Could Webb have BROKEN the high school 800 RECORD??????

Speculation....ugh! What if Superboy had been raised in 1930s Nazi Germany, not Kansas? Speculations are useless.

Or are they? OK, the answer to your first question is that Webb would have stubbed his toe on the morning of the planned 800 record race, and in compensating for the injury, he'd have developed hip and back problems which would have ended his brief high school running career. He'd have gone to Virginia Tech on a partial academic scholarship, and today he'd be a nerdy engineer who, on his environmentally friendly house's roof, installed the best solar panel heating system east of the Mississippi...which would have provided the energy for his computer system...enabling him to tune in to webcasts and highlight videos of his former coaches' (Marc & Joan Hunter's) son, Drew, breaking state XC records and going for Foot Locker glory.

Or he would have set a high school 800 record that still couldn't be beat, even by his former coaches' son...on an ideal day...another bit of speculation...

Allen Web wrote:

Webb had 1:45 high school CAPACITY.

Based on what?

Based on his 3:53 mile, 47 OPEN speed, and his 1:47 SOLO.

Jim Ryun ran 1:44.1c the year after HS. Ryun "could have" set a HS record Webb "could not have" broken. All things being "could."

This is an "idol" speculation thread after all.

How fast does would a pig need to run to fly? Your question shows why US has won only one Olympic gold since 1960 in 800 metres. Too many 800/1500 men in US. Not enough 400/800 metres men.

Nathan Ritzenberg wrote:

Based on his 3:53 mile, 47 OPEN speed, and his 1:47 SOLO.

Webb had a 1:45 in him in HS. The indoor and outdoor HS mile record holder was incredible.

Nathan Ritzenberg wrote:

Based on his 3:53 mile, 47 OPEN speed, and his 1:47 SOLO.

Are you sure those weren't relay times?

ironside wrote:

How fast does would a pig need to run to fly? Your question shows why US has won only one Olympic gold since 1960 in 800 metres. Too many 800/1500 men in US. Not enough 400/800 metres men.

Dumb reply. The question's not close to showing that.

The 1:47 was open.

I don't think he could have gotten the 800, but I think he could have broken the 2-mile record at that time!

He ran 8:45 indoors at his only attempt his senior year. He would have run 8:35 or better had he attempted it outdoors in 2001.

Webb's lifetime bests are 3:46.91 and 1:43.84.

His high school best mile was 3:53.43 (6.52 off his lifetime best). Half of that difference is 3.26 (I know 800m is slightly less than half a mile, we'll ignore that). Add that to his 1:43.84 and this predicts a high school best 800m of 1:47.10, or 0.64 better than his actual hs pr. Don't think he had a 1:45 in him during hs.

I believe he could have run in the 1:46 range if he had tried it while in his 3:53 shape. But his potential at 2 Miles while at optimum fitness in a set up race with runners in the mid 8:30s to draft off of was almost certainly HSR level since it was 8:36 at the time.

WEBB IS BACK BABY?

yoyomama wrote:

while in his 3:53 shape.

He only ran that fast once and he was shocked he ran that fast. Without additional time points you can't say what shape he was actually in.

No US high schooler will ever run an impressive 800 because the only ones with any chance will be hounded to run a sub 4 mile and beat Jim Ryun and shit.

And the ones with a fast 400 will have to keep running the open 400 and relays for their teams, probably the 200 and maybe 100 too, how are they supposed to run a fast 800?

The only solution would be to make the 800 count for double points. Until then the Kenyans and Botswanans will laugh at our slow prep runners.

Dumb reply? This post is speculating on the "potential" 800m greatness of Webb. Any post speculating on 800m greatness of a 47+ 400m man is a waste. A 47+ 400m man will never win an Olympic 800m medal again.

yoyomama wrote:

I believe he could have run in the 1:46 range if he had tried it while in his 3:53 shape.

Webb ran his 1:47.74 high school PR 6 days after his 3:53 mile, so he was in 3:53 shape.

I was at the race and he did negative split (54/53)

I don't know if he had 1:46.45 in him or not.

He had someone on has back for the first 400 and then ran away the second lap.

That's not totally a solo effort.

But if he went out in 52, he would have been completely alone.

I guess the question is, what would he have run in a race where the winner ran 1:46.0?

Look at his career progression.

We know he ran 1:43.8 in 2007 but his second best year ever he did not get under 1:46 and he was pretty fit a few years there and gave the 800 a try every year against good competition.

I think he had 1:46 high in him in high school but I don't think he likely would have broken the record.

No. Too slow, too white.

ironside wrote:

A 47+ 400m man will never win an Olympic 800m medal again.

Why not?