Obese 240 lbs guy at my work claims to have run a sub 5 mile at his current weight. How plausible is this?

He didn't do it.

Make a bet with him. Winner kisses the loser on the mouth.

kladner wrote:

He also ran track in HS and got sub 12, though he doesn't remember whether it was hand timed or electronic.

He says he sprints and does intervals on a regular basis but does not do continuous distance runs.

He did show me a video of him running a hand timed 56.5 400 and a 2:13 800.

It's definitely possible.

Track background? Check.

Speed? Check.

Consistent training? Check.

Only thing missing is the mile video.

I was a sub 5 miler in high school. At age 24 I was recently 5'11 240, and no way in hell could I even come close to running under 8 minutes in a mile.

I was fat, but I think even if I was jacked as opposed to fat, I could not come close to sub 5.

You should tell him about the time you benched 320 pounds but strained your pec so you won't try again.

kladner wrote:

He did show me a video of him running a hand timed 56.5 400 and a 2:13 800.

Yeah, sure, he ran 56. If the timer stopped when he was 1/4 around the track.

i call bs wrote:

kladner wrote:

He did show me a video of him running a hand timed 56.5 400 and a 2:13 800.

Yeah, sure, he ran 56. If the timer stopped when he was 1/4 around the track.

OR you're exaggerating about his weight. If he goes to the gym and plays basketball on a regular basis it's tough to imagine that he's really that fat. 240 is pretty huge.

i call bs wrote:

i call bs wrote:

Yeah, sure, he ran 56. If the timer stopped when he was 1/4 around the track.

OR you're exaggerating about his weight. If he goes to the gym and plays basketball on a regular basis it's tough to imagine that he's really that fat. 240 is pretty huge.

I didn't weigh him, but he said he's 240 lbs. The only other "proof" he showed me was that 240 lb reading on his driver's license (not on a scale). I don't know about 240, but he looks pretty big and is at least 210-220.

In any case, that weight seems to be muscle and not fat. He doesn't have a beer belly.

kladner wrote:

In any case, that weight seems to be muscle and not fat. He doesn't have a beer belly.

I thought he was "obese?"

Totally believable. You should take his word for it.

i call bs wrote:

kladner wrote:

In any case, that weight seems to be muscle and not fat. He doesn't have a beer belly.

I thought he was "obese?"

His BMI is over 30, so that's why I called him obese. 240 lbs can actually be merely "overweight" if you're taller than 6'3".

Matt London are you continuing the lies?

Call him out in front of all your coworkers Especially your boss explain how he is disrespecting all runners explain that he must go run this time in the parking lot or quit his job. Don’t forget to bring up his weight do offer to time him though you don’t want to come of like a dick or something.

i call bs wrote:

kladner wrote:

He did show me a video of him running a hand timed 56.5 400 and a 2:13 800.

Yeah, sure, he ran 56. If the timer stopped when he was 1/4 around the track.

Even if those times were legit, he still didn't go sub 5.

400 - 56.5

800 - 66.5/lap

1600 - 76.5/lap, assuming a 10 second/lap slowdown for each doubling in distance. In reality, his time will be even slower than that.

I could maayyybe believe a sub 5 1500, but anything faster than that is total BS.

i call bs wrote:

kladner wrote:

He did show me a video of him running a hand timed 56.5 400 and a 2:13 800.

Yeah, sure, he ran 56. If the timer stopped when he was 1/4 around the track.

This^^

Report him to HR and make sure this is in his personnel file.

Is it??? wrote:

Matt London are you continuing the lies?

First thing that popped in my mind was, is matt London OP coworker?

It is very plausable that he made that claim. People are dumb, you know. They make the most idiotic claims all the time,

No way in hell.

I was there once upon a time.

You can’t seriously break a 9 min/ mile at that weight. And guys who claim to be 240 lbs are usually 255. 240 was probably 2 yrs ago.