LEVELS OF COMPETITIVE DISTANCE RUNNING

you forgot to add

new york city club team member

takes their running more seriously than a 5 time olympic gold medalist, and is about as fast as a high school runner.

Lazy Llama wrote:

We should get together for a cup of coffee because the inner workings of your mind fascinate me.

Hahaha, I laughed really hard at this lol.

shizzy wrote:

i feel like the first guy needs to change the names and numbers for his scale......but these times are for the most part pretty much on.

Pretty much on? Not really. #5 can only manage 6:00 pace for a 10 miler but can run 5:57 for half-marathon. That's just one example, the whole post is wacko. And where is this guy to defend his definitions and chart?

I was #3 category, with road times in most 10ks between 30:00 and 31:00, 5k races between 14:45 and 15:10, 10 mile times of 49:40 to 51, 1/2 marathons of 1:06-1:08 and marathons of 2:24-2:32. Never could break through to the big time, but I did train 90-120 mpw.

nyc wrote:

you forgot to add

new york city club team member

takes their running more seriously than a 5 time olympic gold medalist, and is about as fast as a high school runner.

Is that how the NYC Club team members act? Pompous assholes who think they know everything?

Very good point. Besides, while there is a huge difference between a 2:25 marathoner and a 2:50 marathoner, I think that most of their easy running would be done at relatively comparable paces.

Your list is much more accurate. Haile fans level 4 has to be a joke. One or two runs a week and clocking those times?!!!

I liked this thread nevertheless.

The times are way off. There are plenty of weekend warrior types who run 3-5 times a week 30-40 mpw and are thrilled to break 40:00 for the 10k or 20:00 for the 5k. Check your local road race results.

Here is something to think about

Ellerton of Michigan won the 300 2007 NCAA in just over 1:47. 1:49 qualified you for the Meet.

El G closed in 1:47 in the Athens Oly 1500.

How about these levels?

Level A - World Class Elite

5km - 12:50 & below

10km - 27:00 & below

Marathon - 2:06 & below

These guys are the shit. Top of their game, will always be linked to PED's and have probably held a world record or won an Olympic or WC medal gold medal

Example - Geb - Bekele - Tergat - Komen

These guys make very good money from running

Level B - World Class

5km - 13:10

10km - 27:40

marathon - 2:08

These guys are normally appear in finals of major championships or just miss them and may grab a medal on a good day.

Example - Cragg - Teg - Mottram - Tariku - Webb - Ritz - number of Kenyans

These guys make a good living off running and will generally have shoe deals and contracts but not quite the top of their game

Level C - International

5km - 13:30

10km - 28:30

Marathon - 2:12

NCAA type winners, normally these guys are on their way up or their way down. Have probably represented their country at soem level. A NCAA winner would probably fall into this category. Galen Rupp type runner

Level D - National

5km - 14:00

10km - 29:00

Marathon - 2:16

Outside of the US / Kenya or Eithopia these guys would probably run in their national championships but most likely would not get much publicity or even a crack at a proper international meet. Most dont make a living off running but supplement their income by winning local and low profile international road races.

Level E - Elite Club runner

5km - 15:30

10km - 32:00

Marathon - 2:25

Big fish in the small pond syndrome. These guys are decent runners but realise that their aspirations are probably being the best in their club or their local road racing scene but take their running seriously, generally put in high mileage and track workouts but probably lack the talent or time to make it to the next level but secretly have ambitions to be a an elite athlete.

Level F - Competitive Club runner

5km - 17:00

10km - 35:00

Marathon - 2:40

These guys are regular runners, probably run 6 days a week and log around 60 miles. They take their running seriously but may combine it with other sports like moutain biking or triathlons and are probably successful in other activities they do.

Level G - Regular Club runner

5km - 19:00

10km - 40:00

Marathon - 3:00

These guys enjoy the social scene of club running or training groups and probably come to all the events and club runs. Some are reasonably talented but the emphasis on running is to enjoy it. They do all the training sessions but probably dont kill theselves in them.

Level H - Competitive business man runner

5km - 20:00

10km - 42:00

Marathon - 3:15

These guys probably run at lunch time with work collegues and race each other at the Morgan chase series for bragging rights in the office. A decently talented guy would probably do this off a few days a week running but his running shoes probably never leave his locker at the office so no running on the weekend.

Level I - New Year resolution runner

5km - 22:00

10km - 44:00

Marathon - 3:30

These are guys who generally decide over a beer or at new year they want to get fit and run a marathon or a 10km in a few months time, are probably carrying a few pounds which they will shake off, run their race and then lose interest in running until the next opportunity comes up.

Level J - Relatively healthy non regular runner

5km - 23:00

10km - 46:00

Marathon - 3:45

These are guys who can turn up to their local road race because they were persuaded by their runner friend to come along and do pretty well off very little training, they probably run once a week play some other sport in their spare time.

Level K - Social Jogger

5km - 25:00

10km - 48:00

Marathon - 4:00

These are the guys who fill the masses at road races, they read runners world and discuss the upcomming road race as the next social occasion.

They love going to running stores and getting their shoes personally fitted although it probably doesnt matter anyway.

Level L - Full Tracksuit & Ipod runner

5km - 30:00

10km - 50:00

Marathon - 4:30

These are the people who turn up to a road race and run in their tracksuit with their ipod and holding a water bottle while they "run" and still think a road race is an extension of the health and racquet club.

Level M - Whats the point runner?

5km - 30:00 minutes +

10km - 1 hour

Marathon - Cut off time

I dont get these guys - Sometimes celebrities who think by walking fast "jogging" you are somehow doing something sacraficial for charity. P-Diddy / Oprah. Normally the only person behiind them is the ambulance or the clean-up crew.

Neuropsychiatrist wrote:

Here is something to think about

Ellerton of Michigan won the 300 2007 NCAA in just over 1:47. 1:49 qualified you for the Meet.

El G closed in 1:47 in the Athens Oly 1500.

Interesting stats. I do think, however, that that those are extremes. What is the fastest ever closing 800 in an Olympic 1500? I'd guess that 1:47 is pretty close.

Also, this was a down year for the NCAA 800, both indoors and outdoors. I didn't go back and compare year by year, but the 800m lists, qualifying times and winning times struck me as very unimpressive. In 2000, 6 times out of the prelims were faster than this year's winning time (1:47.44), which would also have placed dead last in the final in 2000.

you left way too much of a gap between d and e.

then i am a level f runer, although im not a multi sport athlete.

This is the dumbest thread ever.

Ever.

Not just on this board - it's the dumbest thread ever writen on any message board.

On any topic.

About anything.

Ever.

Congrats!

Someone who knows what they're talking about.

I'm 'F' when I'm focused on a race but probably right now 'G'. You could add in an extra category. I would have thought that 35-40 minutes for 10 km is too big a gap.

How many men ran faster than (below) last year

Inter guys

3:32-------------------3:35

13:00-----------------13:10

27:25-----------------28:00

2:07;30--------------2:09;00

US guys

3:38-------------------3:43

13:35-----------------13:50

28:30-----------------29:00

2:14-----------------2:19;00

ABOUT 15-----AND-----40

ELITE------------SUBELITE

upperCASE CLOSED!!