Steve Spence continues his 37 year streak of sub 5:00 min. mile tonight with a 4:52.9 Story Inside!
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Steve Spence is an absolute legend. This accomplisment only adds to the lore of his heroic nature.
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Am guessing the only folks on here who are not blown away by all this are those nubiles who are way too young to have the perspective it takes to appreciate the feat. I train my arse off & even with a cadre of physiotherapists, I couldn't break 5:00 in my fifties. (Have run under 5:10 but that's a long way from 4:55!)
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I am 56 and work out 2 hours a day. Have ran 5.29 mile and will be training hard to break 5 minutes on my 60th birthday. When I was younger I ran 4.28 mile and 9.50 2 mile and 2.40 Marathon. Never got the chance to keep improving when I was young got married and downhill from there. But now is the time. Old guys can do great things............................
Arab mathematician wrote:
break it up wrote:
When all you young punks are 40 years old get back to me. I'm 45 and have always ran at least 5-9 miles at least 4 times every week and could only dream now of breaking 6:00 which is what I did when I was 12 and never ran a step before that. And I ran 70-120 miles a week year round from age 16 to 38.
He's a very fit man for his age, I'm guessing 50 years old now. And running for himself is a low priority. To me its at least as impressive as a streak like Ron Hills running at least 2 miles every day for like 40 years without a day off.
What makes you think I'm under 40, don't call me punk, if you can't break 6 now it's because you overtrained your whole life, and I didn't say Steve Spence was no good, just he was far from the best Steve.
Let's see, anything more, nope that about covers it. -
kmaclam wrote:
Am guessing the only folks on here who are not blown away by all this are those nubiles who are way too young to have the perspective it takes to appreciate the feat. I train my arse off & even with a cadre of physiotherapists, I couldn't break 5:00 in my fifties. (Have run under 5:10 but that's a long way from 4:55!)
Then again... if you've met Steve personally this wouldn't be a huge surprise for you. The dude has talent (just look at his history), and he loves the sport! -
5. Don't know either but there was a time when no one at Shippensburg was paid to coach. All coaches had some sort of faculty or administrative job and were compensated for coaching with a reduced workload at those jobs. The reductions could be pretty dramatic, I think. The basketball coach when I was there taught one phys. ed. class (maybe two but I don't think so) in basketball, surprisingly enough. One of the assistant football coaches taught a swimming class, etc. But that was many moons ago.
6. Heavens yes! It reminds all of us broken down alums of our connection to the place and to the good things that have happened with the program over the decades.
7. Agreed. OK -
Steve is legend, but then there is David Heath, the first M50 to go sub-4 for 1500m:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfJo-vcQCF0 -
Mr. Heath again, in Beijing 800 exhibition, with M55 record-holder Anselm LeBourne.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqGewc4xcgE -
PEDS?
PEDS?
PEDS?
PEDS? -
Arete wrote:
His time of 4:55 at age 53 age grades to 4:11 and 88%.
It's pretty much what one would expect for someone of his ability. More interesting for me is the years of the streak and when he first ran under 5:00--I guess at age 14.
Should we have a thread dedicated to each and every runner who goes faster than 88% age grade? The "streak" might be impressive, but it's not that hard to peak for a mile race once a year, especially if you don't have to go all out. -
A Typical LRC Idiot wrote:
Arete wrote:
His time of 4:55 at age 53 age grades to 4:11 and 88%.
It's pretty much what one would expect for someone of his ability. More interesting for me is the years of the streak and when he first ran under 5:00--I guess at age 14.
Should we have a thread dedicated to each and every runner who goes faster than 88% age grade?
That sounds like a great idea. More interesting than all the other non running garbage on the message board. -
A Typical LRC Idiot wrote:
Arete wrote:
His time of 4:55 at age 53 age grades to 4:11 and 88%.
It's pretty much what one would expect for someone of his ability. More interesting for me is the years of the streak and when he first ran under 5:00--I guess at age 14.
Should we have a thread dedicated to each and every runner who goes faster than 88% age grade? The "streak" might be impressive, but it's not that hard to peak for a mile race once a year, especially if you don't have to go all out.
You're right. With all of these other 40 year streaks of sub 5 in the mile going I don't see why this guy gets a thread started about him. I mean look, the dude only ran 2:12 and won a medal at World's at the marathon. Let's talk about the sub 2:12 guys that have continued to break masters records and stay healthy enough into their mid 50's to run in the 90% age graded range.
Oh wait... there aren't any :( Steve appears to be one of a kind with his ability to keep going after being a HS state champ, NCAA champ, USA National champ, and a World's medalist. He even set multiple American Master's records once he hit his early 40's and 13 years later after achieving all that he is still running sub 5 miles. -
Typical Streaker wrote:
A Typical LRC Idiot wrote:
Arete wrote:
His time of 4:55 at age 53 age grades to 4:11 and 88%.
It's pretty much what one would expect for someone of his ability. More interesting for me is the years of the streak and when he first ran under 5:00--I guess at age 14.
Should we have a thread dedicated to each and every runner who goes faster than 88% age grade? The "streak" might be impressive, but it's not that hard to peak for a mile race once a year, especially if you don't have to go all out.
You're right. With all of these other 40 year streaks of sub 5 in the mile going I don't see why this guy gets a thread started about him. I mean look, the dude only ran 2:12 and won a medal at World's at the marathon. Let's talk about the sub 2:12 guys that have continued to break masters records and stay healthy enough into their mid 50's to run in the 90% age graded range.
Oh wait... there aren't any :( Steve appears to be one of a kind with his ability to keep going after being a HS state champ, NCAA champ, USA National champ, and a World's medalist. He even set multiple American Master's records once he hit his early 40's and 13 years later after achieving all that he is still running sub 5 miles.
The fact he was once a world medalist makes this streak less impressive, not more. During his prime, he was running at a much higher level than 88% age grade. And "sub-5" should have been much easier when he was in his 30s or even early 40s. -
Basically he is running close to his PR marathon pace (I give him credit for sub-2:10 fitness in Tokyo). So my streak by relative comparison should be for sub-6:00, which I can still do easily at 60, so 45 years so far.
Mostly I'm just happy to still be running at all after several career-threatening injuries and accidents. -
What actually needs to happen is that he should race "Bill Reifsnyder" again over one mile and see who comes out on top! Is Bill even in shape anymore, or is he a "Jabba the Hutt" these days?
Come on, THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN!!!!! Bring it ON!!!!
Now that would be a Serious balls dragg'in on the track Grandpa Stud Race -
I'm impressed, but it would be more impressive if he ran it each year in an actual race.
