What year does 1:39.9 happen?

Mr. Obvious wrote:

1'39-3'24-3'41 wrote:

1967

exactly!

Beat me too it. It happened decades ago!

Mr. Oblivious wrote:

At the risk of appearing very blonde... I simply don't get the 1967 reference?

Ryun

MarathonMind wrote:

Since it took 15 years to take a whole 0.2 seconds out of it, it's not illogical to assume it will be 100 or so years before we break 1:40. But of course that curve is flattening so it may be even longer.

This is an interesting thread from a couple years back - Wilson K. was predicting 1:38 by 2016

I know this is somewhat off topic - but it seems outlandish...

2042

Wilson The Prophet? wrote:

MarathonMind wrote:

Since it took 15 years to take a whole 0.2 seconds out of it, it's not illogical to assume it will be 100 or so years before we break 1:40. But of course that curve is flattening so it may be even longer.

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4817346

This is an interesting thread from a couple years back - Wilson K. was predicting 1:38 by 2016

I know this is somewhat off topic - but it seems outlandish...

If modern 800 guys were on the same drugs Kipketer was then its possible.

July 2nd, 2018.

Jim Ryun

best ever

look him up

Reaching the limit? wrote:

Just a note to consider - it took over 30 years to go from 1:41.73 to 1:40.91

This

And it took Rudisha 2 years to go from 1:41.01 to 1:40.91

If Rudisha ever gets back to breaking his PR, it will be by tenths or hundredths

If Amos/Kitum/etc ever break his WR, it will also be by tenths or hundredths

1:39 ain't happening for a long time yet

If Usain Bolt had gotten into distance / aerobic development early enough in his youth he might have had a chance

Edwin Moses might also have had the capability. Enough footspeed but lean enough to keep going for 800m

reader of the forums wrote:

MarathonMind wrote:

Since it took 15 years to take a whole 0.2 seconds out of it, it's not illogical to assume it will be 100 or so years before we break 1:40. But of course that curve is flattening so it may be even longer.

middle distance running has regressed for over 40 years

In 1967 we had a 1'39/3'24 800m/1500m runner

times have been slower ever since

Ventolin posting garbage about Ryun under numerous aliases ain't fooling anybody.

The guy came nowhere near. He ran a hand timed 1:44.3 on a synthetic track and only managed 1:45 and bits in 67. He's not even in the all time 100 fastest run. The OP asked what year 1:39.9 will happen and you muppets post 1967. Well wake up, it never happened then. It might in your imaginations but in reality it didn't and he wasn't even close.

There are several guys running this year who would destroy Ryun over 800.

ISBN wrote:

reader of the forums wrote:

middle distance running has regressed for over 40 years

In 1967 we had a 1'39/3'24 800m/1500m runner

times have been slower ever since

Ventolin posting garbage about Ryun under numerous aliases ain't fooling anybody.

The guy came nowhere near. He ran a hand timed 1:44.3 on a synthetic track and only managed 1:45 and bits in 67. He's not even in the all time 100 fastest run. The OP asked what year 1:39.9 will happen and you muppets post 1967. Well wake up, it never happened then. It might in your imaginations but in reality it didn't and he wasn't even close.

There are several guys running this year who would destroy Ryun over 800.

rofl

1:39 ain't happening for a long time yet

All you guys talking about Jim Ryun, let's not forget another 1:39 guy, the great Jeremy Wariner.

no

moron

i'm not the one who posts under many different handles

he tied 800wr after prelim & ill & off serious -ve splits

that was miles better than snell's wr

idiot

ALL track records were hand-times in the '60s

on a semi-synthetic track not built for speed

go fetch the huge pbs of all the guys behind him in that 800wr ???

idiot

he didn't run a 800 at is peak in late-'67

do some research

he said by late season, when he lined up to break mile wr he said he had been lazy doing just enough to win but not putting in serious effort

he said he knew he had to put the hard work in himself if he wanted fast times as no one was going to help him

that's why he broke the mile wr solo but with poor splits as he freely admitted that at just 20y he wasn't good judge of pace

idiot

he was running on semi-synthetic, with who behind him running huge pbs ???

his -ve split 1'44.3 off a prelim & so ill he shoudn't have even been running, shouda been

~ 1'43.2

off 2s +ve splits & that doesn't include anything for prelim/illness or semi-synthetic track

& this was '66 when he wasn't anywhere near as good as '67 shape

utter nonsense

his dusseldorf run & '66 relay on quagmire showed he had speed to run 49-flat comfortably

his incredible endurance gave him potential to hold on for a 50-high for 2nd lap

idiot

Ryun had at worst, fractionally inferior 400 speed to Rudy

you don't make up 20y on anchor on some top college 400 guys without incredible 400 speed

he had virtually same height at 6'2, meaning similar stride & more powerful build than Rudy at 165 & much more importantly, far superior endurance as broke herb's legendary 1500wr by 2.5s off a jog for 1st 300

he wouda crushed a peak Rudy into oblivion over 800

& he didn't even train for the 800 !!!

ventolin has left the building

all hail Ryun

Historical Commentator wrote:

WWII ruined a generation of racers and stunted general WR progression - i.e. 4:00 mile would have been broken before Bannister.

Hägg lowered it from 4:06 to 4:01 during world war 2. The war didn't prevent him from breaking 4 minutes, he was banned for not being an "amateur."

If he had run sub 4, the ridiculous sub-4 myth would never have been created in the 1950's and taught as fact to generation after generation.

The same year as 1:59:59 :)

So then your answer is never.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Historical Commentator wrote:

WWII ruined a generation of racers and stunted general WR progression - i.e. 4:00 mile would have been broken before Bannister.

Hägg lowered it from 4:06 to 4:01 during world war 2. The war didn't prevent him from breaking 4 minutes, he was banned for not being an "amateur."

If he had run sub 4, the ridiculous sub-4 myth would never have been created in the 1950's and taught as fact to generation after generation.

It doesn't seem like that should have necessarily prevented Hagg from breaking four. By his own admission later in life he mentioned that had he and Arne worked together they could have dropped below 4.

Bannisters race was essentially a staged race where some friends helped him through. While it may not have been officially recognized or ratified - He certainly would have gone down as history's sub 4 man. To be succinct - I don't think losing his amateur status prevented Haag from breaking 4. In fact, the amateur status was probably a tougher situation - lots of training, no money. To get paid a little for training, etc... seems ideal, especially in the non existent sponsorship era that was the 40's