SI's Peter King's pace claims seem off

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keeppedaling

4 years ago 08/05/2015 11:27am CDT

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Sports Illustrated writer Peter King is profiled in the latest Runner's World magazine. Good on him for getting in shape and pounding the pavement. But his claimed two-mile time strikes me as way too low.

It was originally printed as 15:24 for two miles, which would have been a spectacular 7:42/mi pace.

It was later amended to 16:24, which is still REALLY good for a 208 lb, 58-year-old man, coming out to a 8:12/mi pace.

King mentioned a few races he has run, unfortunately none of them within the last two years. But, his splits for those are all over 10 minutes per mile.

Here are the ones he talks about running, with the distance and pace...

Date Distance Time Pace
~9/1/2010 8.0 1:20:00 0:10:00
10/2/2010 13.1 2:19:27 0:10:39
9/29/2012 13.1 2:31:40 0:11:35
4/20/2013 4.2 0:42:03 0:10:01

CLAIM 2.0 0:16:24 0:08:12

So, unless he has the world's worse positive splits, King's two-mile pace seems like a lie.
Peter King???

4 years ago 08/05/2015 11:31am CDT
re: keeppedaling

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a lie or an exaggeration?
and does it really matter?

he hates the Redskins
whatsthevdot

4 years ago 08/05/2015 11:33am CDT
re: keeppedaling

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He probably doesn't do big mileage, so he could be a speed guy at shorter distances that can't carry it to 13.1 miles.
keeppedaling

4 years ago 08/05/2015 11:43am CDT
re: whatsthevdot

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"Now I have a resting heart rate of 62. I work out five times a week plus a long weekend run." -P. King in RW

No idea what "long" means to him, though.
Who cares?

4 years ago 08/05/2015 3:25pm CDT
re: keeppedaling

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This is a non-starter. First, it seems entirely reasonable for him to run that pace (I'm 200 lbs, old, and can run a 20 min 5k). Second, who cares?
Egun

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4 years ago 08/05/2015 3:58pm CDT
re: Who cares?

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Sorry 'who cares', but you too are exaggerating or lying.

If you weigh 200 pounds and are old you are not running a 20 minute 5k.

rojo

cofounder

4 years ago 08/06/2015 3:14pm CDT
re: Egun

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I have no idea why this thread was taken down. I love his MMQB column and definitely want this up. If a vice presidential candidate's running exploits are fair game, then so are Peter King's.

I got an email from a guy about King's college running experiences and am hoping to get permission to publish it.
dkny64

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4 years ago 08/06/2015 3:23pm CDT
re: Egun

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Egun wrote:

Sorry 'who cares', but you too are exaggerating or lying.

If you weigh 200 pounds and are old you are not running a 20 minute 5k.

If 'who cares' is 60+, then no, probably not [unless he's Henry Rono].

If 'who cares' is, say, 50 - meh, could be.
Foul Ball

4 years ago 08/06/2015 4:02pm CDT
re: dkny64

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I wouldn't put it past him to lie about his running pace, Peter King is a terrible human being: http://uproxx.com/ksk/2009/07/fun-with-klassic-peter-king-the-foul-ball-story/
Talk to your mods

4 years ago 08/06/2015 6:32pm CDT
re: rojo

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rojo wrote:

I have no idea why this thread was taken down. I love his MMQB column and definitely want this up. If a vice presidential candidate's running exploits are fair game, then so are Peter King's.

I got an email from a guy about King's college running experiences and am hoping to get permission to publish it.

Taken down because your mods are out of control. Any interesting topic is removed, but the spam rolls on unabated.
it can happen

4 years ago 08/06/2015 7:43pm CDT
re: dkny64

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dkny64 wrote:

Egun wrote:

Sorry 'who cares', but you too are exaggerating or lying.

If you weigh 200 pounds and are old you are not running a 20 minute 5k.

If 'who cares' is 60+, then no, probably not [unless he's Henry Rono].

If 'who cares' is, say, 50 - meh, could be.

I witnessed a 53 yr old200 lb+ run 20:30

Fat guys like King should be a lot better at shorter distances. Probably worse on hilly courses too.
attended college with king

4 years ago 08/07/2015 9:02am CDT
re: it can happen

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I went to college with King.

Believe it was the spring of 1979, we put on a small 5K race on campus at Ohio University for a local charity trying to raise a few bucks and had at most probably about 60-70 runners. A friend was manning the finish chute handing out popsicle sticks for places. After the first several runners came through, Peter King came barrelling around the last corner sprinting like a bat out of hell. Back then he was a chubby guy (hey he still is kind of a chubby guy, although I guess he has lost some weight from his running, good for him). Looking at him come in, my friend's assumption was that he probably jumped in the final 200 yards since you couldn’t see the last stretch of the course and he obviously couldn’t run that fast. At the time he was an editor for the school paper and known around campus by many students, also had the reputation as being arrogant and somewhat of a blowhard. My friend knew people who knew him and recognized him. King then asked what he got for finishing? My friend told him water/orange slices just like everyone else, but thought to himself what a dick! Bandit in little race thinking he might get something.

Mr. Obvious

registered

4 years ago 08/07/2015 9:34am CDT
re: rojo

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rojo wrote:

I have no idea why this thread was taken down.

You know exactly why it was taken down. It was taken down because you and your brother do not have consistent moderation standards and do not require your moderators to apply any consistent logic for their decisions.

Improving the moderation on this board should be your #1 priority. #2 should be running spell-check on all your articles and posts.
did you see his last name?

4 years ago 08/07/2015 9:49am CDT
re: attended college with king

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attended college with king wrote:

I went to college with King.

Believe it was the spring of 1979, we put on a small 5K race on campus at Ohio University for a local charity trying to raise a few bucks and had at most probably about 60-70 runners. A friend was manning the finish chute handing out popsicle sticks for places. After the first several runners came through, Peter King came barrelling around the last corner sprinting like a bat out of hell. Back then he was a chubby guy (hey he still is kind of a chubby guy, although I guess he has lost some weight from his running, good for him). Looking at him come in, my friend's assumption was that he probably jumped in the final 200 yards since you couldn’t see the last stretch of the course and he obviously couldn’t run that fast. At the time he was an editor for the school paper and known around campus by many students, also had the reputation as being arrogant and somewhat of a blowhard. My friend knew people who knew him and recognized him. King then asked what he got for finishing? My friend told him water/orange slices just like everyone else, but thought to himself what a dick! Bandit in little race thinking he might get something.

His name answers any questions you may have about his motives in that race.