Average high school 3200, 1600, and 800 meter times

This is a good point.

On the Iowa quickstats thing, is there a way to see the rankings by grade level? Get the average for seniors to see what the average high school runner could accomplish by their senior year and I guess you could factor in the average for freshman as well to include the people who gave up on running before senior year.

hmmm..... wrote:

You don't have a concept of average do you? 11:24 and 5:15 sound about right.

When you say 'average' that sounds about right.

That would have been considered slow at my school and state, but nationally, a kid who can break 5 minutes in the mile is pretty decent. 4:3x will win some state championships. My first year of H.S. coaching, the top miler from the previous year at this school ran 4:51.

cbenson4 wrote:

hmmm..... wrote:

You don't have a concept of average do you? 11:24 and 5:15 sound about right.

Go to most high school varsity track meets, and the only place you might see 11:24/5:15 is in last place.

Yeah, maybe if you go to a big invitational and only watch the faster heats. Where I went to high school a 5:15 would land you on the back end of mid pack. 11:24 was about middle mid pack. 5:15 and 11:24 are not fast, but it isn't right to say that they're slow either.

Median 1600 times were 5:14.38 for boys nationally, 3200 11:18.2 according to Athletic.net. 800m was 2:20.2.

67,581 3200m results (39.5%)

63,297 1600m (37.1%)

39,875 800m (23.3%)

Woops

joecrunner wrote: Fixed

Median 1600 times were 5:14.38 for boys nationally, 3200 11:18.2 according to Athletic.net. 800m was 2:20.2.

67,581 800m results (39.5%)

63,297 1600m (37.1%)

39,875 3200m (23.3%)

4:40 (mile)

9:55 (2 mile)

Wow, thanks for making me feel much above average as I thought I sucked.

Wisconsin Boys

800 Meter Run: 2:23.60 (8022)

1600 Meter Run: 5:21.00 (7950)

3200 Meter Run: 11:24.74 (4956)

Wisconsin Girls

800 Meter Run: 2:51.68 (6863)

1600 Meter Run: 6:21.89 (5949)

3200 Meter Run: 13:30.03 (3295)

Population wise we are about 20th in the country. We have our moments of brilliance at the top but are a far cry from the depth of Washington and California. There are 438 high school track programs and some 25,000 athletes in track each year. In the parenthesis above are the number of performances from that given event which factored into the average. All competition levels were included.

dfsfdsfsd wrote:

4:30 is not average, even among college bound runners. 4:30 is a state qualifying time in most states, even placing in many small school divisions. If you looked at what the average high school 1600 times for college competitors, it'll be over 4:40 I bet, if you look at D-1 through D-3 and NAIA.

4:30 won't get you much in New Jersey

joecrunner wrote:

Median 1600 times were 5:14.38 for boys nationally, 3200 11:18.2 according to Athletic.net. 800m was 2:20.2.

67,581 3200m results (39.5%)

63,297 1600m (37.1%)

39,875 800m (23.3%)

Thanks

...this stops all of the guessing

Here are my HS PRs:

-800: 1:59

-1600: 4:30

-3200: 9:56

Based on the methodology here, I'd be above average.

In reality, I couldn't even break my team's cross top 7 or run on our 4x800 relay at state track, much less run in an open event. I tell people that and they consider me a JV runner. In fact, I was 2nd at our JV cross conference meet.

Not saying the methodology here is flawed, but it is all a matter of perspective.

I coach 7th and 8th grade in Iowa, those times are way to fast, most middle school teams only practice 2-3 times a week for 8 weeka of the year.

Based on the results of our last meet of the year before the championship (I know small sample size), we had a median time of 2:45 and a mean of 2:43.

Dick Johnson wrote:

Here are my HS PRs:

-800: 1:59

-1600: 4:30

-3200: 9:56

Based on the methodology here, I'd be above average.

In reality, I couldn't even break my team's cross top 7 or run on our 4x800 relay at state track, much less run in an open event. I tell people that and they consider me a JV runner. In fact, I was 2nd at our JV cross conference meet.

Not saying the methodology here is flawed, but it is all a matter of perspective.

Well, if your team is of decent size, the "average" runner would be a JV runner. Were there not 15+ people on your XC team and 8+ distance runners on your track team?

joecrunner wrote:

Median 1600 times were 5:14.38 for boys nationally, 3200 11:18.2 according to Athletic.net. 800m was 2:20.2.

67,581 3200m results (39.5%)

63,297 1600m (37.1%)

39,875 800m (23.3%)

You cant say this is national. This is far from everything national. These numbers represent maybe 100% of eight states, except it's more like 3.5 states of total numbers plus scattered results from timing websites of other states.

It's a big sample, no doubt. But with biases and incomplete information. My figures are better because it comes from close to 100% of what happened in one specified area over a given year.

If all runners are included the times are somewhat depressed. If one looks at varsity runners who place in the top 3 in dual meets the results are much different. In the league that I coached in which was comprised of 10 schools ranging in size of 600-900 students in a 4 year high school, the results were: 2:03-2:08; 4:35-4:50; and 10:30-11:10 (usually the last individual race and many kids weren't running hard). In the league championship to medal in the top 6 it took 1:58-2:03; 4:30-4:40; and 9:45-10:10. If state quality runners were in the league the times were faster. Varsity kids were considered to be sub-2:10; sub 5:00; and sub 11.

High School defines "average" as 70-79%. Start there with your definition.

50% is not "average"

Dudes, I'm a freshman in Kansas. I have medalled a few times in the 1600. My PR is 5:24, and my last two races have been 5:25 and 5:26. First at state last year for 3a was a 5:35. All you guys who think that to be 'good' you have to get 5:25 and stuff, shut up. Please. It's annoying and gets on my nerves.

Meant stop saying you have to get a 4:25.

Nah you suck man, you wouldn't make the top 10 at my school...

Drater Gator wrote:

Dudes, I'm a freshman in Kansas. I have medalled a few times in the 1600. My PR is 5:24, and my last two races have been 5:25 and 5:26. First at state last year for 3a was a 5:35. All you guys who think that to be 'good' you have to get 5:25 and stuff, shut up. Please. It's annoying and gets on my nerves.

Try again, son. The 3A winner ran a minute faster. Still not spectacularly fast but hardly as bad as you're claiming. FWIW, your 5:24 wouldn't have cracked the top 80 1600M boys' times in Kansas 3A last year. More significantly, 45 girls in all Kansas classes ran faster than 5:24 in 2015. Get real.