Why are distance runners not viewed as athletic as sprinters and football players

Ever heard of a kid named Grant Fisher, who was so good at soccer he was recruited for Junior Olympic development, but decided instead on distance running?

Responding to this over-generalized statement: "If you're a good runner, you'll be viewed as athletic. Problem is, with most school teams, except for the top 3-7 guys, the rest of the runners are not athletic and do running because they couldn't play other sports. Even the top 3-7 guys, half of them got cut in other sports so they run. So the public's view is not inaccurate."

Never heard of him.

Bored kid wrote:

Not the ones ive met. There are 2 kids who are amazing at my school who do 100m in 11.98 and 200 in 24.61(middle school) but when we run the mile they get like 7:00min or so

Those times are not good and certainly not elite.

Right. Only one of the best high school runners, if not the best, from 2014 to 2015. Gatorade Player of the Year and all that etc etc. Now running at Stanford and doing well.

I don't think anybody considers a fat slob as more athletic than a distance runner. I remember being a "skinny" 6 '160 pound back up defensive back/running back and the 200+ linemen literally were spaghetti legging it after about 300 meters and I didn't even feel anything for the 2 lap warm up.

People consider somebody built like Herschel Walker a better athlete than the equivalent of him on the Golden League circuit. I do too.

"Fat" football players would out jump skinny distance runners, out lift them by far, and beat them in any short sprint - meaning they could quickly catch them, and then proceed to beat them to a pulp.

trackfanrenewed wrote:

Right. Only one of the best high school runners, if not the best, from 2014 to 2015. Gatorade Player of the Year and all that etc etc. Now running at Stanford and doing well.

You really need to step out of the basement. Not everyone follows highschool track.

It is funny because even the "fat" football players are kinda athletic. I doubt you could run a 5 second 40 yard dash if you were 300+ pounds. And I bet the football players spend a lot of time training, eating, and recovering too. I assume for all this you are talking about NFL players though, of course your average high school o-lineman is fat and not athletic.

Bored kid wrote: But idk cause these fat af football players who cant hobbyjog half a mile without dying are considered greater athletes than runners who actually spend more time in their sport training,eating,recovering.

Football players spend far more time training than distance runners. Distance runners can be world class on two hours/day. To be a pro football player is actually a full time job and requires eight hours/day minimum (practices, skills training, lifting, film study, etc.).

mcgot wrote:

It is funny because even the "fat" football players are kinda athletic. I doubt you could run a 5 second 40 yard dash if you were 300+ pounds. And I bet the football players spend a lot of time training, eating, and recovering too. I assume for all this you are talking about NFL players though, of course your average high school o-lineman is fat and not athletic.

And yet they could still beat the crap out of a skinny distance runner.

A professor of mine who was a Former football player and wrestler told our class distance runners are the worst athletes.

Long time Head football coach of multiple national championship teams told me hopefully my son will play a real sport instead of running around in his underwear.

They're both right.

oodo wrote:

trackfanrenewed wrote:

Right. Only one of the best high school runners, if not the best, from 2014 to 2015. Gatorade Player of the Year and all that etc etc. Now running at Stanford and doing well.

You really need to step out of the basement. Not everyone follows highschool track.

Except it is impossible to have never heard of him if you frequent this website.

He ran a sub 4 minute mile last year as a high school student.

Troll Banquet wrote:

A professor of mine who was a Former football player and wrestler told our class distance runners are the worst athletes.

Long time Head football coach of multiple national championship teams told me hopefully my son will play a real sport instead of running around in his underwear.

They're both right.

Former football players with an over inflated sense of worth? Color me shocked.

Running is a real sport. Much more so than football. Football is a game. The realest sports are running and combat sports like boxing and mma.

Try to look at a keyboard man. Notice how the letter 'I' and 'O' are close?

Don't be so judgemental is all I'm saying ;)

smile wrote:

Except it is impossible to have never heard of him if you frequent this website.

He ran a sub 4 minute mile last year as a high school student.

Again, like i said before, not everyone follows highschool track. Do you guys have a reading comprehension problem? Before this thread, I couldn't have told you anything about him except that he must be the latest highschool star. Yes, i frequent this website. You guys need to get out of the basement and realize that not everyone knows the same things.

Except this was in response to a post generalizing that high school runners, even the best ones, were likely rejects. And Grant Fisher is hardly a name just for Letsrun oldtimers.

Why are midgets not viewed as tall as NBA players.

Bored kid wrote:

If you run 3k 5k and up most likely have a skinnier build, so maybe thats why? But idk cause these fat af football players who cant hobbyjog half a mile without dying are considered greater athletes than runners who actually spend more time in their sport training,eating,recovering. So why are we not considered athletic by societies standards?

I am not so sure that football players (soccer or American) spend any less time on their sports than distance runners. Keep in mind conditioning is done outside of practice and then there is video study. A big guy probably spends a lot of time eating.

did not catch my sarcasm:)