Jim Ryun now outside looking in of the top 10 US Mile times in History

Didnt Aj acosta run 353? how come he is not on the list? just curious...

Ryun's Mile WR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlwS0Fyq8vk

for those who haven't seen it.

Jim Ryun is in a class by himself. I am old enough to have seen him run - what a treat. Not only did he run 3:51.1 by himself - a few weeks earlier in Berkeley he ran 3:51.3 by himself. This is especially impressive since he was not a frontrunner, but very much a big-time kicker. Also, take into consideration the difference between shoes from his era, no sports medicine team to care to all of his needs, and no professional opportunities to allow soley concentrating on running. But as great a runner that he was, he was even a better person serving multiple terms in the House of Representives.

Dale C wrote:

Jim Ryun is in a class by himself. I am old enough to have seen him run - what a treat. Not only did he run 3:51.1 by himself - a few weeks earlier in Berkeley he ran 3:51.3 by himself. This is especially impressive since he was not a frontrunner, but very much a big-time kicker. Also, take into consideration the difference between shoes from his era, no sports medicine team to care to all of his needs, and no professional opportunities to allow soley concentrating on running. But as great a runner that he was, he was even a better person serving multiple terms in the House of Representives.

No, his 3:51.3 wasn't weeks before his 3:51.1, it was a whole year earlier in 1966! And in his first WR (3:51.3) he was paced to 950m by Wade Bell, so it wasn't all by himself.

Dale C wrote:

Jim Ryun is in a class by himself. I am old enough to have seen him run - what a treat. Not only did he run 3:51.1 by himself - a few weeks earlier in Berkeley he ran 3:51.3 by himself. This is especially impressive since he was not a frontrunner, but very much a big-time kicker. Also, take into consideration the difference between shoes from his era, no sports medicine team to care to all of his needs, and no professional opportunities to allow soley concentrating on running. But as great a runner that he was, he was even a better person serving multiple terms in the House of Representives.

Absolutely correct. America's greatest miler of all time and might hold that title (unless Wheating can do something about that). Broke 4 in the mile 18 months after starting running track. An extreme talent that retired from competitive running too early.

Dale C wrote:Jim Ryun is in a class by himself. I am old enough to have seen him run - what a treat. Not only did he run 3:51.1 by himself

let's see :

3'51.1 solo on dirt

1) quantifiable correction for uneven pace ( i'll do it later with the splits ) - it's usually 2++

2) 1s/400m correction for dirt to '70s synthetic which i always found when correcting my meagre runs & most here from that era also found :

4s+

3) no wabbit to draft behind 'til bell at 1s/400m :

3s+

so, without including 1) yet, his

'70s time-travel clocking is

~ 3'51.1 - (4+) - (3+)

=

<<< 3'44.1

2 Acosta , Andrew J. USA 3:53.76

AJ should be on the list with his time from the Pre Classic this year.

anomaly wrote:

Also amazing is that his 1:44y still stands as the top college mark, including foreign competitors.

That would be amazing and that's what T&FN's list says so thanks for pointing that out. As I thought about it, though, I recalled Jose Parrilla ran 1:43.97 at the '92 Trials, which UTenn lists as the school record. He was 20 and didn't graduate until '94. I'm not sure why that doesn't make the college list and if there are any other marks that are left out by some convention I don't quite get.

I'm not completely sure, but I believe that his 1:44.9 880 yards was actually run as a final on a day when he ran the trials for the 880 that morning.

In their respective times Jim Ryun, Mel Sheppard, Glenn Cunningham were the greatest US milers. You could also add Scott to that list.

I remember watching on television the race when Steve Scott finally broke Jim Ryun's American record. This was in 1981 which meant Ryun had the record for 14 years. The race was won by Steve Ovett. I can't remember where it was.

Ryun was amazing. Scott of course had the American record for a longer period but in 1966 and 1967 Jim Ryun was the number one miler in the world and was running incredible world records. Then add his Silver medal in the 68 Olympics and I can't see how anyone can say Steve Scott or anyone else is the greatest miler America has ever had.

George Webbs wrote:

I remember watching on television the race when Steve Scott finally broke Jim Ryun's American record. This was in 1981 which meant Ryun had the record for 14 years. The race was won by Steve Ovett. I can't remember where it was.

It was in Oslo in 81. Scott actually finished 3rd that night in 3:49.68, behind Ovett (3:49.25) and Gonzales (3:49.67)

I suppose in a way Scott equalled Ryun's US record when he ran 3:51.11 in Oslo 79, As Ryun's 3:51.1 was hand timed. But I think the IAAF rules at the time of Scott's run rounded records up to nearest tenth.

Im sure this has been said (i didn't read all the posts) but its about darn time. Records and fast times are meant to be broken. The US should have produced 10 sub 3:50 milers years ago.

Sadly few LetsRunner have a memory of Ryun running. [quote]

Dude I just saw it like 2 days ago on youtube, you haven't seen it in 40 years.

NE Coach wrote:

I'm not completely sure, but I believe that his 1:44.9 880 yards was actually run as a final on a day when he ran the trials for the 880 that morning.

Correct. In fact, he ran the trial just a couple of hours before!

And, as others have pointed out, he negative-split the final: 53.3/51.9. Of course, that 51.9 was for yards, which equals 51.5-51.6 for meters. How many of the world's current 800 men are capable of 51.6 off a decent first lap?

Oh, and Ryun was 19 at the time. Mind-boggling.

Steroids were legal and Ryun took them as did most runners during that era.