13 year old girl breaks WORLD 5K record at a Turkey Trot today.

O Coach wrote:

Interested parent wrote:

I don't push my 12-year-old son to do anything, but he can run 5 miles without breaking a sweat faster than I can keep up. Is it possible that you are making too much of one the best 13-year-olds in the world maxing out at 45 miles?

I call BS I don't know any kids who don't train who can run 5 miles. My kids are trained and are two of the top mid distance runners in the US and they definitely sweat on easy long runs. Like I said, I call bs unless you are walking and he barely beats you.

Granted, I'm pretty slow, but hardly walking. My 12-year old started running 3-days/week two months ago and has never run more than 15 miles/week. Not only has he not trained before, he has never played team sports or done much of anything other than occasional climbing and very occasional low intensity sports with friends. Granted, he's light as a feather.

I call BS that your kids are as good as you say and yet can't run 5 miles without straining.

CycloneAlum wrote:

This years NCAA XC champion, Karissa Schweizer ran a 5k as a 12yr old and another as a 13yr old. Those times were 25:42 and 21:54 respectively. She was a 2:12 800m runner her senior year on less than 40 miles per week.

How many miles per week was Jordan Hasay running when she was the phenom du jour?

This. Perhaps it should be left for a separate thread, but what does "ideal" middle school training look like? I would welcome all answers from coaches who have had experience w/this age group and witnessed the progression or lack thereof.

To me, a 12-yr old should be doing multi-sports and not focusing too much on running, certainly not structured and intense running. I have a daughter this age who played different sports from an early age but has mostly focused on competitive soccer. She has only run two "serious" 5ks, with her best being in the low 23s at 5,300' elevation.

I would love for her to play soccer for as long as possible and maybe swim in the summers. We have not talked about training other than maybe some easy, off-season, light running one or two days per week with some hill sprints to work on explosiveness for soccer. But she has to want to do it.

I know there are many fast middle schoolers out there, many of them residing in our state. But my guess is that most of them will peak by the time they hit high school if they are training seriously. I can't imagine letting my daughter run even 30 mpw until she is at least a frosh.

kod3200 wrote:

What's it to you? wrote:

Um, ever heard of Jordan Hasay?

Lol look at where Hasay is right now then rethink your example.

4.75 miles

1/1507 F1929 24:08 24:07 5:05 Emily Sisson 26 F 64 Providence RI USA

2/1507 F1929 24:19 24:19 5:08 Sarah Pagano 25 F 52 Brighton MA USA

3/1507 F1929 24:27 24:27 5:09 Jordan Hasay 25 F 60 Beaverton OR USA

Coach G wrote:

24 girls ran qualifying times faster than Miss Ping including a girl close to 12 minutes for 4km.

Please don't tell me you take all Cross Country times seriously or consider them comparable. I know the Georgia girls that ran the Region 4 Junior Olympic course who you are including a number of in your "24" number above. There's no way those times are from anything close to a legit 4K course. Some of those girls are pretty fast, but they aren't as fast as Grace Ping and they wouldn't be threats to make NXN as individual qualifiers yet.

For example, the top two had "4K" times at the Region 4 Junior Olympic race of 12:53 and 12:58. Today at Foot Locker South, which is a fast 5K course, they ran 18:15 and 18:18 which are right in line with their other "real" results on reasonably accurate courses.

Grace Ping isn't unique, and the depth of serious competitors at her age is limited, but she is very fast for her age.

Speaker of the Dead wrote:

Grace Ping isn't unique, and the depth of serious competitors at her age is limited, but she is very fast for her age.

LOL .. because there are SO MANY runners who hold FOUR single age WORLD RECORDS. Let alone covering four consecutive ages SO FAR (10, 11, 12 and 13).

WR x4 is not unique wrote:

Speaker of the Dead wrote:

Grace Ping isn't unique, and the depth of serious competitors at her age is limited, but she is very fast for her age.

LOL .. because there are SO MANY runners who hold FOUR single age WORLD RECORDS. Let alone covering four consecutive ages SO FAR (10, 11, 12 and 13).

It amazes me too how stupid some of the people are who post here.

Probably a few posters here that think their daughter could beat Ping if only they were bad parents and pushed them to run more.

Sasha Pachev wrote:

Overall I had a very positive impression of the Ping family. Their kids were well behaved and generally pleasant to be around. Their ability to run in my opinion stems from the natural talent overlaid with the proper physical and mental approach.

Isn't this all that matters? If the family is raising good kids who happen to be fast as all heck, that should matter. As for Grace, I hope she continues to do well and destroy records but I hope she's allowed to be a kid/teen/etc without getting chewed up by some coach and burnt out.

