Ron Clarke, talented as a junior (4:06.8 mile at age 19), quit at 19 then didn't take running again until he was 24...ended up running 13:16/27:39.
Jared Ward: first ran 2:12 at age 26 to make the US team and ended up 6th in Rio at 27.
Ron Clarke, talented as a junior (4:06.8 mile at age 19), quit at 19 then didn't take running again until he was 24...ended up running 13:16/27:39.
Jared Ward: first ran 2:12 at age 26 to make the US team and ended up 6th in Rio at 27.
Nico Motchebon participated at WC in Modern Pentathlon at the age of 20-21 and then changed to the 800m. Supposedly after 6 months of training for this event he got the Bronze at the world indoors in 1993 and he was 4th at the 1995 Goteborg WC and 5th at the Atlanta Olympics with 1:43.91 at the age of 26
Not quite late but not so typical either.
late comer wrote:
I came relatively late to running (end of high school), and have showed some talent and continued to progress, not rapidly but steady enough. I'm now nearing my midtwenties, and I still feel like I'm improving and have hopes of making a World Championship/Olympic team. I've run 3:43 for 1500, 1:48 for 800. My country isn't overly competitive, so making the qualifying times should get me on the team (usually 3:36/1:46).
I'm not asking if anyone thinks I can make it, but I'm asking for examples of athletes that bloomed late to make their first team in their late 20s. I do not want athletes that were close for years before making a team (say, Katie Mackey), but athletes that as a result of progressing every year eventually put themselves in the discussion. I also don't care for the likes of Nick Willis or Mo Farah or Des Linden who were always good and saw rapid improvements later on in their 30s, or athletes like Jenny Simpson that have been consistently good for a long time. I'm after people of a similar level to me that just kept on persisting, and showed that a gradual progression of 1-2 seconds for several years is possible until they were at the level of being internationally competitive. I'm sure there are plenty out there, but some inspiration on who they are and their stories would be nice to see that my goals are possible.
Regards,
2024 Olympian
Funny that you don't want a Mo Farah example but that is exactly kind of late 20s/early 30s improvement you are looking for.
FWIW Bill Rodgers was a smoke before taking running seriously.
Priscilla Welch started running at 35 and did OK for herself. Made her first time at 39.
Steve Way
HM guy wrote:
Steve Way
im not sure hes a great example the op started running end of high school i will guess thats 15 he said hes getting mid 20s now so 7-8 years running minimum. steve way started to take running seriously at 34 6 years later he represented England at the commonwealths.
Ben Blankenship didn't make a world team until he was 35.....or 45...….25?
Sean Wade,
From New Zealand. He was on a tennis scholarship at Rice University in Houston. Between his junior and senior year he was running to get in shape for the tennis season, when he asked some guys from the track team if it was okay to run with them. They chuckled and said "you can try". He easily kept up, so they told their coach "hey, we got some guy on our tennis team that we can't drop even if we try to". The coach spoke to his tennis Trainer and asked if he could run some tests. Wade wasn't overly interested. He said I only run to get fit for tennis. I am a tennis player! Somehow they talked him into it, and four years later he represented New Zealand in the Olympics for the marathon. He also finished 2nd at the Houston marathon running under 2:11 if I recall correctly. Then he went on to have a brilliant master's career. And (like Steve Jones) he is not a little wimpy guy either.
So go for it...anything is possible!
Chris Brasher, father of Hugh Brasher, the current London Marathon director, developed late to win the 1956 Olympic steeplechase in 1956 in 8:41 . (He ran around 9 minutes most of his career). A training mate of Bannister, he was one of the crew that led athletics out of the shadow of World War II.
Sam Vazquez who hit the 1,500m olympian for puerto rico at age 28
Mizael Carrera who is getting close to running the olympic standard for puerto rico at age 27
Peco Gonzalez Puerto rican marathon record holder did run sub 2:15 until 30 and sub 2:13 at 32
Ricardo Estremera puerto rican who ran his best time right before the olympics in the steeple at age 30
Brian Sell who ran 2:12 at age 32 and went to the olympics for the US
The are mostly puerto ricans since i am a puerto rican and I know about them and their stories
3hr-marathoner wrote:
Ron Clarke, talented as a junior (4:06.8 mile at age 19), quit at 19 then didn't take running again until he was 24...ended up running 13:16/27:39.
Jared Ward: first ran 2:12 at age 26 to make the US team and ended up 6th in Rio at 27.
re-blooming is not late blooming.
Eric Clapton
Not sure if it has been said yet, but Wilson Kipsang did not start running until he became a cop.
late comer wrote:
I came relatively late to running (end of high school), and have showed some talent and continued to progress, not rapidly but steady enough. I'm now nearing my midtwenties, and I still feel like I'm improving and have hopes of making a World Championship/Olympic team. I've run 3:43 for 1500, 1:48 for 800. My country isn't overly competitive, so making the qualifying times should get me on the team (usually 3:36/1:46).
I'm not asking if anyone thinks I can make it, but I'm asking for examples of athletes that bloomed late to make their first team in their late 20s. I do not want athletes that were close for years before making a team (say, Katie Mackey), but athletes that as a result of progressing every year eventually put themselves in the discussion. I also don't care for the likes of Nick Willis or Mo Farah or Des Linden who were always good and saw rapid improvements later on in their 30s, or athletes like Jenny Simpson that have been consistently good for a long time. I'm after people of a similar level to me that just kept on persisting, and showed that a gradual progression of 1-2 seconds for several years is possible until they were at the level of being internationally competitive. I'm sure there are plenty out there, but some inspiration on who they are and their stories would be nice to see that my goals are possible.
Regards,
2024 Olympian
Ron Daws.
https://www.amazon.com/Self-Made-Olympian-Ron-Daws/dp/0890371032How has no one mentioned Nick Simmonds yet?
Beat him in a 3000m at Parliament Hill in about 1985 - he must have been having an off day!
Rashid Ramzi
RIP: D3 All-American Frank Csorba - who ran 13:56 in March - dead
RENATO can you talk about the preparation of Emile Cairess 2:06
Running for Bowerman Track Club used to be cool now its embarrassing
Hats off to my dad. He just ran a 1:42 Half Marathon and turns 75 in 2 months!
Great interview with Steve Cram - says Jakob has no chance of WRs this year
Rest in Peace Adrian Lehmann - 2:11 Swiss marathoner. Dies of heart attack.