12 y/o girl runs sub-37 10k, sub-18 5k.

She is a true talent.

Next Carrie Garritson?

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-22-sp-4283-story.html

Impressive wrote:

She is a true talent.

No, this is bad news.

Christine Hofmeier ran 36:19 at 11 years old, and 10:11 3k as 10 year old. She was celebrated as century talent and Germany's big hope to win medals at international competitions. At 16 she was around 40th at the Cross World Championship, then she disappeared.

Julie Mullin ran a sub 3 marathon at age 10 - no career.

Paul Wesley ran 2:56 as 9-year old, did a couple more age-graded world records and completely disappeared long before serious running starts.

Jessica Gilfillan ran 9:47 as 11-year old, improved to 9:29 as 14-year old and stopped running soon after.

I don't need to mention the well known cases of Alana Hadley, and to some extent Mary Cain (although she was actually longer successful than the others).

HS prodigies are known to have a short running career - well, the career prospects of 8-12 year old prodigies are even worse..

LateRunnerPhil wrote:

Christine Hofmeier ran 36:19 at 11 years old, and 10:11 3k as 10 year old. She was celebrated as century talent and Germany's big hope to win medals at international competitions. At 16 she was around 40th at the Cross World Championship, then she disappeared.

Meant *Swiss.

Kemper tested 1981 already 500 teens aged 13-14. The range for biological age was between 9 and 16, or in other words - 7 years of difference. Competitions aren't very fair, if girls who develop early compete with girls who develop late. Many of the so called "super talents" aren't actually upcoming Olympians, they are just young kids who develop at a faster rate than their peers.

Grace Ping had great success as 12-year old and people already anticipated her to break Tuohy's and Cain's records, but she might just have been biologically older than 12 at that time she ran 16:44 5k and not just the absolute supertalent that people thought she would be. Getting good performances as early developer sets the bar insanely high, so when she doesn't improve like other girls do, some of them even surpassing them, it is very hard to stay motivated for the sport.

Melody Fairchild 2.0

jecht wrote:

Sub-18 5k is even more impressive to me than the sub-37 10k.

37min for 10km is about 17:35, and for a 12yo probably even lower.

So, no

Its well known in the lower mainland BC that the summerfast 10k course is short. They constantly have this issue. Based on the times/athletes, I'd wager about a minute to 90s short this year.

That 5k, if correct, is more impressive.

Age cheat. She is probably 25.