Grace is an easy going, well- balanced young lady. She loves to compete; she has a fire her belly that's self-generated. If she were into soccer or gymnastics, she'd be successful too. She's just a natural competitor, much like Drew Hunter. In the winter, Grace cross-country skis, and she enjoys it. She chooses to run most of the year; nobody is telling to only focus on one sport. That's her call. If she wants to switch to something else, her parents will have no problem letting her follow her dreams.

By the way, Grace is not training hard. She runs very easy on her active recovery days. (That's a basic part of my training method that I prescribe for all athletes). Presently, she's running around 40 miles per week on 6 training days. Three of those days comprise slow and relaxed running (around 8:00 per mile). So, let's not jump to conclusions that she's being pushed hard in training. Also note, she's doing very little anaerobic or V.O2 max work.

Training for Grace includes distance runs, tempos, threshold miles, CV 1000's, 15-30-second striders, short hill reps, and plenty of slow running. That's the core of her weekly schedule. *Consistently staying within herself is vital to enjoyment, staying healthy, and building her fitness steadily over many months and years ahead. There's no need to follow a get-rich quick mentality! We (her parents and I) care that she enjoys athletics or whatever she chooses in life.

Take care,

Coach Schwartz

Karl Hungus wrote:

Sasha Pachev wrote:

Overall I had a very positive impression of the Ping family. Their kids were well behaved and generally pleasant to be around. Their ability to run in my opinion stems from the natural talent overlaid with the proper physical and mental approach.

Isn't this all that matters? If the family is raising good kids who happen to be fast as all heck, that should matter. As for Grace, I hope she continues to do well and destroy records but I hope she's allowed to be a kid/teen/etc without getting chewed up by some coach and burnt out.

The coach is Tinman - submax speed - gradual development.

God, just watch her run - can you not see how gifted she is?

It's coming from within her - the drive - she was born a champion - it's her destiny.

How can a 13 year old have that much pure hate?

I Don't think the guy is 13. He is referring to one of his children I believe. He was accused of being a pushy/abusive parent from someone who doesn't know him from a hole in the wall. So I think that could be part of the reason he responded so harshly.

Hey, the thread is about Grace Ping, her talent, her running at 7000 feet, her coaching input from Tinman, her dad training with her and her inner drive and will to ascendance.

Great post, coach Schwartz. Too many so-called-experts on these boards believe all young fast runners are doing insane workouts and 100 mile weeks. Not the case.

At one time I was a fast 13 year old too. Who's heard of me since?

Carrie Garritson wrote:

At one time I was a fast 13 year old too. Who's heard of me since?

Doesnt matter. "You" may may have wound up no better if you not racked up all those wins as a child prodigy.

Then your record would have been:

Youth running accomplishments: None

Adult running accomplishments: None

instead of

Youth running accomplishments: Complete Badazz

Adult running accomplishments: None

Why do people think running as a kid is the cause of failure as an adult? Everybody cant be a WR holder just by NOT running as a kid. Its truly a moronic hypothesis. 99.99% of *great* youth runners are *never* going to earn a living running or win a OG/WC medal.

Get it while you can get it, like "you" did "Carrie", and let the chips fall where they may.

aaaysjej wrote:

Get it while you can get it, like "you" did "Carrie", and let the chips fall where they may.

I went to a school--Chula Vista HS--where the mile record was 3:59--Tim Danielson. For my senior year I transferred to a school--Gahr HS--where a fellow senior held the age 15 mile WR--4:08.8 by Jim Arriola; who has held that record since 1974***; 42 year held and counting.

Needless to say. Both did not continue running to the same level after High School. But their accomplishments are ones any runner could only dream of.

***

[NOTE: The wiki date for is not correct. It should be 1974 not 1972.]

One up this..... wrote:

Coach G wrote:

24 girls ran qualifying times faster than Miss Ping including a girl close to 12 minutes for 4km.

You're delusional to keep bringing those times up.

Delusional as charged!!!!

Ping CRUSHES all others by 25 seconds.

Is that even possible wrote:

Looking through the results of the Silicone Valley womens elite 5k race a Grace Ping is listed as 13 years old and running a 16:36. The listed world record on ARRS is 16:43 by Yui Fukuda.

Silicone Valley is the valley just North of Los Angeles. I think you meant to say "Silicon" Valley, which is in the San Francisco Bay Area just South of Palo Alto and includes San Jose.

Any 13yo girl running 40 miles (70km) a week is going to have a huge advantage over nearly all her competitors.