Who was the fastest U.S. President at 5K?

"Silent" Calvin Coolidge takes it, in an upset.

Polk, small and wiry, might seem like a good choice, but he was really sick and died just a few months after leaving office.

Are we only counting during their presidential years, or lifetime?

Carter's coach at Annapolis described him as an "excellent cross-country runner" also saying he tied for first in one race. And for a time while president, he reportedly was "jogging" 40-50 mpw.

http://www.wikirun.com/Jimmy_Carter

nitpicking wrote:

Are we only counting during their presidential years, or lifetime?

A good question. If during their lifetime, we'd have to look at their careers as a whole--Teddy Roosevelt was pretty active, but does "rough rider" translate into "rough runner"? JFK was a swimmer at Harvard, I think, so likely pretty fit during that time. And of course the above mentioned references to Jimmy Carter running xc.... If we're talking IN office, while he was definitely not my choice politically, I have to give it to him speedwise: GWB. In fact, I had always thought he might have done better if he had ditched the presidency and spent more time training instead. ;)

dpmrunner wrote:

If we're talking IN office, while he was definitely not my choice politically, I have to give it to him speedwise: GWB. In fact, I had always thought he might have done better if he had ditched the presidency and spent more time training instead. ;)

Is there evidence that GB was "speedy" in office? As far as I know, Carter was the only sitting president to run a race (though admittedly with disastrous results).

california pride wrote:

Actually I think Obama quit smoking last year

I don't think that has ever been confirmed. And as I witnessed in my social circles, smokers that stop never really stop for real. They always allow themselves a cigarette in weak moments and then they fall back into their old patterns.

Anyway, the guy who said GWB is probably right. I know Clinton did some jogging, too, but he enjoyed life too much in order to take it seriously.

You don't need to look further back than mid 70's, since back then everyone was a heavy smoker.

Huh?? wrote:

dpmrunner wrote:

If we're talking IN office, while he was definitely not my choice politically, I have to give it to him speedwise: GWB. In fact, I had always thought he might have done better if he had ditched the presidency and spent more time training instead. ;)

Is there evidence that GB was "speedy" in office? As far as I know, Carter was the only sitting president to run a race (though admittedly with disastrous results).

Good question--I will admit I'm basing this on what I (probably imperfectly) remember. Quick search brought up this, but with two problems: It's from RW, a source the LR folk find doubtful, and his assessment of his speed is self-reported. Any Secret Service agents here who would care to verify? ;)

What'a RAC stand for? Raging Ageing Caucasian?

Pappas12 wrote:

President George W. Bush

GWBush ran 16:24 for 5K in the late 90s.

Yes Indeed wrote:

Pappas12 wrote:

President George W. Bush

GWBush ran 16:24 for 5K in the late 90s.

I'm calling BS and it's offensive that you'd claim something like that without a link

Yes Indeed wrote:

GWBush ran 16:24 for 5K in the late 90s.

Lol. If his Marathon time of 3:44 is any indicator, he would have had a hard time to stay under 22.

Not a president obvi., but Clarence Thomas ran like a 90 minute half or something like that.

Based on reasonable supposition:

Lifetime: Carter

While president: George W. Bush

Others like Eisenhower, Kennedy, Ford, and Bush Sr. were decent athletes in other sports, at least when young, but never raced or specifically trained for running, so they might have had the potential for a fast 5k, but that's just speculation.

Once you get back into the 18th or 19th century some of them probably had athletic potential in their prime but without engaging in athletics it's hard to say.

I'd go with Theodore Roosevelt or John Quincy Adams.

For lifetime speed, TR is a reasonable candidate, and he was a rower at Harvard. He looked pretty fit:

http://content.artofmanliness.com/uploads/2008/02/young-teddy-roosevelt.jpg

I put him in the same category and Ford, et al. - athletic but no direct evidence of running speed over 5k. TR had porked up some by the time he was president but his youth gives him an edge if you are looking at speed while president.

I recall that JQA apparently liked to swim naked in the Potomac River while president but I know of no evidence of his athletic ability.

Is there evidence that GB was "speedy" in office?

5k in 20:27. EVIDENCE! INTERNET EVIDENCE!

For real guys, I googled "George W. Bush 5k" and this was one of the first results.

The answers to all of your LRC MB questions...are INSIDE the computer...

Not Bill Clinton. Stopping at Mickey D's slowed him down too much.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/26/bill-clinton-al-gore-shorts-90s_n_1033691.html#s436479

Here's a good list:

http://eatrunswag.com/2012/11/06/election-day-post-politician-prs/

Nutella1 wrote:

And as I witnessed in my social circles, smokers that stop never really stop for real. They always allow themselves a cigarette in weak moments and then they fall back into their old patterns.

.

Plenty of people quit smoking.