton of sprinting/jumping.

Didn’t both Sumner and Flatt talk about doing 15mpw in HS? It doesn’t take much volume to max out speed and speed endurance and you get a good chunk of the aerobic development off that first 15mpw.

I ran maybe 15–20mpw for most of my HS 800 career. We didn't have a very serious distance program and no one knew how to coach it. I mostly alternated between running with the 1600/3200 group and the 400 group and I slowly did more 800 specific work mostly alone towards the end. I did a bit of cross country and maybe ran up to 30mpw in the summer and early fall. I ran the open 400 once my senior year in 51 mid. I ran first leg on our 4x400 and clocked a 49 high at my final meet. I probably could have run a 4:50 mile if I was forced too.

Workouts with the distance group were things like:
- 3 mile hilly run, this was a staple lol. Not ever fast. We were very aerobically underdeveloped. This was pretty much our only run for distance and we did it 1–2 times a week
- 8x400 w/ 2 min rest
- 12x200 on, 200 off
- I think we did tempo reps once in my entire HS career, something like 4x6 min
- This type of work got me to a low 18s XC 5k

Workouts with the 400 group were things like:
- Lots of hills. Short and long.
- 6x150
- 4x300
- More general conditioning stuff. Stadium steps. Plyo circuits.

Towards the end I did some 800 specific work like:
- 1000/800/600/400/200 starting a bit slower than my piss-poor mile pace and finishing around 800 pace
- 1x450 + 3x200.

Oh I forgot to mention, I ended up with a 1:59 my senior year of HS. I like to think a 1:57 was in the cards on the right day, but it never happened.

Okay last post and I'll shut up. My HS was very focused on football. Therefore sprints were a big deal. Basketball was big. Distance, not so much. During my time there we had 2 or 3 guys that were solid 400 open performers, 49-50 FAT in the open, that did absolutely zero distance running, were thrown in an 800, and got sub 2:00 relatively quickly, in a couple attempts. One guy got down to 1:55 off of this training. I think he could have been a national class runner if he trained properly and stuck with it.

These guys weren't couch potatoes or lazy. All of them were football players if I remember. Strong and fast and lean—wide receiver types.

I was about 5 to 8 miles a week. Longest interval I was doing was like 3 x 850 with 8 to 12 minute rest.

Always felt 10x200 or 8 x300 with short rest and good rhythm was way better than steady easy runs (for me).

A guy I went to HS with literally ran sub 2 off of like 10 mpw, at most. Laziest mf'er I ever knew, incredible waste of talent too.

I think there are lots of stories like that. My high school coach told stories about the most talented 800 meter runner he had coached. The guy didn't really train in the offseason and just pushed hard in his workouts without doing much mileage. Usually ran 1:58-2:02 because that is all it took to win in rural Iowa. However, he split 1:52 at the state meet in a relay because that is what it took to win.

Then, fast forward seven years and this guy stops by practice one day. Probably 10-15 lbs over racing weight with a little bit of a belly. He has worked on a farm since graduating but hasn't really trained at all. Coach gives him a little bit of crap for letting himself go, and the runner turned farmer retorted, "I could still run a 400 under 60!"

Coach says prove it, and the runner/farmer says let's do it right now... while wearing blue jeans and cowboy boots! And he goes out to the 440 yard cinder track with no warmup and proceeds to run 60 flat. One of the wilder stories of "talent doesn't go away" that I know of.

Personally, I didn't break 2:00 in the 800 until college, running about 50 miles per week.

1:58 senior year of HS off of 15 mpw

I know quite a few 200/400/400h guys who have a 1:52-1:57 PR because their coach randomly had them do an 800 at the start of the season to test their speed endurance. Those types of guys are only doing 5-15 miles per week.