Elite/Sub-Elite runners that started out slow?

Jim Ryun ran a 5:38 mile to start out at the age of 15 and ended up running a 4:21 before he turned 16. IMHO, that's not starting out slow - Kip Keino is a better example of starting out slow then becoming a 2 time Olympic gold medalist (and former 3000m WR holder):

Mile times:

16: 5:49

19: 4:38 (training was 3-5 days per week with soccer and volleyball on off days - also had "rigorous" police training)

21ish: 4:17

22: 4:07 (start non altitude times)

23: (dislocated knee from startled ox, so injury year)

24: 4:01

25: 3:54 (1965 - became 1st non white under 4 officially with this race - the barrier was demolished - I'm guessing his previous PB was the 4:01)

26: 3:53

Matt Elliott

Every good runner started out slow. Do you think they came out of their moms running sub 4 miles?

I was not aware he started this slow, the improvements he made were incredible but at the same time not unbelievable. It's not often an athlete that ran that slow at 16 becomes an olympian let alone a gold medalist.

I am in awe of what Keino accomplished during the 1968 games: 6 races in 8 days, but not only that...

"The Kenyan long-distance runner entered the 10,000m at the Mexico Games in 1968 in a lot of pain. With three laps to go, he collapsed and stumbled from the track, then got to his feet and staggered to the finish. Having been an also-ran at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics, he knew these games were now or never, so he stubbornly entered the 5000m and came second by just 0.2 seconds. By now he had been diagnosed with gallstones and doctors warned another race might kill him. Crippled with pain, Keino initially agreed not to take part in the 1500m, but on race day had a change of heart. Leaving his sickbed, he caught a bus to the stadium, got stuck in traffic and ran the rest of the way, arriving minutes before the start of the race. He won gold by more than 20 metres."

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/mar/30/olympics-2012-athletics

kanny wrote:23: (dislocated knee from startled ox, so injury year)

them oxes, they sure do need to bicycle better...

Steve Way and Paul Marteletti both started running in their late 20s, doing 3 hour marathons. Then through 120 miles a week regularly for 5 years, they came 1st and 2nd in the World 50K champs, and can run 2:16 marathons these days.

Is this legit or are you just trolling us? If you have links to references or a good bio, I'd be very interested. It must have been due to low level training, because wasn't Kip's son very fast early on in his career?

kanny wrote:

Kip Keino is a better example of starting out slow then becoming a 2 time Olympic gold medalist (and former 3000m WR holder):

Mile times:

16: 5:49

19: 4:38 (training was 3-5 days per week with soccer and volleyball on off days - also had "rigorous" police training)

21ish: 4:17

22: 4:07 (start non altitude times)

23: (dislocated knee from startled ox, so injury year)

24: 4:01

25: 3:54 (1965 - became 1st non white under 4 officially with this race - the barrier was demolished - I'm guessing his previous PB was the 4:01)

26: 3:53

Steve Way ran a 3:05 first marathon (London) with no training at all, overweight, still a smoker and living a very unhealthy lifestyle. I listen to him being interviewed on "MarathonTalk" podcast a few years ago. Very interesting story. After the first marathon he decided to start training for a sub 3 attempt. In the course of that training he realised that he had great potential. In attempting to run "hard" at a half marathon in the build up, he was hoping to run faster than 78 minutes and get his name up on an online ranking website...... he ran 72 minutes!!! 72!! He went on to run his "sub3" marathon in 2:35!!! Eventually 2 years later getting the PR down to 2:18.

Now thats potential.... looking to run a sub3 and getting 2:35.

couldhavebeen wrote:

Now thats potential.... looking to run a sub3 and getting 2:35.

I hate such stories.

Lagat.