So, my friend is taking up running, which is good because I have another person to go for runs with. I am sort of coaching/encouraging him. He is fit from cross-country skiing competitively for years (he is 26 now), but not really running fit. He has jogged a bit for fitness but never really trained or raced until this year.
His PRs (roughly), after just over a year of 30-40 mpw:
17:30 5k
37:15 10k
1:22:00 half marathon
At the track the other day, we raced a 400, from standing, just for fun. I beat him (thankfully), but was impressed that he did a 57 flat (hand-timed, of course). This guy hasn't "sprinted" or done any "speed work" beyond strides, ever.
Here's my question: What event(s) would be his best? He is interested to get into marathoning, mostly because the training suits what he's used to from skiing: huge volume, almost purely aerobic. I think he might be able to post some time good middle-distance times on the track.
Thoughts? Thanks!