Who is the idiot that decided high schoolers should run the 1600?

TheSameIdiotWho wrote:

The same idiot who decided that the men should run 110m in the high hurdles. I mean wtf! Why not run 100m?

The 110m high hurdles comes from the 120 yard high hurdles. The 120 yard hurdles were spaced with 15 yards to the first hurdle and 15 yards after the last hurdle with 10 yards between hurdles. The 110m hurdles kept these spacings and added the extra 27.2cm on to the end of the race. The spacing of the hurdles is very important in the high hurdles.

Oh oh oh I get this one. From all the people that correct me.

So your saying it means something.

bureau of weights and measures wrote:

16 lb shot - using Imperial measurement = 7.26 kg

we know the story of the marathon, so it is what it is

wtf is easier to administer about 1600 m compared to 1 mile? It's not that hard

1600/3200 only in America, but at least the colleges and universities got with the program

1600 is a lot easier to administer than 1 mile. Good luck calling lap times for the mile. Imagine state championships with the flurry of activity already going on. It is all about efficiency in a sport not designed for efficiency.

harry wales wrote:

bureau of weights and measures wrote:

16 lb shot - using Imperial measurement = 7.26 kg

we know the story of the marathon, so it is what it is

wtf is easier to administer about 1600 m compared to 1 mile? It's not that hard

1600/3200 only in America, but at least the colleges and universities got with the program

1600 is a lot easier to administer than 1 mile. Good luck calling lap times for the mile. Imagine state championships with the flurry of activity already going on. It is all about efficiency in a sport not designed for efficiency.

What's so hard about the mile? You line them what? A line them up extra 8 meters from where they are currently starting at? WOW, that takes some much planing and logistics.

Round number admirer wrote:

1600m and 3200m are much better for 400m tracks. Since it’s mostly a HS-only thing, it’s really only relevant in terms of recruiting, and a college coach won’t pass up somebody with a poor mile PR and a great 1600 PR. The times are easy to convert, so they certainly don’t mean “nothing”.

One mile & two mile to 1600m & 3200m were only to be temporary. We should have switched in US high schools long ago to 1500m & 3000m. Some famous older runners made the future switch to 1500m & 3000m more difficult with their, Bring Back the Mile nonsense.

I like where the 1500 starts, you got the whole backstretch to sort things out before you need to get towards the inside for the first turn. Less josteling for position at the start.

But the 3000 start and 5000 just before the curve, should run 3100 and 5100 instead.

Don't Elbow Me Bro wrote:

I like where the 1500 starts, you got the whole backstretch to sort things out before you need to get towards the inside for the first turn. Less josteling for position at the start.

But the 3000 start and 5000 just before the curve, should run 3100 and 5100 instead.

Ugh! I finally got someone to agree 1500m is better than 1600m but you are now starting a 3100m & 5100m campaign.

Apparently there were several idiots heading each of the states who made their decisions.

As tracks moved from being 440 yards to 400m across the country a decision had to be made.

The NCAA decided to change their championship from a mile to 1500m in 1976.

They kept the mile for indoors as the other events went to meters.

The IAAF keeps official records for the 1500m and the mile. There is no official record for the 1600m.

So, yes, it's stupid to have a 1600m event ever established.

This is what was done as tracks changed:

100y, became 100m, the Olympic event

220y, became 200m, the Olympic event

440y, became 400m, the Olympic event

880y, became 800m, the Olympic event

The mile, became 1600m, not an Olympic event nor an official distance of any kind

Like I said, the mile remains an official distance for record purposes today

So each state the holds a 1600m championship had some idiot that made the final decision and now they won't change it for traditional reasons I guess. Which makes no sense because the 1600m history isn't that old.

When tracks in the USA went metric in the 1980s, only ONE state got it right - Massachusetts - by keeping the Mile and 2-Mile and not taking the easy, convenient herd mentality via the misfit, non-historic 1600/3200. Why? Because its HS federation had a visionary leader: Bob McIntyre, the patron saint of Bring Back the Mile.

https://bringbackthemile.com/news/detail/american_rebels_massachusetts_proud_history_with_the_high_school_mile

The NCAA switched the DMR when they went metric. So there is an event that has two nonstandard distances, the 1200 and 1600. I like the idea of the 1500 but the 3k feels like you can stretch a great mid-D kid so you would not really see the true distance runners excel then in HS. If you want to carry out the logic, probably should be 1500 and 5000.

Yes, Mass. has it right, it is not any more difficult to run a full mile, finish remains in the same spot as any other race on the oval, just start 9.33m back.

The 1600 and 3200 is just a lazy US thing.

What does a 2 second difference matter?

Levioso wrote:

harry wales wrote:

What I can't understand tho is the 300 IM hurdles. Goes against my previous stated logic.

300 hurdles, money saver, less hurdles, also good time saver, takes less time to set up.

‘Nuff Said!

Well, back in the day...

They used to run 180yard low hurdles. All straightaway. Explains the long side on tracks.

They also had 70yd Highs and 120yd lows for frosh/soph.

They changes to 330yd (300meters)in 1976 I think.

Some of the greatest races ever were those 180 hurdles.

5K in high school would be crazy (in a track meet). The 3200 already lasts forever with some of these (girls).

States messing it up: Probably started in Iowa. They were playing 6/6 basketball until only a few years ago. And the Midwest is still running things like "shuttle relays" early in the season (which are actually hurdle relays, so there you go). I ran high school XC in the early 80s, and my Midwestern state had JUST switched from 2.6 mile courses to 3.1 courses. Some courses couldn't handle it, we still ran 2.6 a time or two each season.

Can anyone tell me why they were running 2.6 miles?

Mile or 1500. 3000 because that's what the world does. Then again, that's never stopped us (US) from making zero sense.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-on-six_basketball

zxcvzxcv wrote:

What does a 2 second difference matter?

What if a kid runs the 1600m in 3:58.0?

That's a sub four minute mile effort but it's not a sub four mile.

That would really be a wasted effort.

I recall some years ago some guy claiming he was a sub 4 minute miler, having ran 3:59 for the 1600. HAHAHAHA

Then what also gets my dandruff up is the reference of the 1500 being the "metric mile."

Iowa high school meet takes 3 days due to all of the dumb relays. They run 7: hurdle, 4x1, 4x2, 4x4, 4x8, SMR, DMR. They run 1500 and 3000 for girls but 1600 and 3200 for boys. It is the most messed up of any state.

zxcvzxcv wrote:

What does a 2 second difference matter?

Louisiana told Bobby Beck that 1600 meters is not the same as a mile. Becks mile time is faster than any listed 1600 time. He has no problem with them either adjusting the time or using his longer mile time. La. won't do it. I imagine a few other states may have had this problem. I think the 880 record got the same treatment .

They pulled the same crap on me when I ran 2:08:13.