How fast could a top mid-d guy run 100m from blocks?

10.2-5

9.58

10.9

Of elite 800 men, Juantorena was pretty much the fastest ever with a 44.2

General rules of thumb (2x200 + 3.0s = 400) would guess about 20.5 for a 44-low guy, 21-flat at absolute worst (that would assume an 800 guy has less decade from 200 to 400 speed. But that it would be very optimistic to think a 21.0 guy can do 44.0:

2x20.5 + 3.0 = 44.0

2x21.0 + 2.0 = 44.0

100x2 is often used for a 200 estimate, but that has significant +/- depending on the runner's start and acceleration, which is going to be worse for an 800 runner than the sprinters whose times are usually used. It's very unlikely an 800 guy does 100 from the blocks in less than half his 200 time.

Overall, some speed-oriented elite 800 guys who could start should be able to break 11.0 FAT (11.0x2= 22.0, 22.0x2 + 3 = 47.0).

Sub-10.5 would be extremely rare, requiring 45-flat 400 ability AND very optimistic projections from that down to the 100 (10.5x2= 21.0, 21.0x2 + 3 = 45.0).

Of elite 800 men, Juantorena was pretty much the fastest ever with a 44.2

General rules of thumb (2x200 + 3.0s = 400) would guess about 20.5 for a 44-low guy, 21-flat at absolute worst (that would assume an 800 guy has less decade from 200 to 400 speed. But that it would be very optimistic to think a 21.0 guy can do 44.0:

2x20.5 + 3.0 = 44.0

2x21.0 + 2.0 = 44.0

100x2 is often used for a 200 estimate, but that has significant +/- depending on the runner's start and acceleration, which is going to be worse for an 800 runner than the sprinters whose times are usually used. It's very unlikely an 800 guy does 100 from the blocks in less than half his 200 time.

Overall, some speed-oriented elite 800 guys who could start should be able to break 11.0 FAT (11.0x2= 22.0, 22.0x2 + 3 = 47.0).

Sub-10.5 would be extremely rare, requiring 45-flat 400 ability AND very optimistic projections from that down to the 100 (10.5x2= 21.0, 21.0x2 + 3 = 45.0).

rupp-certified salaadbar wrote:

General rules of thumb (2x200 + 3.0s = 400) would guess about 20.5 for a 44-low guy, 21-flat at absolute worst (that would assume an 800 guy has less decade from 200 to 400 speed.

Less *decay of course.

I saw it on Youtube wrote:

I've seen endless debates over how fast various top middle distance runners could run a short sprint with blocks. Here's your chance to be proven right or wrong.

I just saw a video where Ivo Van Damme, who silvered in both the 800 and 1500 at the 1976 Olympics, ran a 100 meters from blocks in a race.

Conditions:

None of his competitors were sprinters, and he beat them all.

It was a cold, wet day.

There was a strong crosswind.

I believe it was a cinder track.

Hand-timed.

Guess away, and I'll post the answer later, assuming people are interested.

Hand timed? 10.6... Real time 10.8-10.9. Just a guess

11 flat

14.9

No but seriously with those conditions probably 12 flat

mediocresprinter wrote:

No but seriously with those conditions probably 12 flat

Hahahahahahah. IVD would be well under 48 for 400 and you guess 12 for 100? Excellent.

421 ... Mile? wrote:

mediocresprinter wrote:

No but seriously with those conditions probably 12 flat

Hahahahahahah. IVD would be well under 48 for 400 and you guess 12 for 100? Excellent.

I'm sure my guess will be closer than yours.

mediocresprinter wrote:

421 ... Mile? wrote:

Hahahahahahah. IVD would be well under 48 for 400 and you guess 12 for 100? Excellent.

I'm sure my guess will be closer than yours.

I have not guessed. However, my lesser alter-ego (420) guessed 10.9 and I assume you have confused the two of us. So, you are "sure" that Van Damme was over 11.45? Absolutely laughable.

What is this talk of 11 mid ?!?!?! Van Damme ran 46.4 in the 400. 46.4 divided by 4 = 11.60 4 times in a row. I guess I could see him running something god awful slow (i.e. greater than 11s) in the conditions described by the op. This would be no representation of his ability though. Clearly a sub-11 guy. Op - what say you ?

I saw it on Youtube wrote:

I've seen endless debates over how fast various top middle distance runners could run a short sprint with blocks. Here's your chance to be proven right or wrong.

I just saw a video where Ivo Van Damme, who silvered in both the 800 and 1500 at the 1976 Olympics, ran a 100 meters from blocks in a race.

Conditions:

None of his competitors were sprinters, and he beat them all.

It was a cold, wet day.

There was a strong crosswind.

I believe it was a cinder track.

Hand-timed.

Guess away, and I'll post the answer later, assuming people are interested.

I'll guess 11.5.

421 ... Mile? wrote:

mediocresprinter wrote:

I'm sure my guess will be closer than yours.

I have not guessed. However, my lesser alter-ego (420) guessed 10.9 and I assume you have confused the two of us. So, you are "sure" that Van Damme was over 11.45? Absolutely laughable.

Yes I'm sure of it c'mon man look at the factors,

800m guy in blocks? So he got a terrible start. Cinder track? Hardly the fastest surface. Crosswind? Not nice to sprint in,same with cold. Up against non sprinters? Obviously a superstars race, maybe he won easily or maybe it was the final event and he was tired. Obviously he could run faster in perfect conditions but not in these conditions,I like how you specifically took umbrage to my post but ignored all the sub 11 times. He probably ran about 12 and dodgy handtiming (remember it's superstars) gave him 11.7

Van Damme could run probably about an 11 flat and then he could beat the crap out of the other 7 runners too.

Okay, thanks for all who played. The correct answer (for this one particular race under this one particular set of conditions) was 11.4.

The race was part of the old European Superstars show, and he was running against athletes from various other sports.

All in all, not a bad time, in my opinion. 11.4 hand-timed is probably about 11.6 FAT, but the conditions were just horrible, and easily worth 0.2 or more. Plus, it's the only time I know for him, so there's no reason to assume it was the best he could have done, given multiple attempts.

Interesting, anyway.

rupp-certified salaadbar wrote:

Of elite 800 men, Juantorena was pretty much the fastest ever with a 44.2

General rules of thumb (2x200 + 3.0s = 400) would guess about 20.5 for a 44-low guy, 21-flat at absolute worst (that would assume an 800 guy has less decay from 200 to 400 speed. But that it would be very optimistic to think a 21.0 guy can do 44.0:

2x20.5 + 3.0 = 44.0

2x21.0 + 2.0 = 44.0

100x2 is often used for a 200 estimate, but that has significant +/- depending on the runner's start and acceleration, which is going to be worse for an 800 runner than the sprinters whose times are usually used. It's very unlikely an 800 guy does 100 from the blocks in less than half his 200 time.

Overall, some speed-oriented elite 800 guys who could start should be able to break 11.0 FAT (11.0x2= 22.0, 22.0x2 + 3 = 47.0).

Sub-10.5 would be extremely rare, requiring 45-flat 400 ability AND very optimistic projections from that down to the 100 (10.5x2= 21.0, 21.0x2 + 3 = 45.0).

Nailed it with 10.5 ceiling for fastest 400/800 guy, 11.0 quite possible for several.

IVD is over 3 seconds slower at 800 than the real elites this answer addresses so the thread title is mismatched with the discussion/video, on a guy who succeeded in yester-year, when the 800 was a distance man's even not a long sprinter's.