Is Masterkova's 4:12 considered clean? If not, what is the best women's mile time that is considered clean?
And, finally, how likely is it that a woman will break 4:10 in the next 20 years?
I was chatting with a women I work with today who is a recreational runner and who claims to know a lot about the sport. She proclaimed confidently that it's only a matter of time before a woman breaks the 4 min mile. I replied, sarcastically, "yeah, like a century or two". She got a little miffed by that comment. I tried to explain that a 4:12 is oceans away from 4:00, and that the 4:12 is probably suspect anyway. She made a dismissive remark indicating I didn't know what i was talking about and in a way (my perception) that she felt I was sexist.
I admit that I'm no expert on the sport, but I think she's full of it.