Keepin it real wrote:
And one more thing--I've been to a high school cross country meet. Unless it's the state meet, I generally don't need two hands to count the kids that break 17:00. Yet I read this site and read about dozens of 4:20 milers and 15 and change 5K runners.
Either this website is the greatest collection of high school studs ever assembled, or the greatest collection of bull shitters.
You must not be in an area that has strong HS distance running. I live in Indiana, a good distance state but certainly not a powerhouse, and it takes ~16:10 to be in the top 100 for XC 5k times each year. Takes about 4:20 and 9:30 to be in the top 25 each year in the 16/32. I'm sure those times are much faster in states like California and Texas and are similar to Indiana's in many other states. Hundreds of HSers each year are "4:20 milers and 15 and change 5k runners"