I know his PR in high school as a junior was 9:04 in the 3200 and like mid 4:teens for the 1600. I also remember him or Gibby saying he had never run faster than 56 or 57 for 400 until college.
Now he’s 7:29; 12:48; 26:57 from training at sea level. Does anyone know of another athlete who’s gone through the U.S. system and improved this much?
I know his PR in high school as a junior was 9:04 in the 3200 and like mid 4:teens for the 1600. I also remember him or Gibby saying he had never run faster than 56 or 57 for 400 until college.
Now he’s 7:29; 12:48; 26:57 from training at sea level. Does anyone know of another athlete who’s gone through the U.S. system and improved this much?
Not at all. He was undertrained in HS, but ran 3:56/13:18 as a freshman.
Good points, that was after a gap year in Flag to be fair. Just to be clear, I’m a fan of the kid, it’s just a much different path than Nico, Parker Wolfe, Grant, Hobbs Kessler who were blue chip guys in high school
I wouldn't say Hobbs and Grant had typical paths either. Grant was an elite junior soccer player and didn't fully dedicate himself to running until after high school. Hobbs was an elite rock climber growing up and didn't start running until junior year of high school and didn't become elite at running until senior year.
God imagine how good he could (can?) be if he leaves gibby and goes to altitude. Was he also doing some school this year as well? Insane talent.
also if anyone’s upset at my gibby hating, just look at some of his workouts. Straight out the 90’s. I don’t have any personal vendetta against him or Harvard, but it’s way outdated
God imagine how good he could (can?) be if he leaves gibby and goes to altitude. Was he also doing some school this year as well? Insane talent.
also if anyone’s upset at my gibby hating, just look at some of his workouts. Straight out the 90’s. I don’t have any personal vendetta against him or Harvard, but it’s way outdated
Gibby clearly knows what he’s doing lol. Under his tenure Harvard had five total individual national championships (two for Blanks and three for Maia Ramsden) and went from one of the worst teams in the history of the Ivy League to a top 15 national cross program within four years. Ferenc Kovacs just won bronze at NCAAs as a true sophomore.
The training seems a little antiquated at first glance but 6:00 pace for daily runs isn’t as fast as it seems considering Harvard is at sea level and the path along the Charles River is completely flat. It’s not really different from running 6:30 pace on a hillier course at altitude like everyone else. Plus Graham is a 12:48 guy. 6:00 pace is a joke for him.
I know his PR in high school as a junior was 9:04 in the 3200 and like mid 4:teens for the 1600. I also remember him or Gibby saying he had never run faster than 56 or 57 for 400 until college.
Now he’s 7:29; 12:48; 26:57 from training at sea level. Does anyone know of another athlete who’s gone through the U.S. system and improved this much?
Plenty have made massive swings to be a state-level HS talent to international competitor in a span of college years: Wheating, Murphy, Lincoln, Broe, McMullen, Wottle, Corrigan come to mind. Blanks is the real deal and has made huge jumps, but at a time when huge jumps are being made by many other guys ages in HS/NCAA like we've rarely seen before. Blanks was a 4:15y/9:04 guy. Not smoking in todays recruiting world, but those would be full-ride times for D1 15-20 years ago..
But Tom Byers made the real jump from 1973-74:
[per Malmo] In his senior year (1973) Byers best mile was 4:18.3. Here is his incredible Freshman year in 1974. Winning the 800/1500 at Junior Nationals. Then winning the USA Senior Nationals in the 1500. (He was 2nd behind guest Rod Dixon of New Zealand.) 1973 High School PR 4:18.3 1974 College Freshman at Ohio State. 1) 3:42.8 Tom Byers, 6/15/74 AAU Junior Champion 1) 1:49.6 Tom Byers, 6/15/74 AAU Junior Champion 2) 3:42.4h Byers 6/21/74 AAU Senior heats2) 2) 3:37.9 Tom Byers 6/22/74 AAU Senior Champion 1) 3:39.8 Tom Byers 6/28/74 vs USSR Juniors 2) 3:45.3 Tom Byers 7/5/74 vs USSR Seniors 6) 3:44.2 Tom Byers 7/21/74 Siena, ITA 3) 3:37.5 Tom Byers 7/24/74 Turin, ITA
I know his PR in high school as a junior was 9:04 in the 3200 and like mid 4:teens for the 1600. I also remember him or Gibby saying he had never run faster than 56 or 57 for 400 until college.
Now he’s 7:29; 12:48; 26:57 from training at sea level. Does anyone know of another athlete who’s gone through the U.S. system and improved this much?
Yared Nuguse 4:07 (1600) --> 3:43 (mile) in 6 years is pretty nuts imo
13:27 the year after high school after he went to altitude. Until recently, Georgia was not exactly a hotbed of distance running talent.
Even 13:27 would be consistent with where he is now. Nico ran 13:24 (outdoors) as a frosh
Yes, at the time it was US U20 2nd best behind German Fernandez. So if anything, he has still underperformed since he is only ranked US #3. But I guess he has a few years ahead of him still.
I think Desi Linden's improvement curve is crazier. Her PRs coming out of college were 4:27 (1500), 16:17, and 34:35. She went on to make 2 Olympic teams, win Boston, and grab 2 silvers at Chicago and Boston.
I know his PR in high school as a junior was 9:04 in the 3200 and like mid 4:teens for the 1600. I also remember him or Gibby saying he had never run faster than 56 or 57 for 400 until college.
Now he’s 7:29; 12:48; 26:57 from training at sea level. Does anyone know of another athlete who’s gone through the U.S. system and improved this much?
12:48 is an incredible time for him and I don’t seem him being any faster at 5000m had he attended NAU instead of Harvard.
How much benefit do you think training at altitude brings to running the 5000m?