Height

i would say no cos generally you would weigh more, and have to drag that extra weight around, it would be a handicap.

best two runners ever are pretty damn short -i think geb is 5'4" and bekele is like 5'3"el g always looked tall to me on the track but i think that is because everyone around him was relatively small... i think el g's height is 5'9"

mn wrote:

i would say no cos generally you would weigh more, and have to drag that extra weight around, it would be a handicap.

El G is close to 6'. Tafnews lists him at 5'9", but look at him standing next to Webb and Lagat, etc. He's more than 3" taller than either.

Someone's got to say it sooner or later so I might as well. Mottram is 6'2"

yes - i thought of that as well but i think that is quite rarejust thinking about the average elite runner - i get the feeling most (not all) are well under 6'i as understood it, the shorter you are the better power-weight ratio you have

otter wrote:

Someone's got to say it sooner or later so I might as well. Mottram is 6'2"

Yes, I think generally you're right. Mottram kind of breaks the mold.

Judging by a look at Luke Beevor and how often he is hurt I would say being tall just gives you more space for an injury to take hold. Short guys may not have the mathematical advantage for speed but it is much easier to avoid the bad JuJu!!

Accord to T&F News rankings of the Top 10 Marathoners in the world in 2006 the shortest was 5'3" and the tallest is 5'9".

I think the answer is that in general taller people weigh more and thats extra weight to carry over the distance. Since stride length isn't that long in distance events then the height offers no real plus side and only adds the extra weight.

The evidence shows that short, small bone structure (i.e. light) and narrow hips is the best build for a distance runner.

I am 6'6", 165 pounds. I am quite thin; unless I cut off a limb, I am not going to lose any more weight. I have found my height to more of a disadvantage in regards to running. Luckily, unlike many tall runners, I am biomechanicaly efficient, and I have had few injuries over the years. However, it seems to take me longer to recovery than my smaller, comparable-level training partners. Hills are also difficult for me in relation to my shorter counterparts.

I am no world-beater, a decent regional runner, but I would not trade my height for faster times. Being tall is very advantageous in other aspects of my life.

tall one wrote:

Being tall is very advantageous in other aspects of my life.

pick-up games of basketball, for instance

anEconomist wrote:

i as understood it, the shorter you are the better power-weight ratio you have

That's why sprinters are short, on average. I mean look at Asafa Powell. He's nowhere near 6'10".

FYI, sprinters have the greatest power-to-weight ratio.

chicks, dude. chicks.

There is a journal article somewhere on the anthropometrics of elite distance runners and they where under average height. I'll try and find it and post the exact stuff but I just wanted to mention it.

Beevor wrote:

Judging by a look at Luke Beevor and how often he is hurt I would say being tall just gives you more space for an injury to take hold. Short guys may not have the mathematical advantage for speed but it is much easier to avoid the bad JuJu!!

I'd say that sums up the pros and cons.

If you're tall, really work on mechanics and conditioning and you could fast!!

there's been a statistical analysis of Olympic medalists in the last 10 games and the average height it 5' 7" for distance runners.

Being tall, on paper, is not very good.

For some reason I don't see 6'6", 165 pounds being a chick magnet......I am 8 inches shorter and only 10 lbs lighter and I am told I am too skinny.

and wrote:

chicks, dude. chicks.

What is Robert Cheruiyot ranked? He's listed at 6-foot-2 on the World Marathon Majors site.

Tergat is 6'0" and he's done alright for himself.

Height by itself is unimportant. Power and stride length can easily compensate for the extra weight.

..,.. wrote:

For some reason I don't see 6'6", 165 pounds being a chick magnet......I am 8 inches shorter and only 10 lbs lighter and I am told I am too skinny.

At 6'2" and 135 lbs, I hear Alan Culpepper is quite the sex symbol.