The #1 factor determining your running ability is....

One's ability on a given race is more determined by their training than their genetics.

Most people here would be able to beat Bekele in a 5K if he never did a day of training.

Sure your potential is dependent on genetics.

I don't know what "genetic potential" means, though.

Maybe that has something to do with when two good athletes mate.

tell that to Jim Ryun, he ran his first 800 in 2:55 as a 10th grader.

toro wrote:

...

Most people here would be able to beat Bekele in a 5K if he never did a day of training.

...

If, by "most people here" you mean two people then perhaps you are right. Otherwise, no.

drumroll please wrote:

Genetics. Nothing else even matters in relation to genetic potential. Certainly, you have to train to reach your potential, but all ability is potentiated by genetics.

Not true. Everything that happened to you up until day X will impact your capacity to achieve on or after day X. In particular childhood and prenatal nutrition and childhood exercise will have a lifetime impact.

1) body's ability to handle high mileage

2) talent & pain tolerance

3) you actually enjoy running (many find out after HS/college this may not be the case & nothnig wrong with that other things are/can be much more important)

lksdmklsmdfaslkdmf wrote:

pain tolerance

You can't be serious?

What you probably mean is the ability to concentrate when your body is sending conflicting signals.

Pain tolerance has almost no factor in the ability to race.

19:19 wrote:

tell that to Jim Ryun, he ran his first 800 in 2:55 as a 10th grader.

Right but he still had the basic speed and other attributes which most runners simply do not have

First you need the talent, then you need the hard work

mplatt wrote:

lksdmklsmdfaslkdmf wrote:

pain tolerance

You can't be serious?

What you probably mean is the ability to concentrate when your body is sending conflicting signals.

Pain tolerance has almost no factor in the ability to race.

running fast is painful. it sort of goes along with motivation and talent though. If you like running and you've got the genetics physically (VO2, economy, etc), there's good chance you wont mind pushing through some discomfort.

on the other hand, if you find you're running at the back of the pack in local 5k road races in 30mins, you might not feel much like pushing through pain because you ask yourself - what's the point? i just want to lose weight. im not obsessed over every passing second of my 5k time.

Durability and adaptability.

drumroll please wrote:

Genetics. Nothing else even matters in relation to genetic potential. Certainly, you have to train to reach your potential, but all ability is potentiated by genetics.

Come on. That's the broadest answer ever. Genetics encompasses a million factors. This thread could be interesting, but not if it simply turns into a genetics vs training argument.

drumroll please wrote:

Genetics. Nothing else even matters in relation to genetic potential. Certainly, you have to train to reach your potential, but all ability is potentiated by genetics.

You are correct. Without the right genes you can only train to your capasity, and most people have a very very very limited capasity.

No matter how hard you train, no matter who coaches you most people on this board would never be an olympian, or even national class.

Read most accounts of great runners and you'll see similar stories, "I came out for ( cirlce one: XC/Track) after screwing up in (circle one: b'bal/f'ball/soccer). I struggled at first but I finished (insert high place & fast time here) in the Regional/State meet. After that I thought I might have a future in running."

mplatt wrote:

Pain tolerance has almost no factor in the ability to race.

100% correct.

No, the OP is correct. Other things affect your ability as a runner, but NONE of them either singly or in combination (shy of a debilitating injury or illness) has the effect that genetics does on your running ability.Genetics is the #1 determining factor, and it is this BY FAR.

belly rolls are better wrote:

drumroll please wrote:

Genetics. Nothing else even matters in relation to genetic potential. Certainly, you have to train to reach your potential, but all ability is potentiated by genetics.

Not true. Everything that happened to you up until day X will impact your capacity to achieve on or after day X. In particular childhood and prenatal nutrition and childhood exercise will have a lifetime impact.

Yeah, this is a pretty silly arguement. Some people are just going to be faster than others, because of genetics. Sure you may have to work hard, but if you ran a time it was within your genetic potential.

Thats why that one Prefontaine quote about how he had no talent and just worked hard irks me. Come on now Pre.

19:19 wrote:

tell that to Jim Ryun, he ran his first 800 in 2:55 as a 10th grader.

Haha makes me feel good about running my first 1500 in 4:57 as a 10th grader

We should be a little more specific when we say "genetics", so people don't get confused and think, "I have blonde hair and blue eyes, I have better genetics.", even if some people believe it. How about bringing up specific physical features, like increased heart or lung size, or body physique?

None of these factors matter when you are sick or injured. #1 factor: Health.

The desire to win is probably 99% genetic. But how many runners will get the right coaching to get anywhere near their potential?

Less than one in a million. Most coaching diminishes runners' natural talent because as they increase the workload, their natural stride length is compromised.

19:19 wrote:

tell that to Jim Ryun, he ran his first 800 in 2:55 as a 10th grader.

Tell that to El Guerrouj, he ran his first 1500 test in 3:50 before any training other than soccer as 16 or 17 year old. Then he trained for a bit and ran his first mile ever in 3:53.

There are far more examples of talented people who ended up excellent than otherwise.

berkani wrote:

19:19 wrote:

tell that to Jim Ryun, he ran his first 800 in 2:55 as a 10th grader.

Tell that to El Guerrouj, he ran his first 1500 test in 3:50 before any training other than soccer as 16 or 17 year old. Then he trained for a bit and ran his first mile ever in 3:53.

There are far more examples of talented people who ended up excellent than otherwise.

Not a good example. El Gerrouj started running training seriously at 15, and anyway, soccer is one of the best ways for young athletes to develop their running talent.