Steve Prefontaine in HS

Who?

Pre was blessed with an unbelievable set of heart and lungs. His legspeed, however, was his limiting factor. I don't think he had much of a change in going sub four in high school

speed kills . wrote:

...His legspeed, however, was his limiting factor...l

I'm certain that foot speed turnover was the limiting factor.

So edgy.

snet wrote:

Who?

Pre didn't have the raw turnover/speed needed to go under four in high school. Guys like Webb and Ryun broke 4 by so much because they had incredible speed (both in the upper mid 1:40's in HS)

Coach Owl Birdo wrote:

speed kills . wrote:

...His legspeed, however, was his limiting factor...l

I'm certain that foot speed turnover was the limiting factor.

Im thinking it was more likely the angle of his foot speed velocity.

Fire on the Track wrote:

he dropped from 4:29 to 4:13 (full mile). Is this drop still possible with physical development and increased mileage?

Had a friend drop from 4:26 to 4:11 (1600m) from his junior to senior year in high school, so yes I would say that an improvement like that is still possible. My friend increased from 40-45 mpw to 55-65 mpw over a one year span and ran the 4:11 in a state meet.

Coach Owl Birdo wrote:

speed kills . wrote:

...His legspeed, however, was his limiting factor...l

I'm certain that foot speed turnover was the limiting factor.

snet wrote:

Who?

That short, alcoholic dude with the mustache.

That sounds like Tom Cooke from Kingsway...

Fire on the Track wrote:

I was checking out some articles on Pre in HS.

Obviously, he improved a lot from being over 5:00 his freshman year, but I also saw that he dropped from 4:29 to 4:13 (full mile). Is this drop still possible with physical development and increased mileage?

His senior goal was 3:56. He ran 4:06, but taking his 8:41 into account, do you think he could have broken 4? How would he have measured up to today's best?

I dropped from 4:27 my sophomore year to 4:14 my junior year. That's really not a crazy drop at that age.

Pre was aerobically gifted and a driven hard worker from an early age. I went from 5:04 my freshman year to 4:32 my sophomore year. Then from 4:15 my junior year to 4:09 my senior year. My fastest mile was my sophomore year in college of 4:03. I can't imagine ever running much faster than that, maybe 4:00. But I was a 1:57.0 800 and Pre was the same type that could run 1:53-54.

Pre ran 3:56 his freshman year in college and eventually 3:54.

I would say he was a phenom that if put into a pro mile race his senior year in high school like at the meet named after him where Don Sage ran 4:00, Pre would been capable of 4:00-4:01 and possibly 3:59.

Hanging near the back going out in 59.0. 1:59. 3:00. Then competing the last lap in 59. He would have been cabable of that in the race conditions top preps recently like Sage, Webb, Mangness, Verzibicus got to hang and have something left.

snet wrote:

Who?

Steven Prefontaine

No. He had opportunities to do so and never came close. Plus, he ran in the golden era of high school distance runners. In the 4 years prior to his high school graduation 4 other high schooler's broke 4 minutes, so it was not a big deal then. Gerry Lindgren was a better high school runner than Pre.

Student wrote:

No. He had opportunities to do so and never came close. Plus, he ran in the golden era of high school distance runners. In the 4 years prior to his high school graduation 4 other high schooler's broke 4 minutes, so it was not a big deal then. Gerry Lindgren was a better high school runner than Pre.

True but Pre didn't run races against older competition until after his senior year. Lindgren and Ryun were the greatest high school American phenoms ever. They actually beat world class runners in high school.

Pre as far as I know was a late bloomer who didn't break through until his senior year when he ran 8:41.0 in a solo race. Lindgren and Ryun where already racing against the worlds and competitive their junior year in high school.

He ran against high school competition only until he made a US team placing third in the 3 mile and ran 13:52 for 5000 going out in 8:08.0 for 3000 in Europe. You don't think he was capable then of a shot of sub 4 getting in a race like Don Sage had in 2000 at the Prefontaine Classic?

Sage was a 4:06-8:44 runner before that race and ran 4:00.1

Student wrote:

No. He had opportunities to do so and never came close. Plus, he ran in the golden era of high school distance runners. In the 4 years prior to his high school graduation 4 other high schooler's broke 4 minutes, so it was not a big deal then. Gerry Lindgren was a better high school runner than Pre.

Only 3 people ran under 4 minutes before Pre graduated in 1969

Ryun - '64 & '65

Danielson (muderder!) - '66

Liquori - '67 (same race as ryun's 3:51.1)

Pre was not that good in HS and after HS. Just another Nike fabricated icon that didn't get exposed because of when it happened.

Pre

Michael Jordan

Tiger Woods

Lance Armstrong

All the same fake bull$hit.

OK, it is plausible that Pre could have dropped 7 seconds from his PR while in high school had he been towed along in a professional race. One way of testing that guess is using his freshmen PR, 3:57.4, which was accomplished under those conditions. The question becomes, did Pre improve more than 2.6 seconds from his senior year in HS to his freshman year at UO? If so, there is little evidence that he could have run under 4 in HS. I stick with my original statement that I don't think he could have.As for comparing Pre with Liquori as far as mile talent, remember, Liquori ended up ranking #1 in the world in the mile in 1969 and 1971 (age 21 and 23) and made the Oly final at age 18.

Gerry made the Olympic team his senior year of High School.