Allyson Felix vs. Jenny Simpson: 800 Meters

You pricks just have to remind us of the track and field major Gold Medals that USC and Colorado athletes and alums have won. You just want to rub salt in teh wound, don't you ????????????

Felix in a kick.

Felix from the front. Speed Kills.

Jenny Simpson has a pr that is several seconds faster than Allyson Felix. Perhaps if Allyson trained for it she would win. However I believe she would rather train for the 100 than the 800. They would probably be closer at 600 meters.

Agree (does AF even have a competitive 800m time though?)

Highly unlikely AF would be world-class at the 800 (Jenny's PR is 1:59 and she only runs it occasionally). There has never been a world-class 100/200 combined runner that was world-class in the 800 (well, lets not go back too far where the competition for world-class was thin. There have been some great 400/800 runners, but they are pretty few and far between because the energy systems 'discontinuity' between those event.

The 600m comment is dead-on and at that distance, I think that AF's speed and efficiency would likely prevail, but the next 200m for AF would be outside her zone.

26mi235 wrote:

(Jenny's PR is 1:59 and she only runs it occasionally).

Her Pr is 2:01.

You are correct. Simpson ran a 2:01.20 800m this past May in Los Angeles.

Felix would lose. She's a 200/400 runner. Sanya Richards, a pure 400 runner, ran an 800 earlier this year and did like 2:10.

How about Asbel Kiprop vs. Kirani James at 800? I hope this similar comparison brings out how ridiculous the original question was.

Allyson like Wariner whose name also comes up in 800m conversations, both of these athletes are (true) sprinters as in built for speed. They both have good sprint endurance and are slightly built, which suggest they could probably run decent 800m, but I am certain no where near the level of what they could run in sprint. There really is a physiological difference between a sprinter and middle diatance runners; with that said, JennyB would eat Allyson alive in an 800.

If Allyson ran an 800m at a 2 flat pace, the 1st 400 would seen like an interval workout, the next 200 would feel like a race and the last 200m would not be pretty. The last 200m will feel like what all 800m feel like at that point, except Allyson would have only known that feeling driving to the finish line in a last 50m of 400m. The 800 is the only race where when you start to redline is when the race begins. Unless you have trained for it and is mentally perpared, the 800m can be an absolute beast being as tied as you can be at 600m and the finish line is at the opposite end of the track.

Btw, the only sprinters I have seen successfully run the 800m are are 400m specialist; I have seen world class 100/200/400 types who can't run under a 5 minute mile.

Another lunatic wrote:

Felix would lose. She's a 200/400 runner. Sanya Richards, a pure 400 runner, ran an 800 earlier this year and did like 2:10.

How about Asbel Kiprop vs. Kirani James at 800? I hope this similar comparison brings out how ridiculous the original question was.

Exactly. Since AF is faster then Sanya Richards don't you think she would also be faster at the 800. I give Felix a 2:02 easy.

And I don't know if men are fare comparisons when doing 400/800. Women have overall less muscle mass, so if there is a woman running in the 49s you better believe she has got some incredible endurance to carry her there.

at first, i was all like "simpson all the way for 800m", but then I remembered that allyson felix is a sub 50 400m girl. She's very light and fast!

I think with that speed, she could be at 1:58 within a few races to get the feel for it. Go out in 59 and 1:28 for 600m and try to hold on.

However, being one of the top 400 meter runners in the world doesn't necessarily motivate anyone to "try the 800".

Another lunatic wrote:

Felix would lose. She's a 200/400 runner. Sanya Richards, a pure 400 runner, ran an 800 earlier this year and did like 2:10.

How about Asbel Kiprop vs. Kirani James at 800? I hope this similar comparison brings out how ridiculous the original question was.

Actually, the question is not ridiculous if you're intelligent enough to comprehend it. Allyson Felix, at 5'6 and 125 lbs, ran 49.59 this year. There is no doubt that she could cruise a 60 second opening 400, sitting on Jenny Simpson. Can she hang on? It is NOT a ridiculous question, as Allyson Felix is a superior talent.

Rec Runner x wrote:

[quote]Another lunatic wrote:

Exactly. Since AF is faster then Sanya Richards don't you think she would also be faster at the 800. I give Felix a 2:02 easy.

And I don't know if men are fare comparisons when doing 400/800. Women have overall less muscle mass, so if there is a woman running in the 49s you better believe she has got some incredible endurance to carry her there.

Actually Richards has a PR of 48.70 (49.66 this year) to Felix's 49.59.

And I think men and women are a fair comparison. I would guess that the fact that women have less muscle mass means that 49 is a world class time instead of 44, not that running a 400 is totally different physiologically. I could be wrong here, though, so who knows?

For the morons who automatically dismiss Felix's potential at 800, keep in mind that Felix has run 10.93, 21.81 and 49.59. The world record holder at 800 meters (yes, she may have doped, as have many others), ran 11.09, 21.97, 47.99 and 1:53.28. So for the morons who assume Felix is only suited for short distances, and who assume she could not run 2:00 at 800, you are not capable of rigorous thinking.

Spoken as someone with no comprehension of speed endurance, but thanks for the contribution.

Jesse is a friend wrote:

For the morons who automatically dismiss Felix's potential at 800, keep in mind that Felix has run 10.93, 21.81 and 49.59. The world record holder at 800 meters (yes, she may have doped, as have many others), ran 11.09, 21.97, 47.99 and 1:53.28. So for the morons who assume Felix is only suited for short distances, and who assume she could not run 2:00 at 800, you are not capable of rigorous thinking.

Er... wrote:

Spoken as someone with no comprehension of speed endurance, but thanks for the contribution.

Jesse is a friend wrote:

For the morons who automatically dismiss Felix's potential at 800, keep in mind that Felix has run 10.93, 21.81 and 49.59. The world record holder at 800 meters (yes, she may have doped, as have many others), ran 11.09, 21.97, 47.99 and 1:53.28. So for the morons who assume Felix is only suited for short distances, and who assume she could not run 2:00 at 800, you are not capable of rigorous thinking.

I am significantly smarter than you on this or ANY other topic, so try to prove me wrong. I am cognizant that the numbers manifest more speed decay in Felix than Krotch, so if that's your argument, I've already obliterated it. I did NOT say Felix could run Krotch's times, I asserted that the morons, and you're palpably one of them, who assume Felix could not come within 7 seconds of Krotch at 800, are incapable of serious thought.

Jesse is a friend wrote:

[quote]Er... wrote:

I am significantly smarter than you on this or ANY other topic, so try to prove me wrong.

He has been known to offer some insightful analysis of Galen Rupp's potential, so I would watch out!

Another lunatic wrote:

Jesse is a friend wrote:

[quote]Er... wrote:

I am significantly smarter than you on this or ANY other topic, so try to prove me wrong.

He has been known to offer some insightful analysis of Galen Rupp's potential, so I would watch out!

Yes, more accurate analysis than anybody on these message boards. I appreciate you having the capacity to recognize this, despite your typically inane offerings.

Jesse is a friend wrote:

Another lunatic wrote:

He has been known to offer some insightful analysis of Galen Rupp's potential, so I would watch out!

Yes, more accurate analysis than anybody on these message boards. I appreciate you having the capacity to recognize this, despite your typically inane offerings.

"Typically inane?" I've used this handle maybe a dozen times.

And, btw, that was sarcasm.