12 year old Grace Ping runs 16:44.80

Just 10 seconds off of the Freshman 5k records. Quit impressive.

Very few 12 year old boys can run 16:44.

Another point would be questioning what happened to Stephanie Jenks? Finished 19th in 17.32. Doesn't she have a PR way faster than that time? Been injured/bad race?

Going to go out on s limb here and say in 5 Years we will be asking what ever happened to grace ping

Which is held by an Olympic medalist!

10 seconds wrote:

Just 10 seconds off of the Freshman 5k records. Quit impressive.

Wow impressive.

On another note, isn't Ping a Chinese last name? Is she of Chinese descent?

Yes and no. Maybe some Asian in her but she like pretty much like a typical upper mid westerner.

At the age of 12, boys and girls have similar ability levels, as they haven't gone through puberty (usually)

So saying she's better than most guys means nothing

Realtalk wrote:

At the age of 12, boys and girls have similar ability levels, as they haven't gone through puberty (usually)

So saying she's better than most guys means nothing

How many of those "guys" are multiple single age world record holders?

Ping is from the same hometown as the Heath Brothers. She comes from a family of endurance athletes and I think the people who surround her have been moderate and smart in handling her training. This unfortunately won't prevent her from hitting puberty. I really hope for this girl's sake that she can bounce back after the inevitable transition struggles.

Grace cant be more than 82 pounds currently. She is fun to watch. She clearly has the warrior's spirit.

Flotrack's Meg Bellino says it's a new age group WR.

http://www.flotrack.org/article/42768-12-year-old-grace-ping-runs-16-44-5k-age-group-world-record

I guess the Africans don't bother to a) lie about their age when they are 12 or b) run 5ks at that age.

they don't record 5k's if the time at altitude is over 16 flat for girls, 15 flat for boys.

She was destroyed during the season at Elite meet in mn in 3200. Would be interesting match up again!

Whatever happened to that little girl with the real long hair that was really fast a few years ago? I think she ran the Olympic trials in 2008.

She started a Renaissance of girl's running that continues to this day. There will be three girls under age 20 in the OT 1500 who will likely cite her as a role model.

A real cutie pie wrote:

Whatever happened to that little girl with the real long hair that was really fast a few years ago? I think she ran the Olympic trials in 2008.

Not her dad wrote:

DO 7/7/2003

Event 14 Girls 5000 Meter Run Championship

=

1 1799 Weini Kelati 18 Leesburg, VA 16:24.69 2

2 4740 Grace Ping 21 Winona, MN 16:44.80 2

3 912 Jessica Lawson 17 Addison, NY 16:52.60 2

4 1836 India Johnson 17 Hilliard, OH 16:53.78

so why do the results have her at age 21?

rojo wrote:

I guess the Africans don't bother to a) lie about their age when they are 12 or b) run 5ks at that age.

Especially not 12 year old African girls.

moanswers wrote:

so why do the results have her at age 21?

whatever happened to daesha rogers the fl girl who was tearing it up in middle school?