actually i don't feel that way at all.
Sprinters train very hard, just in a different way. it is incredibly taxing to run 60meters all out multiple times even if you have 8 minutes rest between each sprint.
sprinters must be born with great genetic gifts of superior nervous systems.
distance runners must be born with great genetic gifts for cardiovascular systems.
Why does Usain Bolt run the 100? Because he can. Now Bolt has openly said he hated trainig for the 400 even though he was World Class. Lucky for him he could be great at the 100.
many short sprinters look at 400 training and fear it.
many 400m runners look at mile training and fear it.
I don't know for sure, but I bet milers have some fear of 10k training
most people choose to stick with the shortest event they are successful at. Those that have love for the sport and training often see the big picture and keep trying to move up as they realize their speed gift doesn't make them competitive "at the next level."
plain and simple, it is easier to gain endurance qualities through training than it is to gain pure speed qualities (not speed endurance) through training.
no one suggests the Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson, or Jeremy Wariner could be great milers or marathoners if they simply trained harder, or trained as distance runners.
middle distance runners are born with superior genetic gifts for the specific speeds and specific endurances required for those distances.
It is fun to hypothesize about Warriner in the 800, because we see his build, and we know of his training from Clyde Hart literature. That isn't a great reach.
Why is Teg moving to marathon? why has lagat moved from 1500 to 5k? why has hasay moved from 1500 to 10k? they feel their pure speed capabilities at the next level require moving up.
My point was that like Brandon Johnson, there are some sprinters that are having success at lower levels (even the major NCAA D1 level) who HAVE genetic capabilities to move up to 800, but they don't because they "fear" it. OR they are satisfied with their current level of success as a lower level sprinter, and then they leave the sport.
Not everyone can move up. A 55 second HS 400 girl may run on a 4x1 in HS, and finish top 3 in state and think she is a sprinter. And for that level she is a successful sprinter. but at the next level 55 seconds is average speed for an 800 woman, and better than average speed for a 1500 woman, and good speed for a 5k woman. The question is, does the 55 sec HS girl have the hidden genetic talent for the middle distance/distance events. Does she have the mentality/desire for the different training. And does she or a coach have the foresight to look at the bigger picture.
Laura Roesler I think won a whole bunch of sub 12 100m state championships in HS. Someone could have been satisfied right there and never explored the next step.
She is near world class at 800m, with NCAA level 400 speed. Could probably run an adequate 1500, and likely would handle a 5k xc race even if she wasn't fully training for it or particulalry liked it.
that is my long winded point, not that any sprinter can just move up, or that they don't train hard.